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RAGBRAI
RAGBRAI, short for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is a non-competitive bicycle tour across the U.S. state of Iowa from its western to eastern border. First held in 1973, RAGBRAI is the largest bike-touring event in the world.
The 50th ride, RAGBRAI L, took place from July 23-29, 2023, and retraced much of the first year's route. Carroll replaced Fort Dodge and the much larger town/area of Coralville-Iowa City replaced the small town of Williamsburg. The ride from Ames to Des Moines had over 60,000 riders, the most riders of any stop in the history of the event.
Each year's route begins at a community near Iowa's western border and ends at a community near the eastern border, with stops in towns across the state. The ride is one week long and ends on the last Saturday of July each year. The earliest possible starting date is July 19, and the latest is July 25.
While formerly a lottery was held to select participants, as of 2021[update] registration is now on a first-come-first-serve basis. Iowa bicycle clubs and charters, as well as teams and groups, many of whom are from out of state, also receive a number of passes for which members apply through those organizations. Despite the official limits, unregistered riders have on many days swelled the actual number of riders to well over the registered number count.
The length of the entire week's route over RAGBRAI's first 40 years from 1973 through 2012, not including the Century Loop, averaged 467.9 miles (753.0 km); the average daily distance between host communities is 67.1 miles (108.0 km). Eight "host communities" are selected each year, one each for the beginning and end points, the other six serving as overnight stops from Sunday through Friday for the bicyclists. At the beginning of the ride, participants traditionally dip the rear wheels of their bikes in either the Missouri River or the Big Sioux River; at the end, riders dip their front wheels in the Mississippi River.
The ride has passed through all 99 of Iowa's counties in its history. Fourteen different communities have served as the starting point, while 12 have hosted the finish. 108 other communities have been overnight hosts during the week of the ride.
An event known as the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party is held the last part of January to release the names of the overnight towns. The route is fleshed out in the following weeks and is announced in the Des Moines Register and on the RAGBRAI website in early March.
RAGBRAI began in 1973, when Des Moines Register feature writers John Karras and Donald Kaul decided to go on a bicycle ride across Iowa; both men were avid cyclists. Karras challenged Kaul to do the ride and write articles about what he experienced. Kaul agreed to do it, but only if Karras also did the ride. Karras then agreed to ride, as well.
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RAGBRAI
RAGBRAI, short for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is a non-competitive bicycle tour across the U.S. state of Iowa from its western to eastern border. First held in 1973, RAGBRAI is the largest bike-touring event in the world.
The 50th ride, RAGBRAI L, took place from July 23-29, 2023, and retraced much of the first year's route. Carroll replaced Fort Dodge and the much larger town/area of Coralville-Iowa City replaced the small town of Williamsburg. The ride from Ames to Des Moines had over 60,000 riders, the most riders of any stop in the history of the event.
Each year's route begins at a community near Iowa's western border and ends at a community near the eastern border, with stops in towns across the state. The ride is one week long and ends on the last Saturday of July each year. The earliest possible starting date is July 19, and the latest is July 25.
While formerly a lottery was held to select participants, as of 2021[update] registration is now on a first-come-first-serve basis. Iowa bicycle clubs and charters, as well as teams and groups, many of whom are from out of state, also receive a number of passes for which members apply through those organizations. Despite the official limits, unregistered riders have on many days swelled the actual number of riders to well over the registered number count.
The length of the entire week's route over RAGBRAI's first 40 years from 1973 through 2012, not including the Century Loop, averaged 467.9 miles (753.0 km); the average daily distance between host communities is 67.1 miles (108.0 km). Eight "host communities" are selected each year, one each for the beginning and end points, the other six serving as overnight stops from Sunday through Friday for the bicyclists. At the beginning of the ride, participants traditionally dip the rear wheels of their bikes in either the Missouri River or the Big Sioux River; at the end, riders dip their front wheels in the Mississippi River.
The ride has passed through all 99 of Iowa's counties in its history. Fourteen different communities have served as the starting point, while 12 have hosted the finish. 108 other communities have been overnight hosts during the week of the ride.
An event known as the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party is held the last part of January to release the names of the overnight towns. The route is fleshed out in the following weeks and is announced in the Des Moines Register and on the RAGBRAI website in early March.
RAGBRAI began in 1973, when Des Moines Register feature writers John Karras and Donald Kaul decided to go on a bicycle ride across Iowa; both men were avid cyclists. Karras challenged Kaul to do the ride and write articles about what he experienced. Kaul agreed to do it, but only if Karras also did the ride. Karras then agreed to ride, as well.