TDN organized routes, indoor sleeping or outdoor camping options, organized rest stops, pre and post-ride banquet events.
Overall, my experience was "Ok". I really liked the Nebraska landscape, the towns and people I visited. The ride organization itself was "ok", in my opinion, at least compared to my experiences with RAGBRAI and doing other rides.
Pre-Ride Communications
TDN pre-ride materials included a packet with maps and general information. As the ride approached, TDN sent out emails as well. Most of the email info was in the packet as well.
During the Ride
The routes were good, I enjoyed the towns and the people, etc. When I compare TDN to other rides I've done, I'd say the main difference is that I felt much more "on my own" to figure things out, as there was less communication from the ride organizers with the riders.
For example, the ride started at the Clay Center fairgrounds. There was an option to camp overnight at the fairgrounds before the start of the ride. Turns out that there was a major thunderstorm forecast for that evening, and the ride organizers needed to inform riders that they should sleep at the school. The normal procedure for most rides would have been to physically station a person at the camping area to inform people. TDN didn't do that, they taped a paper sign on a door that was pretty easy to miss (the fairgrounds had several buildings, and campers have little reason to inspect the buildings closely since they are, well, camping), and thus most of the riders who made it to the school heard about the school option from fellow riders. A little too laid back for my taste.
Routes were marked on the same day of the ride, which meant if you were a person who wanted to ride early to beat the heat, you often rode without road markings.
I absolutely loved the small towns of Nebraska. And the landscape. The roads were nice and smooth. I got some great pictures, and had some great conversations with local folks.
One final comment: the TDN felt a bit "clanish". A lot of riders (maybe most of them) have done TDN many times, and they all seem to know each other, and oddly enough, I felt a bit more like a stranger among a couple hundred or so TDN riders than I did among the many thousands of riders of RAGBRAI and the several hundred fellow riders in Brancel Charter in 2009. Odd.
After the ride
Received a thank-you email that solicited suggestions from riders for next time. Received another email in Dec 2010, when they advertised for the 2011 TDN.
Summary
My impression is that TDN has been doing bike rides pretty much the same way for many years, and that a lot of the riders who do TDN have done it many times and are OK with that. I may do TDN again someday, but I think I'll look for a different ride in 2011.
