PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (ACCNS) -- Five cyclists from the Air Force Technical Applications Center here are among 100 Air Force members chosen to represent the Air Force in the 32nd Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI.
The Air Force Team, Team Aim-High, is formed each year to support and promote Air Force recruiting.
During their 7-day, 490-mile trek across Iowa, the Air Force cyclists will wear official USAF RAGBRAI clothing and hand out various items of Air Force promotional items. They will also share information about Air Force opportunities with any potential Airmen they meet along the way.
We are the first group from AFTAC and Patrick Air Force Base ever chosen to be part of the Air Force team, said Mr. Robert Effler.
Along with Mr. Effler, the other AFTAC riders are Col. Allan Beck, Lt. Col. James Gray, and Maj. Matthew Bohn.
The group has been training together for several months in order to be ready for the RAGBRAI. In the month of April, they completed the AFTAC Ironman fitness effort, pedaling over 300 miles in 20 days.
Were riding 15 to 20 miles each day, said Colonel Beck. On weekends, we are putting in 30 to 40 miles and plan to do some longer rides
The training is necessary because the RAGBRAI route will average 70 miles a day and it can be very hot in Iowa during the summer -- heat indexes reached 123 degrees during the ride two years ago.
We have also been told to expect high humidity and plenty of mosquitoes, said Major Bohn.
RAGBRAI is a huge event. In 1998 an estimated 23,000 riders completed one of the legs and the ride has become so popular that RAGBRAI officials now limit the number of weeklong riders to 8,500 in order to maintain control and reduce injuries.
The Air Force has sent a team to RAGBRAI every year since 1995 and several key leaders have participated, including former Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall, an honorary Team Aim High member in 1997.