Even though qualifying for the Tour De France might not be in the near future for Ashford University track and field seniors Franklin Barnes of Chicago and Caleb Snyder of Winnebago, Ill., there was no doubt they enjoyed the journey of a lifetime while trekking across the state of Iowa in the infamous RAGBRAI bike trip.

RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) spans about 472 miles spread out through eight designated "host communities." It starts on the Iowa Western border before ending along the eastern border where participants perform the celebratory dipping of bikes into the Mississippi River. Started back in 1973, RAGBRAI draws interest worldwide and features bicyclists from all parts of the globe.

Thousands -- nearly 18,000 to be exact -- of avid bicyclists converge in Iowa for one week so Barnes and Snyder assembled an eight-member university-sponsored team. But entries into the event are far from a sure thing as the number of hopefuls spill over from the allotted slots. 

On average, over 65 miles are ridden each day with average speeds in excess over 18 mph. And these roads aren't flat railroad beds with a zero-degree grade. Undulating hills and gravel roads stare at bikers miles and miles ahead while they pace themselves mentally, physically and emotionally.

But Barnes and Snyder, both NAIA National Championships qualifiers, saw it all, completed the journey and have the photos to prove it. Seeing miniature bars and blow-up dolls strapped to bikes while petting 900-pound pigs on the side of the road. Bikers emerging from cornfields after completing their "business." Ambulances hovering and attending to injuries -- including a woman who fell and had spokes embedded in her skin. 

Prospective teams' fate is left up to a random lottery system. Team Ashford was supposed to also feature juniors Andrew Drinkall of Hoopole, Ill., and Keven Griffin Jr. of East St. Louis, Ill., but external circumstances kept them from entering. Team Ashford was notified in early May they made it in.

"We initially thought of it as ‘Wow, we could ride across the state of Iowa in seven days,'" Barnes said. "It seemed like a great idea to build team chemistry before next season started. We were really excited when we found were in."

Even though Barnes is used to getting to the finish line ahead of everyone else as a record-breaking sprinter/hurdler and MCC champion at Ashford, he still had to remind himself to set a seven-day pace. He underwent a practice regimen that was at most, riding a total of 22 miles per day at about 10-12 mph.

"Anyone on the team can tell you, when we started, I complained," Barnes said with a laugh. "There were hills up and down and I was like, ‘Wow,' this is more intense than I thought. I knew that I was a trained athlete and a sprinter, so I was up for the challenge."

Barnes took on RAGBRAI with the unconventional mountain bike. His tire diameter was about doubled when compared to most racing bikes and he also had thickness to overcome, but mental and physical fatigue were quickly wiped away with fresh apple pies, biscuits and gravy and varieties of fruit.

"Everyone was so hospitable and friendly," Barnes said. "It's really amazing how many people there were. We could stop for lunch around noon in a host site, sit down and eat, and get ready to leave, and there would still be packs of people coming through. I can't remember the city, but I do remember I tasted THE best apple pie of my life!"

At one point up a steep hill, Barnes said he was blowing by riders left and right and was passed by biker when the incline evened out.

"I got you!," the rider exclaimed. "You were ahead of everyone on a mountain bike and I told myself, ‘I have to catch that guy (referring to Barnes).'"

Diversity is still an ongoing process at RAGBRAI when Barnes, who is African-American, says he felt like "a chocolate chip in a bowl of milk." He met people from Scotland, Germany and many other parts of the world, an opportunity that he says is priceless. 

Snyder echoes all of Barnes' thoughts regarding his first RAGBRAI experience.

"I would do it again in a heartbeat," Snyder said. "I can say ‘I rode my bike across the state of Iowa.' I've heard nothing but good things about it, so I figured out I'd try it out. Everywhere we went, it was a blast. Every town was like a state fair atmosphere." 

Barnes, a current Student Academic and Mentor Assistant at Ashford, is opening up recruitment for the 2010 edition of RAGBRAI, hoping to turn it into an annual affair for the university to build tradition.

"If you have the opportunity to do it, do it," Snyder summed up. "There's nothing else like it in the world."

Barnes pondered for a minute if he would someday take on the mountainous Alps and Pyrenees, stages through the Tour De France, but made up his mind rather quickly.