At the end of July, Catherine and I rode in the [Des Moine] Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). The ride crosses Iowa from West to East, taking a different route each year. This year, the ride started in Sioux City (with the traditional dip of the rear bike tire in the Missouri River) and ended in Davenport (with the traditional dip of the front tire in the Mississippi River). The route is over 500 miles, with the start on a Sunday and the finish the following Saturday. This was the fiftieth ride, so there were a record number of bikers. In fact, on the Wednesday of the ride, organizers believe that they set a record for a group bicycle ride with over 70,000 riders.
The route runs through multiple towns each day, and the residents go all out to welcome riders. Residents line the route and offer water and encouragement. Kids man lemonade stands. There are all kinds of food available to buy, including some perennial favorites, like the Pork Chop bus, hand-cranked ice cream, and, of course, the Iowa Craft Beer Bus (two stops each day). Most riders camp at night, and the overnight town for each day has to accommodate tens of thousands of campers. Plus, the overnight towns offer an array of food options, showers, evening entertainment, equipment vendors, and entertainment opportunities.
State highway patrolmen and local sheriffs and police monitor each intersection along the route each day to make the way safe for bikers. In recent year, dozens of U. S. Air and Space Force riders fan out along the course each day to help other riders fix flats and handle other equipment problems. It felt amazing to ride safely with so many other bikers day after day.
For a bike rider, RAGBRAI is definitely a bucket list event. This was my first RAGBRAI, but I don’t think it’s my last.
Geezer Adventures 