IOWA CITY — As a veteran bicyclist, Tom Huber never dreamed that after three decades of suiting up for the Registered Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI, that this year’s ride would be suddenly cut short.
Huber, who lived in Monroe from the late 1980s until 2005 and served as Monroe Clinic’s Chief Financial Officer, has been part of the race for nearly 30 years after being invited by a friend in the late 1970s.
He typically bikes three or four days of the seven-day race.
RAGBRAI travels across the state of Iowa, drawing in recreational riders from across the U.S. and other countries has been held since the early 1970s. It’s known as the largest bike-touring event in the world. The route changes yearly, but always includes stops in eight different Iowa cities.
Biking gave me 90 days of riding, now it’s going to give me about 90 days of recuperating.Tom Huber
As Huber entered Ames, Iowa, July 24 on the group’s fourth stop, he was struck by a vehicle at an intersection. He sustained several injuries with multiple fractures to his hips, leg and shoulder.
Huber was stabilized in Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames before being transferred to University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa.
Since, he has been through multiple surgeries and encountered several surgical teams. He suffered a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula that was repaired July 26. A damaged artificial hip was removed July 27.
“Biking gave me 90 days of riding, now it’s going to give me about 90 days of recuperating,” Huber said.
Huber’s recovery is predicted to take a total of eight months, but he remains in good spirits, hoping for a successful recovery. He’s expecting to be back on his feet after 90 days. He is expected to make a full recovery and should be able to walk and bike again in a few months, depending on how things go.
Huber was eventually transferred to St. Luke’s Hospital Rehab Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he received daily physical and occupational therapy. He has now returned home in Iowa City for the remainder of his recovery. He has a hospital bed in his home and his daughter, a nurse, is helping him get settled in.
Tia Martinson, a friend of Huber, was riding with him when the accident occurred, and started a GoFundMe donation page for Huber and his family, hoping to raise $20,000 to be put toward medical costs and any additional costs that the accident has raised for the family. The GoFundMe can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/mh7zr-teamtommy.
Martinson started the GoFundMe as a way to help out the family during a tragic time, taking a little bit of stress off of their shoulders.
“I can’t fix his leg,” Martinson said. “But what I can do is rally some support and share the story.”
Huber is hoping to see positive change come out of the unfortunate event. He hopes others will realize the dangers of bike accidents, and said that anyone who wishes to help can also give to a bike organization that promotes bicycle safety.
“Whatever states like Wisconsin and Iowa and others can do to make bicycle riding safer, we’re going to just have to figure out a way to get along and minimize car-bicycle accidents,” Huber said.
