RABRAI 2023 - Who left the oven on?!

In July 2023, I rode my bike across the state of Iowa in RAGBRAI L (50th year) with a group of friends. It was the second time I have done the ride, but this year was much different from the first - hotter (heat index 100+,) hillier (17,000' of climbing) and longer (520 miles)!
Please watch, enjoy and share with anyone that might be interested!

[@carolcunningham950]

Awesome video! You all look like a cool group of friends. My husband and I have watched so many Ragbrai videos and I have to say this was one of the best. We're thinking about participating next year! Thanks for the inspiration.

[@AGNT997]

Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment! We had a great time together and I can wholeheartedly recommend anyone who is interested in the ride to do it - there’s something for everyone!

[@IowaNinersFan]

@carolcunningham950 - You should do it. Won't be as crowded as it was this year since the anniversary will have passed. RAGBRAI is a blast and even if you can't ride everyday, at least do a couple of days during the week. You'll have a lot of fun. Plenty of things to do, places to go and food to eat. If that thought has crossed your mind, you should train early so you'll be prepared.

[@iancave6753]

Brilliant - You captured my son on Video in the PBV Tent at Carroll and then also climbing out of Des Moines past the Courthouse !

[@AGNT997]

Ha - glad you enjoyed! Sharp eye picking people out in the dark like that. Watching other videos of the week, my group definitely was out a little earlier than a lot of the other people that were recording it…I guess they don’t like trying to record when there isn’t any light!

[@ragbrai_iowa]

Sorry Matt accidentally left the oven on "broil" 😂 love the video!! Happy trails!

[@AGNT997]

Thanks for watching this one - it might have been hot (to put it mildly) but we sure did enjoy an adventure of a lifetime!

[@julian-earl]

Hands down, one of the very best videos of Ragbrai L out there on YT, with just the right balance of bike, food & Ragbrai life for the perfect summary of an epic ride! Thanks for putting in the time to record and edit this. Great music choices too.

[@AGNT997]

Wow - thanks so much for the compliment! It sure was fun putting it together and we’ll all enjoy remembering the experience in the years to come.

[@JohnClowes724]

i also did all of the miles and your video does such a great job of making it look fun. my favorite scene is when all seven of you walk into and then out of the cornfield. loved that! great job!

[@AGNT997]

Thanks and congratulations on your ride! It was fun at the time but now a few weeks past the ride I’m already forgetting how hot and hilly it was and only remembering the good times!

[@409MortgageGuy]

Great video, nicely done!

[@AGNT997]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@RideAlongAdventures]

great video. Thanks for sharing. I especially like the 360 camera shots...very creative.

[@AGNT997]

Thank you for watching and the comment! The 360 camera is great for this sort of thing - no need to worry about aiming it until you edit…sure helps when you’re riding a bike!

[@RideAlongAdventures]

@@AGNT997 I’m also curious: do you have the extra long selfie stick or the “standard” size? There’s a shot at the first tire dip that looks incredibly high. Thanks again for the video!

[@AGNT997]

@RideAlongAdventures I have both. I used Velcro to strap the extended version to my top tube and was able to fit the standard one in the handlebar bag I used to carry all of my stuff for this ride. The extended one is awesome and I regret not taking the time to use it more.

[@RideAlongAdventures]

@@AGNT997 thanks for the reply. Yeah, I have the standard one too but I was just too nervous to use it very often on the ride...I was fearful of taking my hands off of the handlebars! one rider actually swerved in front of me and ran into the camera. ;) per your recommendations, I'm going to look into the extended stick. Again, I really liked how you pulled together those shots--very cool. You had one shot where you not only changed the view but also the perspective. Very cool. And the small planet shot during one of the stops was very interesting.

[@Rocking-SLC]

Hey Team, Great job getting out early and beating the heat. My wife, Christine, and I did the same so it's funny we didn't notice you because of Lindsey's Wilier. Christine and I both ride a Wilier and we only saw two others. One Wilier rider had us ride along side him so his friends could video us together. They are great bikes and you made a phenomenal video.

[@AGNT997]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Yes, Lyndsey’s bike is beautiful. I’m guessing we did see you at some point as I noticed a couple of other Wiliers during the week. They really stand out in a good way. Congratulations on your ride!

[@tavenbuttelo1947]

Amazing video keep it up

[@AGNT997]

Thanks for watching!

[@Rocking-SLC]

Hi Mike, Are you and your friends riding RAGBRAI this year? I wanted to ride a mile or two next to Lindsey on our Wiliers but my Wilier is having front derailleur problems so I'll be on my Trek instead. Boohoo, I'll just blend in with the crowd. My wife will be on her Wilier though. Perhaps we'll see you there.

[@AGNT997]

Hey there! No plans to ride this year for any of the folks in our little group. Hope you have a great ride and enjoy the miles even if they’re done on a Trek rather than your fancy Italian bike!

[@d.michaelstrickland2952]

Nice video! The symphony music starting the segment from Carroll to Ames? So familiar but just cannot place it. From what movie?

[@AGNT997]

From Field of Dreams. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@d.michaelstrickland2952]

Makes perfect sense now. Ragbrai, Iowa, cornfields, Field of Dreams! Thanks! Will enjoy watching again.

[@Mantis858585]

Cool video. Thanks for taking on the ride. How young was the little girls riding? I want to know when I can consider taking my son.

[@AGNT997]

I don’t know for sure, but she looked like she was 7-8 years old but she was the youngest one I saw riding her own bike. (It’s also unclear if she rode the entire ride or just the day/portion of the day) There were others that age that rode tandem. Of course, every individual is different, but there was boy in my extended group that was about 13-14 and he did fine. Thanks for watching and good luck on your ride!

[@rondickstein5676]

how do you get such great video shots? Awesome video

[@AGNT997]

Thanks! Shot on my phone and 360 camera. The 360 has great stabilization which helps a lot!

[@bikesandbeyond618]

really enjoyed your video. You thinking about riding Ragbrai this year, 2024?

[@AGNT997]

Thanks for watching and commenting! I’m not planning to ride this year but will likely do it again in a few years (I rode the 2017 event too).

[@bikesandbeyond618]

@@AGNT997 this year will be my first. My son in law decided to come along for the adventure. should be a great time.