Class Note 1975
Issue
November-December 2026
Class Note 1975. You may recall my notes regarding Strava and that I have recently followed Mikael Salovaara’srides. He and Lon Cross have participated in a truly remarkable experience, which I will let him relate to our class: “At our 45th reunion in 2019, I told Lon that I was planning to participate in the [Des Moines] Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). As a student I read about the first RAGBRAI, created by a Register reporter challenging an editorialist colleague from California to a ride to clarify that Iowa was not all flat. RAGBRAI’s routes always run easterly from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, covering 420-ish miles in late July with a course elevation averaging 12,000 feet.
“Lon had done the ride more than 10 times and suggested that I join him and the Canada-U.S. Delaware Biking Blue Hens out of Wilmington, Delaware. I did. The group had a bus and a driver to tote gear (and even haul East Coasters to Iowa) and meet at daily halfway points. Since then, I have done RAGBRAI annually except during the Covid hiatus.
“The ever changing, entertaining Blue Hen troupe is no small part of my return: a judge with a commercial driver’s license; two women who had biked Iowa more than 30 times; a Colombian woman with marvelous shaggy dog stories about her riding abilities; an 80-something high school teacher; a Canton, China-born techie from Delaware with remarkable English; and this year a homeless bicycle mechanic out of Des Moines. Lon’s mother’s rector from Arkansas often rides slowly enough to let me keep up. I have since inveigled my second cousin’s husband, a former super heavyweight wrestler out of Ohio State, to join us and he has since added a taller brother and a nephew. These are all big people and wonderful to draft behind.
“Lon’s been great company during the last eight years but had to miss this year’s go round. In previous years we have together seen residential Iowan classmates and other Dartmouth folk on the route. RAGBRAI dedicates a day to wearing educational jerseys, and it is fun to look for the Big Green. This year a rising sophomore hailed me, and I spotted an alum tandem biking with a sight-impaired partner.
“There is a century day annually when one has the option to ride a hundred miles, which I did this year and last year, but my capability is better reflected in a couple of anecdotes and observations. I have had (young) strangers put their hands in the middle of my back and push me uphill (insulting)! Others have complimented me on someone my age riding and on such an old bicycle (double and triple insulting)! My favorite T-shirt says on back: ‘If you can read this, you must be in last place’—but the Blue Hens put up with me. They would with you, too.”
Who is going to join them next year?
Vox clamantis in Florida.
—Stephen D. Gray, 4396 NW 53rd Court, Ocala, FL 34482; (650) 302-8739; fratergray@gmail.com
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“Lon had done the ride more than 10 times and suggested that I join him and the Canada-U.S. Delaware Biking Blue Hens out of Wilmington, Delaware. I did. The group had a bus and a driver to tote gear (and even haul East Coasters to Iowa) and meet at daily halfway points. Since then, I have done RAGBRAI annually except during the Covid hiatus.
“The ever changing, entertaining Blue Hen troupe is no small part of my return: a judge with a commercial driver’s license; two women who had biked Iowa more than 30 times; a Colombian woman with marvelous shaggy dog stories about her riding abilities; an 80-something high school teacher; a Canton, China-born techie from Delaware with remarkable English; and this year a homeless bicycle mechanic out of Des Moines. Lon’s mother’s rector from Arkansas often rides slowly enough to let me keep up. I have since inveigled my second cousin’s husband, a former super heavyweight wrestler out of Ohio State, to join us and he has since added a taller brother and a nephew. These are all big people and wonderful to draft behind.
“Lon’s been great company during the last eight years but had to miss this year’s go round. In previous years we have together seen residential Iowan classmates and other Dartmouth folk on the route. RAGBRAI dedicates a day to wearing educational jerseys, and it is fun to look for the Big Green. This year a rising sophomore hailed me, and I spotted an alum tandem biking with a sight-impaired partner.
“There is a century day annually when one has the option to ride a hundred miles, which I did this year and last year, but my capability is better reflected in a couple of anecdotes and observations. I have had (young) strangers put their hands in the middle of my back and push me uphill (insulting)! Others have complimented me on someone my age riding and on such an old bicycle (double and triple insulting)! My favorite T-shirt says on back: ‘If you can read this, you must be in last place’—but the Blue Hens put up with me. They would with you, too.”
Who is going to join them next year?
Vox clamantis in Florida.
—Stephen D. Gray, 4396 NW 53rd Court, Ocala, FL 34482; (650) 302-8739; fratergray@gmail.com