KWWL.com - News & Weather for Waterloo, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids & Iowa City, Iowa | RAGBRAI Preps: Bike Tune up

RAGBRAI Preps: Bike Tune up

The station directed me to get my tune-up at Bike Tech in Cedar Falls. Store Owner Brent Johnson says right now at least a month before the ride is the best time to bring in a bike for a RAGBRAI tune up.

My cycle is an early 2000 model made by Raleigh--which I paid between 300 to 400 dollars about four years ago. Brent didn't mince words in letting me know my bike had issues.

"Looks like the chain has a healthy amount of rust on it we will pop that sucker off and recycle it...looks like the water bottle cage has seen better days so we will get a new one of those or maybe add a second-- a little more water--water is good you know on a hot day.. we will check the tires see if we can get something more efficient for long distance riding."

Johnson also serves as a "Service Technician" on the RAGBRAI route--but he says don't expect him or the other Bike TECHS to do major repair work.

Johnson said. "Last thing you want to do is get your bike tuned up on RAGBRAI. You are going to wait a lot longer and make a lot of mechanics mad and you are going to make the people in the line behind you really mad."

I asked "For Ragbrai what would you consider my bike--the shape that it's in and even the condition for Ragbrai?" Johnson responded. "This bike no problem can do Ragbrai..honestly its not the best choice..but you will see hundreds of this kind of bike out there. Good if you are on a budget or if you are only going to do a couple of days--but if you are going to do the whole thing or ride a lot of road bikes after Ragbrai--we maybe should look at Road Bikes"