Months after their ride across Iowa, bikers look back

By: Adelaide Kuehn

Anyone who’s been on the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa could tell you a lot happens in seven days. Sure, that’s only one week, but it’s a high point in the year for riders. What gives RAGBRAI that lofty status? The spirit of the event.

The bike ride is a beloved Iowan tradition where thousands spend a part of their summer on a bicycle tour across the state, visiting tiny towns and bigger cities alike. It happens annually, starting in 1973 when two reporters at the Des Moines Register challenged each other to bike across Iowa and invited their readers to join them. Since then, it’s become a seven-day tradition of athleticism, revelry and Midwestern spirit worth remembering throughout the year.

Many do just that. They try to carry RAGBRAI with them afterward, whether with keepsakes from the ride or enthusiastic stories. These tales and stories create a kind of memory box to be rifled through to remember the ride’s spirit.

Photo 1: Pat’s Jersey

Pat Couglin has done every RAGBRAI for the past 20 years. But he really gained a reputation when he brought his cow-themed school bus turned camper, “Sir Loin,” into the equation and started “Team Cow.” After riding with a charter company in 2003, he got the idea to bring his own bus on the ride instead. 

“We’re like, why are we paying this charter to take us when we already have [one]…Build a top deck next year, and we’ll start our own team.” The rest was history. Now, every year, Coughlin and the 20+ others that make up “Team Cow” can be seen riding in RAGBRAI alongside “Sir Loin.”

Photo 2: Inside Sir Loin

The inside of the bus is decorated with 20 years worth of memories and quirky items, all within the cow theme, of course. He bought this version of “Sir Loin” in 2012 (an upgrade from the ‘04 original) and has been decorating it since. Decorations include a collection of cow stuffed animals and figurines, photos and artwork across every flat surface, and a whole lot of cow print. But Coughlin said there’s always more to be added.

“My standard answer is, it’s not done yet, right?” he said, when asked how long finishing the bus took.

Photo 3: The Udder Team

Among Coughlin’s cow paraphernalia is this tag, attached to cow ears on a bike helmet. It’s not just a funny pun – when Team Cow was just starting out, there was another cow-themed group of RAGBRAI riders called the “Wisconsin Derrieres.” To differentiate, Coughlin’s team started calling themselves “The Udder Team.” After that, a rumor began that there was a feud between the two teams, until two years later. 

“The founders of that team got a hold of me and said, ‘Hey, we want to talk…we want to squash this feud we’re having,” Coughlin said. The feud ended with a “peace offering” from the Derrieres: a bike painted like a cow with an udder hung on it, honoring “The Udder Team.” 

Photo 4: The Memory Ceiling

A few years ago, Coughlin started plastering photos of Team Cow across Sir Loin’s ceiling – including a few featuring him officiating a wedding for two teammates mid-RAGBRAI. The hundreds of photos speak to the camaraderie the event builds. Coughlin has never had the same team twice – some people return for the event, but some don’t, leaving spots to fill. Each ride brings new members, often strangers, who will earn a place on the ceiling.

Photo 5: Bus Miniature

RAGBRAI has a way of making small things bigger – like turning one-off jokes into something serious. That’s what happened with Sir Loin. Before the bus came into existence, Coughlin’s wife had a cow themed kitchen, which jokingly inspired the vehicle’s decor.  

“I go, what if we just make fun of it?” Coughlin said. It started with curtains and outside paint, then years of RAGBRAI gave it the extensive accessories seen here.

Photo 6: RAGBRAI Three

Coughlin also has the unique perspective of having rode in RAGBRAI’s early years – he participated in the third and fourth trips at ages 11 and 12. Coughlin still looks fondly upon those rides, and thus they’ve earned a place on the ceiling. 

“I remember them a lot,” he said, “because it was just like a big thing in our life.” He remembered that before the trip became the organized event it is today, the large group of bikers would “overwhelm” the rural towns that weren’t necessarily equipped for so many. But members made sure to counteract that. 

“Bikers would go back there and help them, you know, cook and help them serve and just sort of take over. And I remember all that,” he said.

Photo 7: Kyle Munson

Another frequent rider, Kyle Munson, actually started his RAGBRAI journey as a reporter for the event in the early 2000s. When he stopped reporting, he went on to bike every trip, starting in 2011, with a team of his own. And unlike many riders who camp or stay in buses during the ride, Munson and his team stay with local host families in each overnight town, which has become one of his favorite parts of RAGBRAI. 

 “It’s the heart and soul of what RAGBRAI means to us in terms of that human connection,” Munson said.

Photo 8: Show n’ Tell

That human connection led Munson and his team to develop a special ritual with their host families. When they arrive for the night, each member presents the host with a token, as a thanks for their hospitality. 

“You introduce yourself to the host, say who you are, you know, what you’re about. You have a little token gift. It’s not meant to be expensive or anything, but it’s just meant to show your personality or what you care about…That represents the people coming together on Ragbrai, both the team or just strangers.”

Photo 9: Full Collection

Then, in 2023, Munson got a taste of his own medicine when he hosted his team in Des Moines. As a surprise, they performed the team ritual for him, gifting t-shirts from their personal collections. 

“That was a cool moment,” Munson said. He held on to each shirt and wore them proudly during this past summer’s ride.

Photo 10: Ride Iowa

Munson also has a collection of sorts displayed on his bike, including stickers and registration bands from his past 13 years of RAGBRAI. The “Ride Iowa” sticker is a reminder to explore the beauty and personality of the state, which the trip inspires thousands to do. Munson said you see a little bit of everything in that process – he described silly things, like liquor cabinets on the back of bikes, but also serious things, like people riding after cancer recovery. 

“You see the human condition in every way,” Munson said.

Photo 11: RAGBRAI SPIRIT

Still – what is it about RAGBRAI that makes people want to revisit it months after? 

“If I end up having a conversation or seeing something that reminds me of RAGBRAI in the middle of the year, it’s kind of just a hopeful reminder of what I want humanity to be like,” Munson said. 

In that way, remembering the spirit of the event pushes him to embody that spirit, he said, and to be “more RAGBRAI.”

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Photos by Candace Carr