Originally Posted by ThermionicScott

RAGBRAI sounds harder to the new cyclist than it really is. Yes, each day consists of 50-80 miles, but you have all day to do it, and there is lots of food and drink available. There are many small towns along the route, so many of us think of each day as a handful of 5-15 mile rides.

So don't fret about needing two years to "train" for RAGBRAI. You could do it tomorrow! Getting some miles in your legs (and butt) in the months beforehand just makes it more enjoyable.