This annual, week-long bike race across Iowa draws in biking enthusiasts and amateurs alike.
The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) isn’t your standard bike race. This party on wheels occurs every year in different towns throughout the state of Iowa. Hosted by the Des Moines Register, biking enthusiasts and amateurs alike can participate in the week-long bike race any way they see fit.
While some riders embrace competition, others see it as a chance to spend quality time with loved ones and take a break from reality. RAGBRAI is the largest and longest recreational biking event in the world, allowing individuals to get to know people from different backgrounds, states, and countries.
In 2021, the total distance of RAGBRAI was 454.1 miles long. The trip began in the northwest corner of Iowa in the town of Le Mars. The cyclists traveled west through Sac City, Fort Dodge, Emmetsburg, Iowa Falls, Waterloo, Anamosa, Dewitt, and Clinton. While the cities and towns RAGBRAI visits change every year, the spirit remains the same. When participants aren’t biking, they are given opportunities to rest, socialize, and explore.
Dedicated cyclist Curt Wyman takes RAGBRAI very seriously. Before tackling the statewide trek, Wyman trained for an entire year. “I started by biking from work to home, which was about ten miles total—there and back home—and there was a bike trail that I liked to use that was about 20 miles long,” Wyman says.
Throughout RAGBRAI, cyclists must show extreme perseverance, especially when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Rain or shine, Wyman and many other bikers must adapt to the conditions thrown at them by Mother Nature. Luckily, the cyclists have support along the way. “There was a support vehicle that followed the bikers that held most of [our] stuff,” Wyman says. “The only things [we] would carry on [us] were a couple of bottles of water and maybe a snack.” Carrying less weight allows cyclists to travel from town to town with ease and shield their personal belongings from rain.
Not all RAGBRAI participants have the same experience. Merrick Behnke, who participates in RAGBRAI every year said, “I am more of a party biker rather than [a] tracking my miles [biker].”
Unlike Wyman, Behnke didn’t prepare for the ride, despite knowing it would be a long one. In the past, she participated in RAGBRAI with a team of riders, ages 20 through 80, accompanied by a decked-out school bus. Along the route, Behnke and her friends would make various stops to drink and spend time with one another.
“One of my teammates knew someone who owned a pool, and we swam, drank, and partied there since it was only a 20-mile day,” Behnke says.
Part of the fun of RAGBRAI is the camaraderie. “Being on a team is a much more fun experience [than biking solo],” Behnke says.
“A lot of homeowners would provide shade and have a sign that read ‘rest stop,’ and many bikers would go and take a break and relax for a moment,” Wyman says.
For those not from Iowa, RAGBRAI might seem like a niche event. Yet, the state-wide bike ride has a way of changing the lives of participants. Cyclists can engage with people across the state, country, and world—finding lifelong friends and forming other connections.
RAGBRAI has opened up new opportunities for Wyman as well. “RAGBRAI gives you lots of networking opportunities, like people giving out their business cards,” Behnke says. “One of my team members was a real estate agent, and me and my husband bought our first house from them.”
Cyclists aren’t the only ones who can get caught up in the festivities. Since RAGBRAI passes through several Iowa towns each year, residents get to experience all facets of the event. No matter the size of the town, hosts extend open arms toward the bikers of RAGBRAI.
“I got to speak to a couple who came to Iowa from Australia to participate in the event,” Wyman says.
RAGBRAI 2022 will be held from July 23 to July 30. This year’s RAGBRAI will start in a town in northwest Iowa called Sergeant Bluff and will end in northeast Iowa in a town called Lansing, with the cyclists traveling approximately 430 miles in total.
