ORANGE CITY — RAGBRAI, where most riders’ highest aspirations involve pancakes and porkchops and naps in the shade, is about as far was you can get from an Olympic event. But Olympic medalist Nelson Vails loves the celebration of cycling all the same.
As dawn broke in Orange City on Sunday, July 20, Vails, 64, sat down to sip a cup of coffee before starting yet another edition of the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
Vails, who became the first Black American to win an Olympic medal in cycling when took home silver in the men’s track sprint race at the 1984 games in Los Angeles, said he has been on “more than 10” editions of RAGBRAI.
The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Famer. the youngest of 10 children, grew up in Harlem working as a New York City bicycle messenger to help support his family. Becoming a competitive cyclist, he earned the nickname the “The Cheetah” as he trained in Central Park.
But the veteran racer said what draws him to RAGBRAI is the the laid-back atmosphere, where no one seems to be in a particular hurry to get anywhere and opportunities for pointless frivolity are abundant.
“It’s not a competition,” Vails said with a laugh. “I get to ride in the middle of the road with all my friends. I get to ride fast sometimes. I get to ride slow a lot of times.”
The serious cyclist also appreciates all the planning and effort that goes into having a good time. Joining the ride, he said, “was a learning experience because of the logistics that was involved, little details that people miss when people invite you out on rides like this.”
Hanging out in people’s yards, having a chat
Vail has become part of the Iowa cycling community, giving the keynote address at the Iowa Bicycle Coalition Bike Banquet in Des Moines in January.
“It’s nice to get to know people year after year,” he said. “So you look forward to a weeklong journey with people that you see once a year.”
He loves to stop at beer gardens or in people’s yards to chat.
“Those are the best experience to meet those families in rural areas, especially for me coming from New York City and traveling the world, this is a cool experience,” said Vails, who doesn’t plan to stop riding RAGBRAI anytime soon. “It’s a great experience to be out here on these rural roads. I’m just looking forward to a great day.”
Philip Joens is riding his 20th RAGBRAI. He has completed the river-to-river trek eight times. He covers retail and real estate for the Des Moines Register and can be reached at 515-284-8184 or at pjoens@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: RAGBRAI’s not a race, and that’s why Olympic medalist Nelson Vails loves it
Reporting by Philip Joens, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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