RAGBRAI 101

Photo by JustWill
By Brett Ratner
The last week in July may seem like an eternity away. And planning for a ride that far off
probably sounds a little premature.
But, if youve ever considered doing the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI for short),
now is actually the time to be getting your ducks in a row.
In fact, if you were planning to register via snail mail, youd need to have your paperwork mailed in by tomorrow at
the absolute latest (deadline is February 15). By virtue of the fact youre reading this article on a computerized
device of some sort, you are capable of pre-registering electronically and therefore have a bit more time.

Volumes can be (and have been) written about RAGBRAIs

history, why its so popular, and what it takes to organize a fun and drama-free week of riding. What this article will
instead try to accomplish is answer some basic questions and get you pointed in the right direction.

On a personal note, I completed the 2009, 10, 11 and 13 rides. Ive always had an amazing time, and I can say my
first RAGBRAI was downright magical. But it seemed like through the years, the route had been progressively
watered down. In 2009, I enjoyed a true 500 mile, fun and challenging ride (Iowa actually has some pretty good
hills, if you can believe it). Later iterations wound up being closer to 400, mostly flat and easy miles.
This year, things seem to have changed for the better. According to the RAGBRAI website, the 2015 basic route
will be 462 miles with 16,000 feet of climbing. Toss in the optional Karras Loop (which extends July 21s route to
100 miles) and a never-seen-before, optional 15-mile gravel loop on July 20 (in honor of the late Steve Hed, founder
of Hed cycling), and my interest in RAGBRAI is piqued again.

And, for the first time since the event was founded in 1973,
the ride starts in Sioux City and ends in Davenport, following much of the inaugural RAGBRAI route.
All-in-all, if RAGBRAI is on your cycling bucket list, 2015 might be a great year to check it off. Anyway, before
I digress too much further, heres your RAGBRAI 101 primer. Helping us out is none other than RAGBRAIs
Director, T.J. Juskiewicz.
First off, what is RAGBRAI?
Its a week-long, rolling party across Iowa, where you and about 13,000 people have nothing to do but pedal your
bike, eat tasty food, drink beer, camp and hang out with friendly, like-minded cyclists of all types and age groups.
RAGBRAI is truly a unique event, Juskiewicz said. The reason is simple: the people and the towns of Iowa
welcome riders like no other place in the world. They roll out the red carpet for every rider that rolls into town and
welcomes them into their communityinto their homes, churches, restaurants, schools, parks and their
downtowns.
Personally, Id have to agree. Id even take it a step further. To me, its also a strange utopian experience. What do I
mean? Well, for starters, the roadways are ruled by bikes and the few cars you encounter have to drive on the
shoulder. Youre burning thousands of calories every day, so you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight.
Every town you roll through literally has a street festival going on, complete with entertainment, pork loin
sandwiches as big as a frisbee, and pie...I mean LOTS of pie. If you like pie, youre in Heaven. The beer is kinda
meh, but theres plenty of it. And if you want good beer, all you have to do is spot someone wearing a Team Good
Beer jersey, pedal up next to that person and he or she will hand you a photocopied map of where you can find the
good beer. Everyone politely stands in line and chats with you as if youre old friends. When you get to wherever
youre going, you just lean your bike up against whatever...UNLOCKED...do whatever you need to do, come back
and its right there where you left it.

Simply put, its a glimpse of what the world could be like if everyone was cool and nice to people. I cant speak for
the other 13,000 participants, but something tells me this is a big reason why people love RAGBRAI so much.

Who participates in RAGBRAI?

You see a wide range of cyclists on RAGBRAI. Youll have families on one end of the spectrum and hard-core
party types on the other. Who you encounter will largely depend on how early or late you push off. Racers and
triathletes like to get on the route super early, so they can hammer away for miles and miles on empty roads. The
bulk of participants seem to start pedaling between 7am and 8:30am. Ages range from kids to college students to
people well into their eighties. In addition to a wide array of standard bicycles, you see people on penny farthings
(dressed in wool knickers and sporting handlebar mustaches), rollerblades, unicycles, eliptical bikes, hand cycles,
recumbent tandem trikes...you name it. Theres even a guy who does the whole thing on a bike with no saddle. The
party people bring up the rear, stop at bars in every town, meet up in quasi-secretive off-route locations, and roll
into the end town when most riders are settling into their tents.
The reason RAGBRAI is special is that it is the most social ride anywhere, Juskiewicz said. There is as much fun
off the bike as there is on the bike. Each town showcases their community when they host RAGBRAI. The food, the
entertainment, the sights, the people...it all adds up to a great time for riders.

The takeaway here is that depending on your mood and personal preferences, you can make your RAGBRAI
whatever you want it to be...from a training opportunity to leisurely sightseeing to a rolling Mardi Gras.

Do I have to register?
Lots of people do the ride bandit, and RAGBRAI cant legally prevent you from riding on a public road, but I
strongly recommend registering.
For starters, if you happen to crash and need to be taken away in an ambulance, RAGBRAI will pick up your bike
and reunite it with you (your registration includes a bike band). I actually know someone who lost her bike after a
bad crash because she didnt register. When the ambulance took her away, her bike was simply left on the side of the
road.
Secondly, if you cannot complete the ride on a particular day (for example, you have a mechanical issue), your
wristband gets you access to the SAG truck, which will take you and your bike to the end town.
Finally, on the less serious side of things, your wristband gets you free entry into all sorts of beer gardens and other
events. Registering doesnt really cost much and I believe it certainly pays for itself.
Its also worth noting that you have the option of registering for the entire ride, or select days. In other words, if you
only wanted to ride the final Saturday and Sunday, you can certainly do that.

How does this thing work, logistically speaking?

First off, you need to pre-register. This enters you in a lottery. Once you win the lottery, your credit card is charged
and youre issued a wristband, bike band and luggage tag. These arrive in the mail a few weeks later. The vast
majority of the people who enter the lottery get to do the ride. In fact, Ive never known anyone who didnt get in.
Heres the registration link: http://ragbrai.com/registration/.
The very instant youre in, you need to arrange transportation before it fills up. This is crucial. Here is also where it
gets a little complicated.
Option #1 is to arrange charter bus transportation for you, your gear, and your bike. The RAGBRAI site has a list of
official charter companies. Some offer transportation from Chicagoland to the start in Sioux City, and then transport
from the end of the ride in Davenport back to Chicagoland. Another possibility is to reserve a parking spot in the
long-term parking lot in the Davenport and then arrange a charter to Sioux City. When you pedal into Davenport,
you load up your car and drive home. Here is a link to the official charter companies:
http://ragbrai.com/about/charter-services/.
Option #2 is to ship everything, and then fly in.
Here is a link to the shipping services: http://ragbrai.com/about/bike-shipping/
...and the airport shuttles: http://ragbrai.com/about/airport-shuttles/.
How does my gear get from town to town?
Here is a breakdown of your many options:

Option #1 is to do the ride unsupported. In other words, youd carry your camping gear,
clothing, etc. on your bike. Youd likely need a touring-type bike with at least a rear rack and
large panniers (saddlebags). When you get to the overnight town, you simply find a spot in the
designated camping areas (usually city parks, fairgrounds, and high school football/soccer fields)
and set up your tent. Once situated you can generally clean up at a nearby YMCA, municipal
pool, high school, or one of the mobile shower trucks. Generally expect to pay $5 for a shower.
Option #2 is to use RAGBRAIs free gear transport. Each morning, you put all your gear in a big duffel bag (with
your RAGBRAI luggage tag on it) and toss it on to the RAGBRAI baggage semi truck. When you get to the
overnight town, find the truck, grab your gear and set up camp nearby. The plus side is its free. In addition, its a lot
faster and more fun to ride a bike thats not weighed down by 50lbs of gear. The downside is that it can take up to an
hour to find your duffel amongst a sea of other duffels. As with the unsupported riders, youd need to seek out a
nearby YMCA, municipal pool, high school, or mobile shower truck to clean up.

Option #3 is to hire one of the charter companies haul your gear each day. The same companies you can use to get
you and your stuff to the start town also offer full support during the week. Generally speaking, this will include
gear transport, shower and bathroom facilities, breakfast, dinner and even beer. For an extra charge, you can use one
of their tents. When you roll into town, itll be set up for you, with your gear placed inside. When you leave in the
morning, they tear it down. This is a more expensive option, and they require you to roll out pretty early in the
morning, but its one of the easiest.
Option #4 is to have your own support vehicle. This could be anything from an RV to a car. While this is
convenient in many ways, there are some drawbacks. First off, you have to have someone drive it every day, or
work out some system where you take turns driving it. Also, the vehicle must be issued a support vehicle pass to get
access to the camping areas. To get a support vehicle pass, it needs to be associated with a group and that includes at
least three people. So, what this means is that you and at least two of your friends need to register as a group and
then apply for a support vehicle pass. Unless your support vehicle has a shower, youll need to seek out a nearby
YMCA, municipal pool, high school, or mobile shower truck to clean up.
Option #5 is to join a team. There are dozens of decades-old RAGBRAI teams, as well as many newer ones. They
are easy to spot because they usually travel in tricked-out, colorfully-painted school buses. A huge platform is
typically welded to the top of the bus (for bike hauling), and some sort of shower contraption is built off the back.
Teams are typically invite-only, so you need to know people to get on a team. If you dont know anyone on a team
but want to be on one, a good strategy is to befriend teams on this years ride in hopes to get invited for next years.
BONUS OPTION: If you are doing the ride unsupported or have your own support vehicle, it is possible to arrange
for host families in some of the overnight towns. The way this works is that the RAGBRAI site posts contact
information for all the host communities. If you write to these communities (they encourage you to include $3
with your letter) you can possibly pre-arrange to camp in a local residents yard and access their shower and
possibly laundry. Occasionally, the host family will offer accommodations to sleep in the house, but this is rare. Ive
personally had amazing experiences with host families. Typically the host family has an awesome house with a huge
yard (many are farms). In my experience theyve always been generous and genuinely excited to have visitors. They
usually host an evening cookout, hang out with your group, let you swim in their pool and chill out in their airconditioned living room before you retire to your tents. In the morning, they greet you with coffee and friendly
conversation. By the time you pedal off, youve made new friends. Availability of host families will vary from town
to town. If you act quickly, you can expect to at least be able to stay with a host family 3-4 nights out of the week. If
you do manage to stay with a host family, please do offer to pay them for everything, treat their house as if it were
your own, and send them a thank you note when you return home (even better if it includes a gift card). The only
downside to host families is that they sometimes arent located near the city center, so you might expect some extra
miles if you want see whats going on downtown. And if you are using RAGBRAIs gear transport, you might have
to haul your heavy duffel a long way to and from the semi truck. The 2015 host community list hasnt been
published, but here is the 2014 version for reference: http://ragbrai.com/routemaps/2014-host-communities/.

Any tips for a successful week?

Honestly, an entire article can be written about this. To keep things brief, Id suggest thoroughly reading the
RAGBRAI website (especially the FAQ). If you wind up hiring a charter company, thoroughly read all the materials
they provide to you. On top of that, make sure your bike is tuned up and the tires/brakes/chain/cables are in good
condition, make sure you put in a lot of bike miles in the weeks leading up to the event, and dont make any lastminute changes to bike fit and bike gear (e.g. shoes, pedals, cleat position and saddle). Bring lots of cash for food.
Pack plenty of sunscreen and chamois cream. Plan to have little-to-no cell phone coverage much of the time (the
rural infrastructure is not built to handle a rolling city), so make a plan so everyone knows how to keep in touch with
each other and knows where to go when they reach the overnight towns. Bring bike gear for weather conditions
ranging from extremely hot and sunny to rainy and chilly. Bring comfy stuff to walk around in at night.
Juskiewicz said he encourages participants to smell the roses, so to speak.

Some advice would be to slow down and enjoy the experience, Juskiewicz said. It is more
import to meet 20 new people per hour than to ride 20 miles per hour. Take the time to visit and
explore these small towns that is Americana at its best. If you fly by, you are missing out!
In summary, I believe RAGBRAI is something every serious cyclist should experience at least once. If 2015 is your
year, heres where to get started:

http://ragbrai.com/

February 15, 2015 Deadline for registering via paper applications

April 1, 2015 Deadline for weeklong rider registration (we must have all minor waivers
and payments by this deadline for your entry to be complete and finalized)
May 1, 2015 Lottery results are posted
May 15, 2015 Deadline to request a registration refund
June 1, 2015 2015 Registration closes

July 18, 2015 RAGBRAI XLIII Expo

July 19-25, 2015 RAGBRAI XLIII

RAGBRAI Address:
RAGBRAI Fees
400 Locust Street, Suite 500
Des Moines, IA 50309
And dont forget to join the RAGBRAI group on Chainlink!
http://www.thechainlink.org/group/raagbai

Have you ridden RAGBRAI? Share your stories and pictures below.

About the Author

Brett Ratner (brett@thechainlink.org) began commuting by bike in 2005. Shortly thereafter, his
interest in cycling expanded to century rides, bike camping and trail riding. The competition bug
bit in 2012 and nowadays he races cyclocross, track, mountain bikes, criteriums and gravel for
Half Acre Cycling and The Bonebell. His goals for 2015 are to complete the Lumberjack 100
mountain bike race as well as a 600 kilometer brevet.
Share Facebook
Comment

You need to be a member of The Chainlink to add comments!

Join The Chainlink

Comment by Gary Elfring yesterday

For long training rides sign up for one of the numerous century rides in the suburbs.
There are a lot of them from May - July. You also need to train on some hills, and you
won't find real hills in Chicago. Spend a Sat or Sun riding the Fox River trail. It's easy to
ride virtually any distance you want. In Chicago I get up a bit early and do 2 loops of the
entire Lake Front Trail. That's over 60 miles from my place. You should plan on having
ridden at least 1,000 miles before Ragbrai starts.
I've ridden Ragbrai 6 times. In addition to what the others have said, you do need cash for
the ride, typically $40 a day covers food and showers. You eat 5 - 7 meals a day plus
snacks, but the food is fairly inexpensive. If you drink a lot you need more cash.
It's easy to build your own team. Make up a team name and register with your friends.
Your entire group either all gets in or gets rejected. My team parks in the finish town and
uses a charter service. There are lots of advantages to using a charter service. It's way
easier to find your gear, a place for your tent, and they have shade tents, chairs, cold
drinks, and power for your electronics. One word of warning, do NOT expect your cell
phone to be very reliable.
One word of warning, do NOT expect your cell phone to be very reliable. Last years
northern Iowa route had terrible service. This year's central route should be better.

Comment by mweerd yesterday

How do you go about training? Can someone recommend a stretch around Chicago
where you can ride 60 to 75 miles without getting run over?

Comment by Greg Borzo yesterday

Thanks for sharing this info...and your enthusiasm for the ride. I would agree that every
serious cyclist (racer, recreational rider, commuter, fan, supporter, etc.) should do
RAGBRAI at least once. It is a remarkable, unforgettable experience...Utopian, as you
aptly put it.
Having ridden several RAGBRAIs (yes, 2009 was a rough year!) and written a book
about it (RAGBRAI: America's Favorite Bicycle Ride), I'd like to add two things to your
wonderful roundup:
1. You mentioned that Iowa is surprisingly hilly. TAKE IT SLOW GOING DOWN
THESE HILLS. I've seen RAGBRAIers take these hills at 35+ mph -- "yeah ha" all the
way -- until they wipe out. It's ugly. Road rash. Broken bones. Hospital stays. The
downhills are dangerous, especially for those who have no experience on long steep hills
or riding in packs. It only takes one pothole or discarded water bottle to make you wipe

out. I always enjoy the uphill more than the downhill. It's more challenging, you see more
along the way and you're safer.
2. Prepare for rain by buying WATERPROOF cases for your phones, wallets, camera,
money, id, etc. Double, heavy-duty zip lock bags works, too, but don't let a rare
downpour ruin your valuables.
That said, sign up, join a team, have a great time. Chicagoans are lucky to be so close to
RAGBRAI while others come from ALL OVER THE WORLD to do this ride. Enjoy this
wonderful experience!

Comment by Joe Yeoman yesterday

Awesome breakdown. Thanks Brett.
I'm from Iowa, and I love riding RAGBRAI. My biggest suggestion is to join a team. If
you are traveling to Iowa by yourself, it's the easiest to have a built in group of drinking
buddies. Also, they sell RAGBRAI bands to teams first.
Other suggestion: do the Karras Loop! It makes the day 100 plus miles, and it's amazing.
It sounds tough at first, but after that first century, you feel like you can tackle the world!
Random stuff:
1. You can pretty much drink anywhere at anytime. In some of the college towns, you
have to watch out for the police. In the small towns, the police sometimes sell beer.
2. Pack light, and then pack lighter.
3. Wear something Chicago. There are tons of Chi-town folk there, and it's awesome to
bond over some Windy City magic!
4. Bring cash. Lots of cash.
5. Expect none of your electronics to work. Especially cell phones.
6. Get ready to use a corn field as a bathroom.
If you'd like to talk RAGBRAI, let me know. I'll be riding with Team Curbside again this
year. (I have registered already. Pretty much day one).
http://www.thechainlink.org/page/ragbrai-101?utm_source=All+Contacts&utm_campaign=4e8a8885fdnewsletter_021215&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6ca811fd2a-4e8a8885fd-111350001