RAGBRAI 50 - How Does PBV Do It?, Part 1

[@Joel-hr1uw]

I love this salute to the awesome staff and crew of PBV, they made my 2022 RAGBRAI a wonderful experience, and I would NEVER go with any other charter

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hi Sarah, Thanks for the feedback on our PBV videos. We absolutely love PBV and like you, would never use another charter. This will be our 10th year with them and the value PBV provides us in terms of maximizing our RAGBRAI experience is huge. We were happy to make an attempt at documenting the effort that goes into providing that world class service. Thanks for watching and hopefully you'll get a chance to watch some of the other content on BBB Adventures. Enjoy the Ride

[@douglaslarson7845]

My wife and I use the Pork Belly services in 2021 and it is amazing to see the behind the scenes actions that it takes to make this event run so smoothly. Pete and Tammy do an awesome job along with their crew t!!o make this cycling adventure come true for so many. Thanks for taking your misfortune with the Red Dragon and turning it into something great. Remember to wear a helmet!!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Doug, We've used PBV since 2015 and have always appreciated and been in awe of what it must take to deliver the world class experience to their customers. One of the best things about using PBV is they take care of the details so you can just maximize your RAGBRAI experience. Pete and Tammy are truly fantastic leaders and fantastic people and it shows in their crew. All of those team members would not work as hard or show that level of dedication to the riders if Tammy and Pete didn't inspire it. Thanks for the recognition of our effort to turn a series of misfortunate circumstances into something worthwhile. Oh...and we always wear a helmet and hope you do the same. Thanks so much for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@hannahjoyed]

Very cool video! Thanks Mary Beth and Brentley!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Hanna, Thanks for watching and we are glad you enjoyed seeing how PBV tears down all it takes to give full service support to the riders. Stay tuned for next week. :) Enjoy the Ride

[@billcummins9579]

wow !!! thanks for an amazing video. I really enjoyed seeing how it all works at Pork Belly ! You and and MB did an awesome job on this video !!!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Bill, Thank you so much for the feedback on this episode. We are super happy to hear you enjoyed it. What PBV does everyday on RAGBRAI is demonstration of logistics planning and teamwork. We had a great time hanging out with the crew. Thanks for watching and for the comment. Enjoy the Ride

[@LVang152]

Thanks for the behind the scenes for us this year.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Thanks for watching and for the comment. We're glad you enjoyed it. Enjoy the Ride

[@iancave6753]

Thanks MB & Brentley .... Great Insight as always

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Ian, Glad you enjoyed our effort to document the logistics feat of how the awesome PBV crew tear down camp everyday. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@phylliscoates7968]

Amazing video of the behind the scenes of PBV. From the early morning coffee makers to the tractor trailers moving the tents. I plan to be the 2024 Virgin RAGBRAI for next year and using PBV as my charter. This video is absolutely perfect and showed me the fantastic Logistics and appreciation for the hard work and planning that they do. PBV takes so much pride in the work that they do to make sure that the cyclist have a great time and not stressing over anything. I appreciate the fact that they are willing to accomodate the cyclists by making the coffee STRONGER. MaryBeth great job talking with the tractor trailer driver and getting his input. Disco seemed like he was interested or he took a nap on your lap. Thank you both for the video. Can't wait for part 2😊

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Phyllis! Your summary of PBV is spot on...their focus is really the riders and taking care of as many details as possible so the rider can just enjoy the ride. This is the main reason we used PBV all the years we traveled back from Taiwan for RAGBARI, it make planning the entire thing so much easier. We are super excited for you to join RAGBRAI 2024 and it will be a totally different experience than what you see from this year since the expectations is the number of riders will drop back to something more "normal". Disco is happy to do whatever is going on as long as he's with us. He is an adventure dog after all. :) Thanks for watching and for the great comment. Enjoy the Ride

[@DoreneDisch]

I appreciated my PBV charter before but oof.... now I REALLY REALLY appreciate the charter and ALL the staff!!!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Dorene!!! So great to hear from you and we're so happy you watched this episode. The entire PBV crew is top notch and are tirelessly devoted to ensuring the riders have the best possible experience at camp so they can focus on enjoying RAGBRAI, but you know all that. It is amazing the logistics and teamwork it take these great crew members to deliver to meet that objective. Also, the leadership and culture that Tammy and Pete create really shows in the crew. Thanks for watching and for the comment. Enjoy the Ride (and enjoy a Spotted Cow)

[@Minnesota_Matt]

Awesome. AND IT’S ONLY PART 1 ?!?!?! Thanks for the looks behind the curtain!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Matt, Thanks for watching and super glad you enjoyed it. The execution of the PBV logistics is really something to behold. We're working on Part 2 now, stay tuned. Enjoy the Ride

[@leonfisher]

Way back in episode 23 I'd asked for this. Finally!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Leon, After reading your comment, Mb went back and found your comment on Episode 23!! We are so happy we were able to meet this request for you. :) Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@kathrynpritchard1264]

Very cool to see this behind the scenes of PBV. Haven't chartered with them in my 2 years of RAGBRAI, but have always been curious. I had NO idea how many people used the service without tent service, but putting up their own. Must be 1000s!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Kathryn, We are happy to hear you enjoyed Part 1 and we trying to get Part 2 finished. It really is amazing what the PBV crew does in service of their riders whether is a rental tent or a bring you own tent customer. Their efforts really help the rider focus on riding and enjoying RAGBRAI. Thanks for watching and for the comment. Enjoy the Ride

[@Rgrrgr175]

Like a military operation. So cool to see how it’s done! 👍🏻

[@BBB_Adventures]

Howdy, Great analogy. It's an amazing feat of logistics and as a rider/customer of PBV you don't realize all that goes into making a great experience every day. It's the awesome crew members that make the magic happen. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@Raveler1]

Absolutely incredible! Putting the tents away with the poles still intact is especially genius!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Lucus, It really is an incredible operation and a feat in logistics and teamwork. It was really fun to watch and try to capture the process. There is more ingenious stuff to witness in next week's episode when we show how they set up camp in Ames. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@dfriz8513]

​@@BBB_Adventureswould be interesting to do a chart on the process and try to improve it.

[@grandimperialpoobah]

Having worked on the support crew for Bike Florida, I found this amazing. While I'm sure this has evolved in the years they've done it, it's an incredible process. Kudos to the PBV crew.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Howdy GIP! Thanks for watching and we are very pleased you enjoyed our attempt at documenting the extreme logistics and teamwork of PBV. It's great you come from a perspective with similar experience and I'm glad you found PBV as amazing as we do. We appreciate your comment. Enjoy the Ride

[@frankmarchetta2120]

Good job on PBV documentary. Some things I learned. Tents are not assigned permanent numbers and you dont get the same tent every day. After they put up the tents then they hang the numbers. For some reason I thought the tents had permanenent numbers and you get the same tent every day. This makes more sense. Also interesting to know that the support route was monitored by police. The logistics are amazing. they all work hard. True american work ethic. GHS

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hi Frank, It really is amazing what the PBV team pulls off everyday on RAGBRAI all in service of the riders. When we first started using PBV we also thought we'd get the same tent everyday but after understanding what it takes to move all those tents and all that stuff how they do it seems smart. The PBV crew really does work super hard and are totally focused on ensuring the riders have the best possible experience. Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it. Enjoy the Ride GHS

[@JNM202]

Awesome video! This is exactly what I wanted to see. From my first call to PBV, their mastery of logistics has been part of the fun of RAGBRAI.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Judith, Thank you for the comment and we are happy you enjoyed this episode. You're totally right about PBV's mastery of logistics and it was fun for us to watch it all take place. One of the things that makes PBV so great is the focus that every crew member has on ensuring the riders have the best experience possible at camp. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@GreerSaechao]

That was fascinating! I envisioned them fully setting up and taking down each tent each day for some reason! Wow! Excellent different view of a Ragbrai day!!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Greer!! That's what I thought when we first started using Pork Belly and it was so cool to see the innovation they've put into maximizing their logistics efficiency. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@Ryanarceneaux.team985]

So neat to see the way they set up and break camp. Wouldn’t have imagined they’d leave the poles in tact. Genius!!! Also didn’t know you could have PBV grab your bags. Beth liked that not having to stand in line. Well put together and informative video. 🍻

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Ryan, Yes, after years and years of experience, the folks at PBV have the logistics pretty well figured out and the definitely put some innovation into their process. And as you point out with the way bags are dealt with, the goal and focus of the PBV team is to maximize the convenience and the details for the riders so you can focus on having a good time on RAGBRAI. We are glad to hear you enjoyed this episode. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@av1atrx]

Thanks again for this series! This is so great to see how it all works.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Rachel, We are pleased to hear you are enjoying it. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@philknies395]

Great video Brentley! You and Mary Beth had great camera locations for framing and capturing all the unbelievable PBV activity. Can’t wait for Part 2! Also great to meet you at Carroll PBV Monday night. Phil from Washington. “What the L” :-)

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Phil, Nice to hear from you! Thanks for the feedback on this episode, we are happy you enjoyed it. We are working on Part 2 now, so please stay tuned. Hope all is well in Washington. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@bikesandbeyond618]

Thanks for answering many questions about PBV that I had without me needing to ask them!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Howdy, We are happy to hear we answered at least some of your PBV questions. It's really an amazing feat of logistics and teamwork. Stay tuned for next week's episode as we'll likely answer some more questions. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@stevederr4927]

Wow Wow Wow! So glad you did this. Amazing the logistics behind PBV. Makes you really appreciate PBV more! Way show your impressive guns (biceps) off Brently, loading that trailer. Curious as to how many rental tents they have. Have you considered getting a High on the Hog ‘Hotel’ Room and having all your kids do a RAGBRAI with you one year?

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Steve! Totally...the logistics that PBV pulls off is amazing particularly considering they only do this at this scale one week a year. It's a great example of what good leadership setting the right culture and expectations can do to build a plan and the teamwork it takes to pull something like this off. Thanks for noticing my huge guns! :) This year they had 427 rental tents. We have talked about getting a room in one of the hotel trailers. Other than the expense, the issue is getting one. I believe it's a multiple year waiting list and once you get one you get the option to have one the next year so the list is long. Maybe we should just get on the list and hope something becomes available. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@chrisdrumma7829]

Very cool to see what makes this event happen. On the bucket list to do someday. Thank you both!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Chris, Thanks so much and we are happy to hear you enjoyed Part 1, stayed tuned for Part 2. It's great to hear RAGBRAI and PBV are on your bucket list...why not 2024? Hope to see you in Iowa. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@jimhenderson57]

First time commenter. I've seen all of your videos at last once, the packing video probably 4 or 5 times. This is a fascinating view behind the scenes. Rode my first RAGBRAI this year, but had to go with a different charter service as PBV was sold out in the first few minutes. I'll be using PBV in 2024 for sure. No video this weekend? I'm up by 7AM every saturday to catch your latest, hope all is well.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Jim, Thanks for all the support and for watching all our videos!! It's great to hear from you so thanks for the comment. We really value hearing from viewers and appreciate the interactions. So great to hear from a long time viewer. You certainly picked a tough year for your first RAGBRAI and it's awesome to hear you'll be doing it again next year. We would love to connect with you next year and hang out at PBV camp. We are happy to hear you enjoyed this video, we had a lot of fun filming and editing it and even though we've been with PBV for years, we are still in awe of what they pull off. We are working on the production of Part 2 but my Dad is having some urgent medical issues and we've been spending a lot of time at the hospital and didn't get Part 2 ready in time. We feel bad because we rarely miss a Saturday release and we are anxious to get Part 2 out to our viewers. We'll get it done as soon as we can. Thanks for the patience and thanks again for all the support. Enjoy the Ride

[@johndoiron9615]

My wife and I are planning on doing our first RAGBRAI in 2025. I guess we'll be saving a lot of time in the morning since neither of us drinks coffee!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey John, Congrats on the decision to do RAGBRAI, I'm pretty sure you'll love it. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions we might be able to answer as you plan your trip. You can use your "coffee" time to sleep in a little or get on the bikes sooner, although getting coffee doesn't really take very long. Thanks for watching and for the comment. Enjoy the Ride

[@TL243]

😎❤️🇹🇼‼️

[@TL243]

Got that out of the way but dude and dudett. You have to make a short or smaller video on your graphics for what it takes to do this ride.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Thanks for watching.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Thanks for the suggestion but I guess I need a bit more clarification. Are you asking for a shorter video on what it takes to do RAGBRAI?

[@TL243]

@@BBB_Adventures you could make a short out of the last few stats. Great work guys!

[@juliemomof5]

Great job with the intro MB! What does it mean that Pork Belly is “a charter”? What’s a charter? Can’t wait for part 2! Super cool!

[@dfriz8513]

People pay to higher pork belly to do this work, so all the customers have to do is ride bikes.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Julie! Yes...we love it when Mb does some of the narration, maybe we can talk her into doing more. The use of the word "charter" is an adaptation of the following official definition: the reservation of an aircraft, boat, or bus for private use. I think in this case it's the reservation of the support services Pork Belly provides. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@dfriz8513]

They see a need, and build a trailer to fill the need.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Dave, Totally. The folks at PBV observe what happens every year and when a problem, need or optimization becomes clear, they work over the winter to address it, usually with a new trailer or piece of equipment. It's the continuous improvement that helps differentiate PBV and deliver a world class experience. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@scottcrawford9837]

Love it! Cant wait to see part 2. Also, how are you liking the bed you featured on an earlier episode? im in the market for a new one.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Scott, So glad to hear you enjoyed this episode, we had a blast filming all the activity. It's such an amazing feat of logistics and teamwork. We are in the middle of producing Part 2 and I think you'll enjoy it as well. If you're asking about the Nectar mattress we bought when we first moved back from Taiwan, we love it. We've been sleeping on it since that episode and so far it's held up great. Very firm and comfortable yet the foam conforms to your body. We recently stayed in a hotel that had a crappy soft mattress and my back hurt the next morning. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@scottcrawford9837]

Thanks for what you do. appreciate it@@BBB_Adventures

[@katzsteel]

Do we get a tour of the hotel trailer? Sounds interesting!

[@BBB_Adventures]

Howdy, Thanks for watching. Stay tuned for the next episode, we hope to cover more about the hotel trailers. Enjoy the Ride

[@cdmiller51]

QOTD: "Everything a bicycler wants."

[@BBB_Adventures]

Hey Craig, Brain is a real gem! It's been a blast to interact with him over the years at camp and Mb had a great time hanging out with him in the truck. Part of what makes PBV so great is the attitude of the crew and Brian's quote is an example...they just want to make sure the riders have the best possible experience and the details are taken care of so they can focus on the ride. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@lightdark00]

I thought they changed to each patron sticks with the tent they started with over each day. Sad if that's not the case.

[@BBB_Adventures]

Howdy, Nope...it's always been you get which ever tent has your tent number on it. That's why we suggest everyone bring a small broom and dustpan to clean the tent when you get to camp and before you blow up your mattress and roll out your bedding. Not everyone puts effort into keeping grass and dirt out of the tent. The system actually works well and all the tents are basically the same. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the Ride

[@lightdark00]

@@BBB_Adventures I thought during the demic scare they were making an attempt to keep tents the same for each party, not just the numbers.