The early years...

Gary is riding on his banana seat. Concentrating on the road. “Don’t stop too long” his mother said. “We’ll meet you at three.” Pedal on.

That was RAGBRAI 6.

Year after year went by. Pedaling. RAGBRAI 7, 8, 9... Teams were few back then. Skunks, Wicker Baskets, Rogues... Gary wanted his own, and Team Die Hard was born. Gary “Chuck” G., Jeff “Chuck” Frana. Wild boys for certain. Still...”Don’t stop too long” they said to themselves. “We should be in by three”. Pedal on.

The modern era...

There was this guy I met in college. He always talked about this bike ride in Iowa. His name was Gary.

Iowa? Isn’t that one of the three states you can say without touching your lips?! And why in the world would I want to be so miserable (on a bike in the middle of Iowa -- yes, that’s it. I-O-W-A, without touching your lips -- during the hottest part of the summer). Besides, I have better things to do (like mow grass for the parks department during the hottest part of the summer). Mow on.

Gary pedaled. And he came back to school with the greatest stories.

RAGBRAI 15

I wasn’t even thinking of RAGBRAI when I asked Gary to put together a bicycle for me. You see, I had recently moved to Canton, MO, and there’s not much to do in Canton. But, the country roads are just a few hundred feet from everywhere. Nothing to do? Great car-free roads? Hey! that movie Breaking Away was pretty cool. Get a bike, I thought.

That’s where Gary comes in. He was among my best friends and into biking. Gary obliged and rebuilt the Motobecane. I had not seen the bike when the phone call came. “Harlow, the bike is almost ready. What do you say we catch up with RAGBRAI?!”

Now I’m not sure...but I don’t think I hesitated for a second (I now had paid vacation!) Two days later, I get my bike and I’m pedaling. On RAGBRAI. Pedal on.

That was RAGBRAI 15. And like any other fun-starved individual, I was hooked.

There were three of us on that ride, RAGBRAI 15. Gary ‘Goo-ey Goggs’ G., Mikey Kuntz and me, Bill ‘Harlow’ MacBeth. Mike and Gary had both ridden before, but it was my first and I had never imagined a better time - despite my sore butt.

Memories from RAGBRAI 15 include: the first 40 miles...80 degrees and tailwind; so many bikers; seeing the guys who looked like the Grateful Dead; seeking out my first backyard campground; setting up tents and immediately riding to the store to buy beer and booze (yes, we drank even in our first years on the ride but usually not much until the overnight town; the carnival rides in Osage; the next morning (we decided to take the old Ford LTD to mid-route due to lack of energy, i.e. hangover); our bikes - still attached to the roof rack - flying off the back end of the car and sliding in a tangled mess along the road (good thing no one was following us); fixing the bikes and the downhill into Guttenberg. Did you have cramping legs at the end of your first ride too?? It didn’t matter, I was hooked, and Gary was happy.

RAGBRAI 16

The team evolved steadily from there. I bought a new bike (trek 560 racing) and sold the trusted Motebecane to Mark ‘Mel’ Grider. Mark liked to wear pink back then so the blue bike matched well. We recruited an old dog, Chuck Frana, and his buddies Lil’ Rickey and Doug. By this time I was having the ‘You’ve got to go on this ride’ conversation with John ‘Johnny Paco’ Freitag, but he was too busy drywalling apartments. RAGBRAI 16 could have been called the six-pack attack. We used one gigantic tent. Everyone was awakened by a nasty little alarm around 6am, and we were on the bikes as soon as possible only to leave the day’s driver to tear down camp, drive to the next overnight, find camp and set up the tents, coolers and chairs; then hustle to the message board to post our location. Meanwhile, the riders pedaled on. “Don’t stop too long,” we thought to ourselves. “We really should be in by three.”  Aaron and Janet Comer would host us mid-ride in Des Moines and our exuberance would cause Aaron to join us for the second half of the ride

Can you say “Century in 6 hours?” Team Die Hard did. (At that time, we thought the riders in the back of the pack were the crazy ones!!) Note from Aaron: Yes, I had terribly cramped legs on my first ride ... must have been the 4 miles of training and trying to keep up with the "six-pack attack".

Memorable moments: 100 miles in 6 hours; the hot tub in Des Moines; thousands of bikers yelling “AAAAAAAAAAA” in Fairfield’s underground bar; Gary’s bike being stolen; West Point’s party where I first saw someone wearing a twelve-pack box on their head; the downhill into Ft Madison; our chant/cheer...”We’re not a club! We’re not a team!! We’re not even a gang!!! We’re the bikers from HELL!!!!”; Dan G.’s donation of the experimental vehicle (an old station wagon which would eventually break down on the way home).

RAGBRAI 17

Team Die Hard was becoming a legend in our own mind, and occasionally someone agreed with us. RAGBRAI 17 included Mel, Aaron, Harlow, Gary, Missy, Janet, Curtis, John (Aaron’s high school friend, not Johnny Paco), and Jane joining us half way. Our team was growing, we had better vehicles and everything our hearts desired. Yet, something was missing...

Mel (onhead) was the first to bring the fizzler into our world, and we used to have fun with it in the Fraternity house during our college days. But it was Billy-Boy who first pulled out that Texas-fifth and 7-up on RAGBRAI. Fizzlers were partaken for the first time during RAGBRAI 17 in Story City, IA. It went something like this... pull out the vodka. Convince a couple people it tastes good. Allow others to witness their pleasure and pass the little juice glass in a circle. Writer’s note: at the time only the traditional method of drinking fizzlers - pop, drink, swallow - was practiced (it wasn’t until years later that an unknown young lady who didn’t want to get her hands sticky from the ‘pop’ part of this process invented another method - drink, shake, swallow). Soon, the vodka bottle ran empty and the girls volunteered to make a run for more. They returned, the circle continued, and soon we ran out of vodka again.

Memorable moments: Pilot Mound hill - what a joke; “My Baby is a Cry Cry Baby” and “Clarinda, Fair Maiden” sung by Mark Grider; Mark standing on his head for a dollar; Mark wearing a bra over his pink shirt in the middle of town; being very drunk on Fizzlers; losing Jane; buying vodka the next morning for the ride; offering free Fizzlers for the first time; riding late in the day and realizing how much fun it is; having a great time.

RAGBRAI 18

Finally, two years of coaxing paid off and we saw Johnny Paco on RAGBRAI 18 for the first time. He appeared only briefly, having to run back to the drywall sanding only two days after his arrival. But it would lead to great fun in the future (RAGBRAI 19 and beyond) as he slowly learned that this week shouldn’t - couldn’t - be missed. But others had already committed to the fun...Abby Kiple, Ramona, Matt, and Joe Bridgeman joined in for a full week of fun. And we also got to know RAGBRAI one-timer John Cross who exclaimed “It’s gonna rain every f#*cking day!!” And it did. We even got an appearance from long-time RAGBRAI-er Linda Davis. Naturally the regulars were along for the ride and providing a free Fizzler to anyone who wanted one (which most often involved ourselves). Aaron was beginning to perfect his bike stereo.

Memorable moments begin to fade as drinking vodka became an all day activity, but here it goes: seeing John Freitag on RAGBRAI for the first time; saying goodbye to John two days later (this was a bad memory... “Don’t go John” everyone says to John. “Duh, I’ve got to go drywall” says John to everyone); John Cross’s energy & humor; meeting team friend Tia ‘Adel’ Woodward for the first time and learning what it is like to ride at night; Team Chedderhead and Team Skin running bat races; B52’s "Cosmic Thing" as the year’s theme album; driving ‘CADZILLA’ as our support vehicle; having a great time.

RAGBRAI 19

Much the same as 18 ... with the addition of one-time RAGBRAI-er John Arnold to our team. It was in this era that we began to grow into late-day riders. Each day we found ourselves further back in the pack and after a long party in Stone City, Harlow flicked on the lights that were purchased just a few weeks earlier and cruised into Anamosa near midnight. Aaron had perfected his bike stereo and could claim the title of ‘Best Bike-Stereo on RAGBRAI.” Ruth Scuitteman and Mike Plueger would join the team this year.

We meet Wildest for the first time. He's pulling a home-made trailer hauling a home stereo.

Memorable moments: almost anything John Arnold did; John Freitag joining the fun full-time; skinny dipping in Aaron’s pool; meeting Team BV; meeting Donna Murphy and her brother Bill; Pie-boy living on baked flour and lard, filled with candied fruits; everyone having a load of fun.

RAGBRAI 20

Now you may know Team Die Hard as a self-contained team. Or, you may know us to have a vehicle. The truth is we’re both!! And today you’ll find us all over the ride (with Fizzlers, of course). It was RAGBRAI 20 when the first Die Hard arrived fully loaded. Harlow was living in KC and had this great idea to eliminate any ties to a vehicle. So with the help of Gary G., he put together a touring bike, leaving the racing bike (and any need to ride faster than everyone else) at home. This was also the first time a Die Hard member had a pre-ride adventure. Brian Kobets, new friend and soon-to-be Diehard rider, drove Harlow to the outskirts of KC. He was off and riding, camping and riding. Through Kansas and Nebraska. Going to Iowa. Pedal on.

RAGBRAI 20 started in Glenwood. Harlow rode into Glenwood on his third day to catch the ride. On the courthouse lawn people sat drinking, in anticipation of a week of good times. Harlow knew no one in the crowd, but several self-sufficient riders had stretched out on this spot to relax. There was this fellow: big, blonde and happy. It was not obvious that this Viking-type was on his first ride. But his family had convinced him that RAGBRAI was not to be missed. They were loaded, so he rode loaded (both with packs and with an alcohol buzz to soothe the aches). This was the first time I saw Mark Streed and his family: Mother Carol, Sister Kristen and Friend Ron. The cops had spotted the biggest person with a beer in their hand (yes, our Viking friend Mark Streed) and issued a ticket for drinking in public (this was stupid since everyone in public that day was drinking). The crowd dispersed without Harlow and the Streeds meeting one another. However, later that night, we met in the bar (can you imagine that? Running into one another in a bar?!). By this time, the whole of Team Die Hard had gathered for a sweaty shoulder-to-shoulder time at this Glenwood watering hole. The Streed's and Team Die Hard would be together the rest of the week. Mark would eventually join our team. Driver Bob makes his one-time RAGBRAI appearance.

During RAGBRAI 20, the Streed’s bypassed Chariton to camp in New Virginia. Harlow rode ahead to join them and Diehard off-route camping was established. This idea - carry your gear and camp wherever you want to - appealed to the rest of Team Die Hard. It would change the team’s approach to RAGBRAI forever.

Wildest has a bigger stereo and a bigger trailer.

Memorable moments: seeing the Streed’s for the first time; befriending “Team Streed” and learning a new way to ride RAGBRAI; camping during the severe thunderstorm in New Virginia; awakening in New Virginia to the horde of riders getting out early (I stood in my boxers drinking coffee as I thought how crazy these early riders were...fighting the crowd, walking their bikes because it was too crowded to ride through town; scrambling for food; waiting in long lines for everything); the rest of Team Die Hard riding into New Virginia only to find me relaxing with my tent still pitched; Brian Kobets' first RAGBRAI and his exploding bicycle; Brian drinking heavily while his bike was repaired; Brian crashing after leaving town and declaring “G*d Damnit!! I’m so f#*cking wasted!!!”; Joe Bridgeman’s naked beer slides in Knoxville.

RAGBRAI 21

Harlow’s fully-loaded adventure seemed to interest everyone as a part of the team began to evolve into self-sufficient riders. ‘Johnny Paco’ Freitag and Harlow decided to do a pre-ride warm up by bicycling through Europe. ‘Grillo the Wonder-Dog’ (another of Mark Grider’s nicknames) and Brian Kobets acquired racks and started to tinker with the idea. The rest of the team continued with the support vehicle. This was good - it allowed us to carry more vodka!! Additional friends joined in on the fun. One-timer Carolee rides on a tandem with John and we meet Kate and Gina. Nancy Dowling also makes her one-time RAGBRAI appearance riding with the Streeds who, although not officially part of Team Die Hard, hang with us nearly 100% of the time.

Wildest ditches trailer-stereo after two days of riding and subsequently sets record for most-fizzlers-in-a-row (21).

Memorable moments (faded this year due to the consumption of large quantities of vodka and the European adventure which provided memory overload): meeting the conquistadors; “RAGE”ing in a State Center Harley bar; beautiful weather after a season of rain which brought the 1993 floods to the Midwest; an entire week of fun.

RAGBRAI 22

Team Die Hard starts to become multiple units, as some of our members retain a support vehicle while others evolve to full time self-sufficient riding. Harlow and John meet in Iowa to conduct another pre-ride adventure, teaming with forces from “Team Streed” and other new friends. Our ride starts in Newton four days before the official ride starts and we meet up with the Streed’s in Adel. Mel, Brian, and Aaron arrive prepared to ride self-sufficient. Gary and Missy are in the processes of making babies so their attendance becomes somewhat sporadic during these years. Abby, Davis, Ruth and Dave from Indiana join the team again for a week of fun and provide a vehicle for support.

Wildest appears on a home-made two person car bike which quickly collapses under it's own weight.

Memorable moments: Pre-ride party with the BV’s; Ruth brings her friend Dave who tells a story of defeating a wrestling bear at the State Fair in Indiana (I can remember his story as he watched challenger after challenger lose to the bear from across the midway...”I think I can beat that bear”); Harlow voluntarily accepts a ride due to fatigue and ends his ‘ride every mile’ streak which began on RAGBRAI 16; the parties in every town; free Fizzlers (as usual); the first annual Wicker-Jam; a whole lot of fun squeezed into 10 days.

RAGBRAI 23

Harlow appears as the one-day wonder with the assistance of Gary G. and misses most of the ride. Hence, as the author of this history, has very little recollection of the ride. Reports indicate that much vodka was consumed. Team Die Hard performed with the support of a vehicle, but had the ability to carry enough gear and vodka to appear self-sufficient. Ali, Jana and Angie officially join Team DieHard and the team begins to expand upon its back-of-the-pack/off-the-route mentality.

Memorable moments: One totally grand day on RAGBRAI; seeing 18 of the 20 people I needed to see to be ‘fixed’ for the next year; knowing that everyone had great fun.

RAGBRAI 24

Team Die Hard expands upon its philosophy of pre-ride touring and alternate route riding. This year’s pre-ride was highlighted by the matrimony of Aaron and Ali at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. The pre-ride Die Hard group was as large as it had ever been including Aaron, Ali, Angie, Jana, Mel, John and the Streeds. This year’s RAGBRAI also saw the addition of Ian Weidner, Chris Fister (and his nephew Matt), Heidi, and Father MacBeth (who drove support for Bill and Heidi). The team takes different approaches to the ride this year, having learned through experiences that its best to “ride your ride” for maximum fun.

Memorable moments: Tandem riding with Heidi; Bloody Mary’s in the morning; the climax of “The Macerena” (be it good or bad); my first hotel stay while on RAGBRAI (off the route, of course); plenty of vodka consumption; late, late riding and alternate routes on a regular basis; a great time for all.

RAGBRAI 25

Our Team has now evolved into two main groups. Gary and Missy, having had success in their baby-making efforts lead one group which consists of themselves, their young son Grant (likely the youngest person on RAGBRAI in 1997), Abby, Ramona, Davis and Tim Parrish. Another group is formed by Aaron, Ali, Jana, Angie, Mel, John, Streed and Brian, which is mostly self-sufficient. Harlow joins the ride mid-way and floats between the two groups while riding self-sufficient. Janet, a long-time Die Hard rider has rejoined RAGBRAI as a Quadrabong after a year off. New friends join Team Die Hard in Bloomfield and become hooked on the ride. These people include Keith & Melinda Acree and Sandra Blight (Sandra was on RAGBRAI with Team RADPAN in 1998). Heidi returns to Greece for the summers where she is much happier when compared to the back of the tandem. Wes “Grasshopper” James and Dave join the ride in 1998 as the newest additions to Team Die Hard.

Memorable moments from RAGBRAI 25: Seeing all our friends from the seat of a bicycle; meeting Tom Arnold; Grant’s first RAGBRAI (can you imagine... when he is 21 he will potentially be riding his 20th RAGBRAI!!!); the infamous Mt Hamill party hosted by Diehards Aaron and Ali (Ali's family is from the area).

RAGBRAI 26
Memorable moments from RAGBRAI 26: Mt Union overnight; befriending Kristi Blanshar & company; a night at Mikey’s (from RAGBRAI 15) in Iowa Falls; Wicker Jam; Betty Boop; the party in Ryan; trying to catch the Acrees and Sandra Blight all week; seeing all our friends who we have come to know over the years; great times which were had by all.

REMAINING HISTORY YET TO COME (Harlow, wanna continue your fine prose?) 

Our Future
Team Die Hard has gone through many transformations and will continue to do so as life evolves. We are all thankful to Gary for convincing Harlow and eventually others that this ride is not to be missed. To ride RAGBRAI is to appreciate all the good things in life: friends, nature, weekday mornings on a bike with a Bloody Mary, beer slides, tailwinds, Iowa, and again - friends. We shouldn’t - couldn’t miss this ride for fear of depression. It has been said, “If I am able to ride RAGBRAI, I’m happy for the rest of the year”. To all our friends, new and old (and those with whom still have not met)...See you next year!!

Writers note: To anyone ommited or represented incorrectly herein, my apology is extended. It was with great effort in a small dark room that I recollected these memories. My brain and a few old photos were my only points of reference and I did my best to represent Team Die Hard’s history.
 

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