Porkbelly Ventures LLC - Ragbrai Charter Service 2012

January 29, 2012

Dear Porkers,

Let me tell you a story about this fellow, Jim, and the day he played a little part in RAGBRAI history. Jim’s the kind of guy who gets up early every day, drives over to the Senior Center in Rowley, and makes coffee for half a dozen of his friends. That’s his routine. But on a rainy Friday in July of 2010, the Senior Center door swung open and a mass of chattering bikers hurried in—thirty, forty, maybe more, with plastic-wrap helmet covers and garbage-bag ponchos—seeking shelter from a downpour. After a beat of surprise, Jim got both his coffee pots going. Riders crowded into the warm kitchen, voices surging with happy relief. He hardly had room to maneuver, but Jim kept brewing hot coffee for as long as there were shivering folks to drink it. To their many thank-yous, he nodded and smiled. Somebody asked how many pots he’d made. "Oh, Lord," he said. "I have no idea."

We weren’t in Rowley, of course. Pete was helping out on the tent crew, and I was tarping Porker baggage in Manchester. A week later in August, we found Jim on YouTube or someplace. His story has stayed with us because we think it says a lot about why RAGBRAI is still going strong after four decades.

Whatever else happens in 2012, there’s a glimmer out there at the end of July. When you’ve heard way too much about how bad things are in the world, or when you’ve sat too long in traffic, or when you’re just sick of petty problems, well, there’s an antidote waiting in Iowa. Sure, the initial appeal of RAGBRAI is the personal accomplishment or the bucket list, something like that. And those things matter. But once the heat, hills, and hardship have their way with you, once you’re lulled by the Ride-Eat-Drink-Sleep rhythm, something more important will begin to sink in. It’s people, Iowans, the kids on the curb offering lemonade and high-fives, the old folks in lawn chairs hollering "Where you from?" Some farmer will patiently explain why he rotates corn and beans. A white-haired lady will serve you ham balls in the basement of the Methodist church. The folks at the Senior Center will invite you in for a cup of coffee. Person by hard-working person, these encounters add up to that glimmer at the end of July that has kept people coming back to Iowa for four decades.

So maybe you’re thinking you’d like to try RAGBRAI XL, the extra-large 40th birthday party for the granddaddy of all bike rides. The logistics, however, make your head spin. You wonder how you’ll get your shipped bike ready to ride. You’ve heard scary stories about cold, public showers. How the heck will you charge your phone? In that river of riders, you want a home base, with maybe some occasional comfort and luxury, too. That’s where we come in, Pork Belly Ventures, with our strong Pork Crew, a vast Pork Infrastructure, and solutions to all of the above. We cordially invite you to join us.

Read on, Porkers. The important stuff, like the dates and route, our newest features, and our list of 2012 services and prices are the next things you’ll find in this letter. After that, we’ve arranged our Frequently Asked Questions into these categories: 1) Registration with PBV and with RAGBRAI; 2) Hotels, Parking, and Bike Shipping; and 3) Other Important Questions. You might scan this letter today and read it more carefully later, but do scroll to the end and check out What You Need to Do Right Now.

DATES, ROUTE, AND PRICES OF PBV SERVICES

What are the ride dates? The ride begins before dawn on Sunday, July 22nd, and ends on Saturday, July 28th. That means that we’ll meet up with most of you on Saturday, the 21st, either at the Omaha airport, the end-town long-term parking area, or at the PBV campground in the start town. A considerable number of you will fly or drive into Omaha on Friday, the 20th, and stay in one of our designated airport hotels. Most of those using our East/West Shuttle will drive to the end town on Friday, the 20th. Camping will be available there on Friday night, or you can find a nearby hotel.

What’s this year’s route? The guessing is over, and RAGBRAI XL will take a beautiful northern route through the following overnight host towns: Sioux Center to Cherokee (54.4 miles), to Lake View (62 miles), to Webster City (81.2 miles), to Marshalltown (77.1 miles), to Cedar Rapids (84.8 miles), to Anamosa (only 42.2 miles!), to Clinton (69.9 miles). So that’s around 471 miles total, Porkers, and this is the 11th flattest and 9th easiest route in RAGBRAI history. We’re in a hurry to send this letter, but later on, we’ll give you more details about the places we’ll call home during our week in the corn.

What’s Up Lately at PBV? For the 40th, we’ve been hearing from a whole lot of folks coming back to RAGBRAI and PBV after an absence of two, four, or more years. So here’s a quick list of the features we have added lately. Among the 2010 additions were the daily hot, private shower and towel, an additional supper in camp included with Weeklong Support (three total), and our bike-shipping service before and after RAGBRAI. We also put a crew member on the Pump Thingy in the morning, to help get you aired up and on your way. Our dad, the electrician, rebuilt the Juice Thingy, taking it to 260 electrical outlets on a lighted tower, with color-coding to help you remember where you plugged the darn thing in. All Pork Thingys are fueled by whisper-quiet generators.

In 2011, every weeklong Porker got a Live Like a Pig t-shirt, and we offered Trip Cancellation Protection for the first time. One of the biggest hits was the Iowa root beer floats (kegs of Peace Tree root beer brewed in Knoxville and gallons of Blue Bunny ice cream made in LeMars) served up to all weeklong Porkers on Thursday afternoon. We added overnight charging of electronic devices and free lemonade in the afternoon. We spent a great deal of time on a new plan that would make the last day of RAGBRAI smoother and better for everyone, particularly if you shipped a bike. We were able to offer two optional midweek hotel stays instead of just one. On about five days, we arranged for a local lunch or pie vender to operate right in camp, so that Porkers could chow down on arrival. Of course, many features of our charter have stayed pretty much the same: fresh-brewed morning coffee, shade canopies with the misting system, our massage therapists, our pre-arranged campsites, and more described below. The crew has grown to around 60 strong, happy people, not including our bike mechanics and our massage therapists. One look at the Testimonials Page at www.pkbelly.com will give you an idea of how well our crew will take care of you on RAGBRAI 2012.

If you know us, you know that we hope never to "go backwards" or offer less than we did in previous years. And for whatever reason, we get a kick out of dreaming up new Pork Perks, additional Pork Pleasures, and more Pork Thingys to expand the Pork Infrastructure. Just because the price of our Weeklong Support will stay the same this year, don’t think for a minute that we’re standing still. Pete’s always thinking and our crew chiefs keep winging great ideas at us. Over the next few months, as we flesh out these plans for improvement, we’ll tell you all about them. For now, trust us. We’ll have some good stuff for you.

What are Pork Belly’s services and prices?

Prices are not listed at our website. Please email us: tammypav@cox.net or petephillips@cox.net.

Prices have either stayed the same or gone down this year, with the exception of the bus from Omaha to the start town, which is based on distance. Below this section you’ll find full descriptions of our Weeklong Support and other services.

Bus from Omaha Airport to the start town. On Saturday, the 21st, we’ll meet you at Omaha’s Eppley Airport and transport you, your baggage, and your bike to our campsite in the start town, the RAGBRAI start town. (Last bus will depart by 4:30 p.m.)

East/West Shuttle. If you want to park your car in the end town before the ride, we’ll meet you there early on Saturday the 21st and transport you, your baggage, and your bike to the start town.

Weeklong Support for Rider. While you bicycle from host town to host town, we can transport your baggage across Iowa for the week, from west to east, providing meals, entertainment, your daily shower and towel fee, and many amenities and support services, described more fully below.

Weeklong Support for Non-riders is available, but please contact us for a visit about your week.

Return Bus. On Saturday, the 28th, we’ll transport you, your baggage, and your bike from the end town to an Omaha Airport hotel (see Hotel section below), so you can fly or drive home on Sunday.

Optional Tent Rental and Daily Set-up. See full description and details below. Available only to those on our weeklong support. Price is the same for one or two tent occupants.

Our services are available on an a la carte basis. You may use any combination of these services (except that the optional Tent Rental and Daily Set-up are available only to those on our weeklong support). We use only comfortable, quality motorcoaches, restroom-equipped and air-conditioned.

What all is included in PBV’s Weeklong Support in 2012? Some new stuff is still in the planning, but here’s a pretty complete list based on what we know now. A few items like massage and laundry are optional, reasonably priced, and extremely convenient to have available right in your campsite; however, most of the features listed below are simply included at no additional cost to you. There’s nothing basic about it, but here’s what you can expect with Pork Belly’s "basic" Weeklong Support:

During RAGBRAI:

Baggage transport from host town to host town

Excellent, well-appointed, spacious RESERVED campsites

PBV Locations on a laminated card at check-in

Team T-Shirt, design to be announced. Be sure to include your shirt size when you apply online at www.pkbelly.com.

Your Daily Shower and Towel. Pork Belly Ventures provides hot, private showers in camp. The shower trailers are air-conditioned, and you’ll find soap and shampoo dispensers in every stall. Your PBV wristband admits you to the shower, so yes, you may take more than one a day if you like. Peace Tree old-fashioned root beer, plus many gallons of Wells Blue Bunny ice cream equals delicious Iowa root beer floats sometime during the week, maybe more than once.

Our Open-Air Living Rooms (huge shady circus tents) with chairs and a misting system to refresh you

Our friendly Front Desk crew, ready to direct you to showers, kybos, and local amenities

Hot Coffee We start brewing at 4:30 a.m., three gallons of Dunkin’ Donuts every eight minutes. Help yourself! Hot chocolate and hot tea, too.

Ice-cold beverages, some free and some cheap, about 90 cents each

Three Delicious Suppers in Camp. We aim for nutritious and delicious menus provided by the best local caterers. After our May scouting trips, we’ll give you this year’s menus.

Massage! Probably eight therapists this year, strong and superb, working in camp (additional charge). No fluff-and-buff, here. Expect a deep-tissue, athletic massage.

Professional Bike Mechanics, great guys and girls, set up in camp daily from 3:00 p.m. on to help you with minor repairs.

PBV’s Midweek Laundry Service (optional, extra charge) We’ll take your stuff from wet and smelly to dry, fresh, and folded.

Shower Thingy This table, plumbed with five spigots, is equipped with a mirror and a wringer for your bike shorts. Fill water bottles, shave, brush your teeth. This Thingy is available in the morning until 7:00 a.m.

Juice Thingy for Electricity with 260 outlets on a lighted tower, plugged into a whisper-quiet generator, for charging phones, fans, lights, and other electronics. Secure overnight charging, too.

Pump Thingy, a special compressor to make pumping your tires a breeze.

Free weeklong storage of your hard-shell bike case or bike box—$20 value, free to weeklong Porkers.

Luxury SAG Service Details below, additional charge.

More than fifty friendly, able-bodied, can-do crew members (not including bike mechanics or massage therapists) to help, comfort, and revive you.

Other Needs: come to the equipment truck and ask for a band-aid, a plastic cup, a hammer for your tent stakes, whatever. During the waking hours, there is always an available crew member or crew chief to answer your questions or help you. We always have three or more paramedics on our crew. If you don’t know who to ask, start at the front desk.

Before RAGBRAI:

Around 30 informative email updates to help you plan and prepare

PBV Host-Town Maps sent to you in PDF format, showing our campsites in relationship to other amenities, with GeoBike Elevation Statistics for each RAGBRAI day

Prompt answers to your questions on email and by phone

Our comprehensive June Letter with virtually all the info you need in one document

A compilation of Tips for First-Timers from our RAGBRAI Veterans

An opportunity to ship your bike through SendMyBike.com to PBV in Iowa

Several May scouting trips to host towns to reserve great campsites

Upon arrival, mechanical assistance with uncrating your bike and getting it road ready

At the end of RAGBRAI:

Packaging of your bike to ship home, just hand it over (additional charge, see below)

A special FedEx receiving area right in our camp at the end town for shipped bikes

A fond-farewell letter that recounts the week’s highlights

An audio-visual memento of our week together

*Each town’s host committee has the final say on shower venders. It’s possible that a town may prefer that we use another vender. When we scout in early May, we’ll make arrangements in each town, and in any case, every Porker will receive a daily shower from PBV.

Do I need that much support? Maybe you don’t. If price is the main consideration, you can find any number of lower-priced options, though that will probably mean spending more of your afternoons and evenings scouting the overnight towns for things you need—your shower, a bike mechanic, a snack, a meal, a cold drink, a shady place to sit and meet other RAGBRAIers, an electrical outlet, a massage, perhaps some entertainment. Historically, our clients have told us that they want to focus on riding their miles and enjoying the event. They depend on us for the lively little Pork village that they can call home within the throng of RAGBRAI. Our weeklong support could mean the difference between a complicated, exhausting bike trip and a carefree athletic adventure.

What’s included in Pork Belly’s Tent Rental and Daily Set-up? Our Cabela’s XPG Deluxe Three-Season tent is 63 square feet (8.5’ X 7.5’). It’s actually advertised as a four-man tent. With duffels inside, we consider it a roomy two-man. You can share, or like the majority, you can occupy it alone. Tent-renters simply pack up their bags in the morning, leave them inside the tent, and pedal away. Enjoy your ride, and in the next host town you’ll find your chores are already done—tent up with bags inside—so you can relax and have a cold one or head off to the shower immediately. We’ll set up Tent City on the same grid every day, and color-coded address cards on each tent will help you locate yours. We are happy to arrange the grid so that friends are next door to each other. This service has sold out in the past, so it might be wise to claim your tent early.

Please note these limitations: We’ll aim for set-up by noon each day, but host town traffic or inclement weather might put us a bit behind. If you pride yourself on arriving very early in camp, we don’t recommend using the tent service—you’ll be happier if you just set up your own tent on your own schedule. We don’t recommend three to a tent unless you’re all pretty small or one occupant is a child, and there’s an extra charge of $100 for handling the third person’s baggage. This price includes seven nights, from Saturday night to Friday night of RAGBRAI. It’s available only to those on our weeklong support.

Suppose I want to bring my own tent? That’s absolutely fine. Most of our Porkers do that. We’ll carry your tent and other gear (two-bag-per-person limit) from town to town, and we’ll have plenty of camping space for everyone.

What’s included with the daily Pork shower? Pork Belly Ventures has partnered with a portable shower vender, so that a daily, hot, private shower with a towel are now included in your Weeklong Support. Our vender has designed her trailers so that each "bather" has a private dressing area outside the shower stall; you keep your stuff with you, and it doesn’t get wet. Shampoo and liquid soap are provided, and stalls are wiped down regularly throughout the day. Since your Pork Wristband admits you to the shower, you can take more than one shower per day if you like. And, if that’s not enough, the trailers are air-conditioned. No question about it—this is the best shower on RAGBRAI. For the past two years, each host town has allowed our shower vender to be located right in Pork Camp every day.

What if I want to SAG, take a day off the bike? For the week of RAGBRAI, Pork Belly hires a cushy 57-passenger motorcoach and driver for the purpose of sagging riders who do not choose to cycle on a given day. We'll transport bikes by hanging them by a wheel, as we do on our east/west shuttle. You’re welcome to place bags under the bus for immediate access to them in the next campsite. You’ll depart each day at 7:00 a.m., and you’ll be in our new camp by about 9:30 a.m. The bus has AC, the seats are soft, and you can snooze all the way. The restroom is larger than a standard kybo. This is a very comfortable and secure way for you and your bike to get to the next host town for $25 per day. (There’s a special price for non-cyclists spending the full week with us. If you don’t bring a bike at all, the price is $150 for the week of town-to-town transfers, in addition to $385 for our weeklong support.)

What’s the advantage of booking a round trip into and out of Omaha? Basically we take care of you from the time you hit baggage claim in Omaha to the time you step off our bus at your Omaha airport hotel on the evening of the 28th. You simply make air and hotel reservations and register with us. (See below for Pork Hotels.) We’ll meet you at the Omaha airport and deliver you to the start town on a comfy coach. You’re ours for eight days. At the end of the ride, climb aboard our Omaha-bound coach and doze off. After a meal stop, we’ll drop you about 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. at our side-by-side airport hotels. On Sunday, the free hotel shuttle will take you to the airport.

Will Pork Belly offer a shuttle to an eastern Iowa airport? We have always cautioned our Porkers about using the open-admission shuttles to eastern Iowa airports at ride’s end. Last year, a group of Porkers were left stranded by one of the shuttles. They didn’t show up. If we only had a nickel for every time that’s happened. We actually made a quick plan and made sure those guys didn’t miss their flights. This year, we’re thinking about offering this service ourselves, if the end town is near a decent-sized municipal or international airport. This isn’t something we can publish in the invitation letter, but we’ll research it once we know the route and get back to you with more info. It would help us gauge demand if you could let us know if you’re interested.

What is the advantage of using the PBV East/West Shuttle? It’s ideal for people who live within driving distance of RAGBRAI’s end town. You drive to the end town on Friday the 20th and park your car in the designated long-term parking (the host committee will charge a parking fee; see their website after May 1). Our crew will meet you there for bike-loading on Friday night and/or early on Saturday, the 21st. By mid to late afternoon, we’ll have you and your bike in the start town. You bike for seven days, back to your car.

What if I don’t even bike but want to experience RAGBRAI? You can. We’ll carry you on our 57-passenger motorcoach. To arrange to join PBV as a non-rider, please contact us. (Note that non-riders traveling with charters may NOT bring their own vehicles, whether or not they have secured the RAGBRAI vehicle pass. This is a RAGBRAI rule, by which we must abide. If you’re with a charter, you must use that charter’s transportation and leave the vehicle passes for smaller families and groups.)

REGISTRATION WITH PBV AND RAGBRAI

How do I apply for services of PBV? How do I access my completed application? There’s no login tab. At www.pkbelly.com, hit "Apply" at the left of your screen and follow the prompts, clicking "Submit" at the end. To access your completed application, either use the link on your confirmation email OR go back to "Apply" and login using your username and password.

When do I have a FIRM reservation with Pork Belly Ventures? Our payment policy is modeled on the policy of RAGBRAI itself. Your online application at pkbelly.com is a first step. Some people apply to check prices; others apply just in case they might want to use our charter. The next step, making a payment, is the only way we know for sure that an applicant intends to join Pork Belly Ventures. Some folks, even after reading this part of our letter, will apply but not send payment, and that’s okay. We are not writing this to pressure anybody into sending payment before they want to; however, we must keep accurate counts of how many people definitely intend to use each of our services.

So here’s the way it works. When you submit the application form, you will receive an auto-generated confirmation and invoice. The confirmation says that we’ll hold your reservation for 10 days while you send payment. You conscientious people do not have to overnight payment or send it two-day air. You won’t lose your place in the amount of time it takes to send payment by U.S. Post. If 10 days elapse and we don’t receive payment, your application will remain on file. No need to re-apply, and please don’t. You will not be included in our count or have an actual reservation for services until we receive a payment from you. When you do send payment, you’ll receive another email, acknowledging receipt of the payment. Your original application will move from tentative status to definite status, and we’ll include you in our counts for services. Should a service sell out before you send payment, we could put you on a waiting list for that service. By the way, the rental tents are usually the first service to sell out, and given the many inquiries we’ve had about tents, we are a little concerned about how long they will last.

In the past, we have spent a great deal of time repeatedly calling and emailing people who haven’t paid, reminding them about payment. We don’t really do that anymore, but we will notify everyone via our email updates if/when services are getting tight on space. We hope these updates will help you determine when to secure your spot with payment. It’s up to each Porker to decide when he or she needs to have a firm reservation.

Finally, please don’t use the strategy of re-applying every ten days to avoid sending payment. This causes problems. We will hold your original registration indefinitely, and you can activate it anytime by paying. If you find it more convenient to wait, by all means do.

Should I re-apply if I have trouble accessing my account? No. Your email confirmation contains a link to your original application, so that you don’t even need your username and password. If you forget your password, contact us so that we can resend your confirmation. Please don’t re-apply. Duplicate applications really mess things up.

What form of payment may I use? What amount do I pay now? We can take a check or money order in the mail. You can pay in full now; however, if it’s more convenient for you to make two payments, please do one of two things. First, you can send half now and the remainder by May 15. Second, you can send one-third now and the remainder by May 15.

What is Pork Belly Ventures’ cancellation policy? Please read this section and the next section on Trip Cancellation Protection carefully and contact us to make sure you understand BEFORE YOU REGISTER.

Prior to Friday, June 15th, if you cancel all or part of the services you have reserved with Pork Belly Ventures, we will refund 90% of the value of those services you have reserved. On or after June 15th, we will make no refund. We may be able to help you sell your wristband, though. We will publish our cancellation policy several times between now and June 15th. No fine print at PBV. Please read the next section carefully.

What is PBV Trip Cancellation Protection? First of all, if you have any trouble understanding this option, you should call or email us for an explanation. You have only one opportunity to purchase this protection, at the time of your original registration. Once you have registered, our website will not allow you to go back and select this protection; however, if WITHIN TWO DAYS OF YOUR APPLICATION DATE, you decide to add protection, you can call us to make the change for you.

Here are some of the things that have happened to our RAGBRAIers during the last month before RAGBRAI. The boss decided they couldn’t be spared at work. They have been diagnosed with an illness. A member of their family has needed support through a crisis. People have been struck by a car while training for the ride. Their plans for childcare have fallen through. They have lost a loved one. Although we—and every other tour operator—must have a refund deadline and cancellation policy, and although ours is quite liberal, and even though we have published our cancellation policy at least six times prior to the deadline every year, we can’t help but feel for those people who cancelled out of necessity after the June deadline. After attending a conference of bicycle tour directors and discussing this issue with other tour operators, we offer this solution.

If you want to extend the 90% refund all the way through until Friday, July 20th, you can click on "Trip Cancellation Protection" on the online registration form. The non-refundable fee for this protection is five percent of the value of services you have reserved with PBV. (One exception: check with us please for trip cancellation protection on the PHAT Trailer Accommodations.)

This protection covers only the period from June 15 to July 20. This protection is not applicable to people who travel to Iowa for RAGBRAI and leave the ride early for any reason. This protection applies only to fees paid to Pork Belly Ventures, not your RAGBRAI registration fee or other travel expenses. To use this protection, you must contact us by email or phone by 10:00 p.m. on Friday, July 20. Your refund will be processed at our earliest convenience, possibly in the early days of August, if your cancellation comes at the last moment.

In short, without protection, you stand to lose 100% of your fees paid to PBV after June 15th. But by spending 5% up front on a non-refundable fee, you can get the 90% refund if you cancel for any reason all the way through July 20th at 10:00 p.m. You may purchase this protection at the original time of registration ONLY.

For a shared rental tent, how do I apply? To avoid being billed for two tents instead of one shared tent, make sure that only one occupant registers for the tent. So if Jack and Jill are sharing, Jill should register for the tent and include Jack’s name as her tent-mate. Jack should not register for the tent service.

Do I need a GROUP NAME when I register with Pork Belly Ventures? If two or more friends are joining Pork Belly, you should put a common group name on your registration forms, like "Miller Group" or "Tony’s Friends." If you want to be assigned to the same bus or located near each other in Tent City, you must have the same group name on your applications. (Individuals coming to PBV by themselves should NOT fill in a group name. Please leave it blank, rather than putting "just me" or "none.")

How do I get an official RAGBRAI Wristband? At ragbrai.org, register electronically by April 1st. Note that snail mail applications are due much earlier. By May, you’ll know the lottery results, but if you’re not selected, don’t worry. See next question.

NOTE: Most folks with Pork Belly Ventures realize that they MUST have an official RAGBRAI wristband to travel with us. Very few people have tried to dodge this rule. In June, we’ll ask for you wristband number, and you must be wearing your RAGBRAI wristband before we can give you your Pork Belly wristband.

Should I wait to learn my fate in the lottery before registering with PBV? Delay registering if you want to, but the lottery is not a good reason to do so. If you are concerned about getting a rental tent, they could be gone by May (though we always have a waiting list). In the unlikely event that you are not selected in the lottery, we will introduce you to a wristband seller and help you follow the Register’s simple procedure for transferring wristbands. We aren’t allowed to promise, but in over twenty years, we have never not found a wristband seller for a patient buyer.

HOTELS, PARKING, AND BIKE SHIPPING

If I’m driving to the end town on Friday, how can I get reservations at a hotel? For hotel rooms in eastern Iowa near the end town, you may check the end-town website on about May 1st for nearby hotels. Or you might Google hotels relatively close to long-term parking. PBV will not have a designated hotel in eastern Iowa.

Will weeklong parking be available at the end town? Yes, and our east/west shuttle is typically located very near the long-term parking area. Hold tight and check the end-town website after May 1 to learn where long-term parking will be located exactly. Camping, food, and showers are often provided in the end town on the Friday night before RAGBRAI, and we’ll know more after we scout in May.

If I’m flying or driving into Omaha, will I need reservations at a hotel? On the nights of July 21st through the 27th, you will be camping with PBV, but if you’re flying into Omaha on Friday, the 20th, and/or returning with us to Omaha late on Saturday evening, the 28th, you will need Omaha hotel reservations. We have room blocks for both nights at two side-by-side hotels.

What are PBV’s NEW designated Omaha airport hotels? Our two side-by-side hotels at the Omaha airport are the Holiday Inn Express and the Candlewood Suites. These hotels are owned by the same company and run by an excellent team of managers. Our contract ensures that guests at one hotel are welcome to the services of the other. Your breakfast and a swimming pool are located at Holiday Inn Express, and Candlewood guests will walk half a block for those services. All Pork Belly buses and trucks will load and unload on the north side of the Candlewood Suites. Pork Belly Ventures has room blocks at both hotels. There are advantages to both hotels, but walk half a block and you get all amenities, no matter where you stay. Your choice:

Holiday Inn Express, 402-505-4900:
Mention our name to reserve your king or double queen room for $119. Hot breakfast served here (Candlewood guests will walk over for breakfast) Swimming pool located here (Candlewood guests have access, too) Hospitality areas available to our guests before and after RAGBRAI. Triple-sheeting is the standard at this hotel. Across the street from a large convenience store and Subway sandwich shop. Reasonable weeklong airport parking and valet service provided by Budget (about $5 per day) Free airport shuttle and Old Market shuttle provided by Budget. (Omaha’s Old Market is a great place for shopping, music, and dining on the Friday before RAGBRAI.)

Candlewood Suites, 402-342-2500:
Mention our name to reserve your king or double queen room for $119. Mention our name to reserve your king suite for $119, while they last. These lovely suites are normally reserved for extended stays only. Fold-out sofa in living room, peninsula seating in kitchen. North side of Candlewood is the site of our bus loading and unloading (Holiday Inn Express guests walk over and back.) The site of free laundry (Holiday Inn Express guests can do laundry here too.) Hospitality areas available to our guests before and after RAGBRAI. Triple-sheeting is the standard at this hotel. Across the street from a large convenience store and Subway. Reasonable weeklong airport parking and valet service provided by Budget (about $5 per day) Free airport shuttle and Old Market shuttle provided by Budget. (Omaha’s Old Market is a great place for shopping, music, and dining on the Friday before RAGBRAI.) Breakfast served next door, but great little convenience store in the lobby with CHEAP everything.

All Pork Belly buses will depart from and return to the Omaha airport Candlewood Suites, one-half block from Holiday Inn Express.

We are confident that these two hotels can accommodate everyone using our charter. If you are part of a large group coming into Omaha, please reserve only as many rooms as you will use. If you find you don’t need them, release rooms back to our block. For safety reasons, the hotel staff will need an occupant’s name for every room and a credit card number for each occupant (one per room). Cardholder and occupant should be the same person.

Will weeklong parking be available near the Omaha airport? Yes, and there is no need to reserve it in advance. Expect to pay $5 a day for Budget Airport Parking, which serves both hotels. Valet service is available from the hotels. A shuttle will assist you in retrieving your car from Budget at week’s end.

May I ship my bike and/or luggage to and from PBV, before and after the ride? Sure, but only through SendMyBike.com. We will be sending complete instructions about bike-shipping in a later update. For now, you can assume the following:

You must use sendmybike.com to ship baggage or bikes to PBV.
The price will be very close to FedEx retail shipping.
Your shipped items will be waiting for you at our first campsite.
You will have the free assistance of our mechanics to get your shipped bike ready for the road.
You will have the opportunity to package and ship your bike or bags home from the end of RAGBRAI, either by packing the bike up yourself or by turning the bike, case, and shipping label over to our mechanics, who will do the job in an air-conditioned bike shop and send it out by Tuesday after the ride ($40 charge if our mechanics do it).
You should NOT use any other RAGBRAI bike- or luggage-shipper, unless you want to walk a long distance from our camp to claim your shipped items.

Given the increase in airline fees for luggage, shipping luggage is becoming a reasonable alternative to lugging bags through an airport. Particularly your camping duffel with tent, sleeping bag, and Thermarest pad can be shipped to PBV prior to RAGBRAI and shipped from our campsite at ride’s end. (Just bear in mind our two-bag limit during the week.)

Pork Belly Ventures is a dealer for Serfas Hard-shell Bike Cases. See pkbelly.com, and click on "Serfas Hard Case."