Some career changes come from years of careful planning. Jeff Havermann’s came from a carnival game he hadn’t thought about since the mid-1970s.
During 2025 Spring Tune-Up, Franklin was welcoming riders and mentioned that the town of Madison was fundraising to beautify its town square by selling tickets for a game called “Rooster Roulette.” Franklin added an aside: “In Iowa, they call this game Chicken Sh*t BINGO.” For most riders, that was a funny throwaway line. For Jeff, a native of Carroll, Iowa, it was a direct line back to childhood memories of playing that exact game at his local county fair.
“That brief conversation turned into a broader conversation over the next 2 weeks which led to me being on a plane to France a few weeks later to help lead the BRAG International Loire Valley tour,” Jeff recalls. “I am now BRAG International’s Ambassador all because of Chicken Sh*t BINGO.”
It’s the kind of origin story that sounds too good to be true. Except it’s exactly how Jeff went from a first-time BRAG rider to the person now helping guests from across the country discover Europe on two wheels.
From Iowa to Aiken to the World
Jeff’s path to BRAG wasn’t a straight line. Originally from Carroll, Iowa, he now lives in Aiken, South Carolina, having recently retired after 34 years at Procter & Gamble in Sales & Marketing. When he’s not cycling, you’ll find him working out at the local fitness center, doing some network consulting, volunteering for his HOA, or “chilling poolside.”
He discovered BRAG almost by accident. After moving to Aiken, he started researching multi-day rides in the Southeast, partly to find a good meeting point with a former neighbor who had relocated to Jefferson, Georgia. Spring Tune-Up fit the bill perfectly.
What started as a practical solution to a scheduling problem turned into something much bigger. Since that first ride, Jeff has completed one U.S.-based BRAG event and gone on to lead two France tours, four Belgium & Netherlands tours, and a Croatia tour… an itinerary that reads more like a European cycling atlas than a typical rider’s rĂ©sumĂ©.
A Steep Learning Curve
Jeff will be the first to admit that transitioning from casual rider to international tour leader wasn’t seamless. “I was always comfortable and confident leading small group rides in the states on familiar roads, but doing it overseas with 30+ people is a completely different story,” he says.
His first lesson came fast and hard. On an early tour in France, a slow tire leak forced him to stop and pump up. He figured he could catch back up with the group using the route loaded on his Garmin. Then the battery died. “I was wandering around the French countryside by myself before miraculously our SAG van came upon me and asked what I was doing way out here,” Jeff laughs. “He got me back on track and I eventually reunited with the group.”
His first purchase back in the States? A new, more capable Garmin. It’s the kind of hard-won wisdom that only comes from getting genuinely lost in a foreign countryside. It’s exactly the sort of story he now shares with new guests to help them avoid the same fate.
The Sweep, the Ambassador, the DJ
As a BRAG International Ambassador, Jeff’s days are a blend of logistics, hospitality, and genuine care for the guest experience. He’s up early mingling with travelers before breakfast, making sure everyone has what they need for an enjoyable day. On the road, he plays Sweep, watching for lost riders, handling mechanical issues, narrating points of interest, and yes, occasionally playing DJ for anyone who wants a soundtrack to their ride.
After each day’s miles are done, Jeff works with tour partners to secure bikes, arrange repairs, and recap the day before looking ahead to tomorrow. Throughout it all, he stays present and available, checking in with guests about their highlights and needs.
“My ‘why’ is helping people discover the less traveled world on two wheels,” Jeff explains. “As BRAG International’s Ambassador, I have the incredible opportunity of meeting people from all over the US and helping them experience Europe in a unique way. On 2 wheels, quaint village-by-village, via a barge and boat, via unique cultures including food, beer, coffee, etc.”
The Mantra That Keeps Riders Rolling
Jeff has distilled decades of cycling wisdom into a simple, repeatable mantra he shares with every group: “Eat before you’re hungry. Drink before you’re thirsty. Shift before you have to.” (He’s quick to clarify, with a laugh, that he makes sure to emphasize the “f” in “shift,” after one guest apparently misheard him the first time.)
His essential gear pick might surprise newcomers: not padded bibs or a particular bike, but a simple helmet mirror. “In today’s world with people in a hurry, distracted, stressed, etc., my mirror helps keep me aware of my surroundings,” he says. “I always say that I would rather take a ditch before I take a bumper.” As Sweep on international trips, that same mirror does double duty, helping him keep tabs on guests who stop mid-ride to snap photos of the passing countryside.
Finding Georgia’s Charm, One Small Town at a Time
Even as an international ambassador, Jeff has plenty of love for BRAG’s Georgia roots. He fondly remembers the Sunflower Farm as the gathering spot for Spring Tune-Up. “A central location to meet folks, hang out, get food and drink in a peaceful rural setting.”
One of his favorite small-town memories comes from Eatonton, Georgia, where he and a friend stumbled upon the Tipsy Turtle Bar & Grill during a morning ride. Carrying over a tradition from RAGBRAI, the pair wanted their customary morning Bloody Mary. The bar wasn’t technically open yet, but the staff welcomed them in anyway and whipped up a spicy Bloody Mary on the spot. It’s exactly the kind of small-town hospitality that keeps riders coming back.
Having lived in Georgia for nine years before his move to South Carolina, Jeff has explored much of the state already… but not yet by bike. “I’m looking forward to one day doing a Big BRAG,” he says. “I’d love to do it via 2 wheels, rural roads and small towns.”
A Résumé Built for the Road
Jeff’s path to becoming an international ambassador wasn’t just luck and a shared love of an obscure carnival game. It was built on a foundation of genuine experience. Before BRAG, he created and led branded RAGBRAI teams for ten years running (memorably sponsored by Templeton Rye, Pepto Bismol, Tide, and Mr. Clean). He’s worked with two other tour companies and once took a 14-day cycling tour to Chile in an “undercover boss” role. He holds CPR certification, food handling safety certification, and DOT certificationâthe unglamorous but essential credentials that make a good tour leader a great one.
Combined with 34 years of sales and marketing experience at P&G, Jeff brings a rare mix of people skills, logistical know-how, and genuine enthusiasm to every tour he leads.
Family, Friendships, and a Waiting Tandem
Jeff has ridden with his wife, daughter, and son at various points, though he admits with good humor that none of them share his passion for cycling… yet. “Someday I hope to experience more of the world via two wheels with them,” he says. “My tandem is ready and waiting for them!!!”
In the meantime, his international role has introduced him to cycling friends from across the U.S. and guides and staff from around the world. “I have plenty of riding stories that are best told over a cold beer,” he notes. The kind of understated understatement that suggests there’s a lot more where the Chicken Sh*t BINGO story came from.
Perspective, On and Off the Bike
Beyond the logistics and the leadership, Jeff has found that his role has changed how he thinks about people more broadly. “I enjoy hearing people’s stories and perspectives,” he reflects. “I’ve found that perspective is very valuable in understanding what people believe, how they act, what they say, etc. I may not always agree, but hearing their perspective gives me a broader view.”
It’s a fitting philosophy for someone whose job is now to shepherd strangers through foreign countries, village by village, coffee shop by coffee shop… helping them see the world a little differently, one pedal stroke at a time.
On the Road Again
If BRAG had a theme song, Jeff’s pick is Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again.” Fitting, since “whether it’s US or international, BRAG is always looking for new opportunities to get cyclists on the road again.” And his definition of a true BRAG rider carries the weight of his own unlikely journey: “You’ve participated in a BRAG International trip.”
His advice for anyone considering their first BRAG ride is simple and enthusiastic: “Definitely do it, and learn about all the other rides being offered by BRAG.” It’s advice Jeff himself embodies, because a practical search for a meeting point with an old neighbor turned into European cycling tours, and a passing comment about a county fair game turned into a whole new chapter of his retirement.
Sometimes the biggest adventures start with the smallest, strangest connections. For Jeff Havermann, that connection was a game show tune-up he hadn’t thought about in fifty years. And it turned into a passport, a purpose, and a permanent seat at BRAG International’s table.
