By Alex Voigt
Free Press Staff Writer
MANKATO —
Back when I was a kid, my dad and I had a running joke for any road trip that involved having to drive through Iowa.
We always used to say that Iowa was better to travel through at night because there wasn’t anything worth seeing during the daytime.
The joke was not without some validity. Aside from the Mississippi River Valley, my recollection of Iowa’s landscape usually is associated with one word: corn. Heck, even the state’s signature movie (“Field of Dreams”) took place in a cornfield.
However, I’m about to become considerably more acquainted with the Hawkeye State’s scenery, as I will be one of roughly 10,000 people signed up for the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI.
From July 25-31, I will travel 442 miles, from Sioux City to Dubuque, with nothing but my legs and my $85 bike for transportation. Every evening, I will be sharing campgrounds with all of those riders, sleeping in my tent and enduring long lines for food, water, bike repairs and, most importantly, showers.
Sounds fun, right? Actually, it kind of does.
A biking institution
Possibly more than any other annual bike ride in America, RAGBRAI isn’t so much a bike ride as it is a cultural phenomenon.
According to the event’s website, RAGBRAI began in 1973 when Register writers John Karras and Donald Kaul decided to bike across the state and write about the experience. The public was invited to accompany them for the ride, but that was about as far as the planning went. Camping arrangements weren’t made in any of the host communities ahead of time, and the course had not been driven out beforehand.
The first year of RAGBRAI drew about 300 participants, though fewer than half of them reportedly made it across the state. Aside from Karras and Kaul, who had hotel reservations along the way, all other participants had to pitch tents on hotel lawns.
Today, RAGBRAI is recognized as one of the oldest, largest and longest touring bike rides in the world and annually fills its registration limit months in advance. RAGBRAI participants include everyone from your average cycling enthusiasts to Lance Armstrong, who rode sections of the ride in both 2006 and 2007.
Despite vastly different skill levels, the ride isn’t about the speed of the journey, but rather about the destination.
“The one thing everybody has in common is a bike. It doesn’t matter what you’re riding, how you’re riding or how long it takes you to get there,” said Flying Penguin Outdoor Sports owner Jon Andersen, who has ridden RAGBRAI on four occasions. “It’s about people who want to have fun on bikes regardless of age, socioeconomic status or ability as a biker.”
A difficult ride?
Despite taking place in a relatively flat state like Iowa, the biking aspect of RAGBRAI is nothing to underestimate.
The mileage averages out to more than 60 a day, most of which will be on country roads with minimal shade and wind cover. Aside from the sheer distance, Iowa’s cornfield-patched hills also will put bikers to the test with more than 14,000 feet of climb (calculation of total elevation change) during the course of the week.
“You’ll see some of the steepest hills you’ve ever seen in your life,” Andersen said, recalling instances of his bike traveling upward of 40-50 mph down some of Iowa’s steeper declines.
RAGBRAI’s website recommends starting training early in the spring. Rather than going for speed, it is advised to try for distance on rides and to not shy away from the occasional hill. Andersen said putting in 100-plus miles of biking a week would be optimal.
“You need to get in shape for it, both for survival and for the sake of enjoying it,” Andersen said. “Look at it this way: For every 1,000 people you pass along the way, that’s 1,000 less people you’ll have to wait in line behind for the shower.”
The one reprieve RAGBRAI has to offer: Riders won’t have to worry about the weight of their gear slowing them down. All participants are allowed one soft-sided duffel bag that will be hauled on semi-trucks from town to town.
Cultural communities
Unlike the average group ride, the fun of RAGBRAI doesn’t stop once the daily biking is complete.
Every night of the week, riders will be welcomed guests in seven different host communities, each of which will feature its own activities and hospitalities to add to the RAGBRAI experience.
“Every town has its own unique atmosphere and culture,” Andersen said. “Every night is a chance to soak in the history and tradition of a different town. Plus you’ll meet some of the nicest people you’ve ever seen.”
For the host communities, RAGBRAI serves as a one-night opportunity to showcase their town to a large group of tourists and patrons.
“We hope people will remember (our town),” said Cole O’Donnell, a city administrator for the host community of Algona. “It’s 10,000 to 15,000 visitors coming into town for the night. They may not spend money, but it gives us exposure and puts us on the map for future visits.”
Algona, which is about two hours south of Mankato on Highway 169, is holding a ’70s-themed town festival for riders to enjoy, complete with karaoke, face painting, beverage gardens and a performance by the Vic Ferrari Band. The town will also offer shuttle services to restaurants and private housing for riders who request it.
With such multi-faceted events planned, volunteers are always in high demand for host communities. Fortunately, residents are usually more than willing to step up.
“Everybody really seems to get behind it,” said O’Donnell of Algona, which has served as a host community in 1977, 1990, 1999 and 2005. “There are a few naysayers here and there, but the community really seems to embrace the RAGBRAI culture.”
A spiritual journey
Just about every personal account I’ve read about RAGBRAI describes it as being a spiritual experience.
Spirituality is a term that’s hard to quantify. By its very definition, it’s an experience enjoyed from within rather than something tangible that everyone can see. However, for something like RAGBRAI, it’s at least somewhat understandable how it could be an adventure for the soul.
Think of it as the ultimate “you against the world” scenario. You’re placed on the western-most side of an unfamiliar state with more than 400 miles to go and nothing but your bike to get you there. You have no idea what’s in front of you and nobody’s coming to pick you up until you get to the end. There may be other people around you and a truck to haul your stuff, but from a transportation standpoint, you’re on your own.
This type of scenario goes well beyond what’s comfortable and safe for most people. Heck, most of us have enough trouble with the normal routine of work and bills, much less summoning up the ambition to take a week off from work and bike across an entire state.
Despite all that, RAGBRAI continues to fill its annual registration at an increasingly rapid rate. Why?
Because there’s an undeniable sense of accomplishment that comes with biking across a state. Because weeklong vacations were meant to be enjoyed traveling. But most of all, because there’s a cultural experience that comes from riding your bike that simply can’t be appreciated otherwise.
I may not have appreciated Iowa while driving through it in my youth, but I’m sure that’ll change by the time RAGBRAI is complete.
Free Press health and fitness blogger Alex Voigt will be keeping you updated on RAGBRAI this year with frequent entries about the experience that can be seen on his blog at www.mankatofreepress.com.
