Page 2 - 355814 Green Scene Spring 2025 (Final)

7-Day Bike Ride through IOWA

By: Brian Roemer Fun Fact: May is National Bike Month!

There are lots of people, small towns and TONS of corn! We
later found out that most of the corn goes towards making
the additive for gas. We had no rain for the whole week!
There were a few windy days, but mostly the days were nice
and warm. Funny story – some of the first people my brother
and I met BEFORE the ride even started happened to also
be from New York, and recognized my brother from training
around here! Small world!
On the last day, the ride ends at the Mississippi River. It’s a
little more of a relaxing day, as everyone is just enjoying the
moment and taking in all of what’s left of it. To conclude the
trip in the right way, I indulged in some homemade ice cream
and, along with everyone else, dipped a bike tire in the river!
(It’s another tradition, I hear…)
RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle
Ride Across Iowa) July 20 – 27, 2024 Things I Learned Along the Way:
• Being prepared by riding lots of miles before is a must!
My brother Mark and I decided to do a bike ride last summer. (750-1000 mi.)
He did some research and heard good things about this ride
– RAGBRAI. What’s it like, you ask? • Get used to camping out and setting up a tent beforehand!

Well, it goes from the western border of Iowa, through many • Ear Plugs!! People snore! Camping alone is one thing,
small towns along the way, to the eastern border of Iowa being around 20,000 plus people to sleep is NOT easy!
– spanning close to 500 miles! (And almost 20,000 feet of • Biking in a big group takes some getting used to.
climbing) This 7-day cycling adventure, first held in 1973, • Taking time to see things from a bike is pretty cool!
RAGBRAI is the largest bike-touring event in the world.
You camp in parks along the way, mostly. We chose to pay to I would do this event again…maybe!
have camping gear transported to the next nights’ camping An event like this? Definitely!
area (a GREAT idea). The rides set out every morning anytime
after sunrise. The route is mostly country roads and are still
open to traffic, but most cars do avoid these areas knowing
there will be around 25,000 bikes on the roads.
Every town along the way uses this event as a fundraiser
for churches, fire departments, schools, etc. by selling rider
meals. I think 2024 was the 51st Bike Ride. Some riders just
ride for the day, but not us! Since it’s not a race, you can
choose to ride all day or 3-4 hours to complete the Day Ride.
There are also parties every night with bands!
As a tradition, everyone starts off the ride by dipping their
bike tire in the Missouri River. The first few days we rode
between 40-60 miles, which wasn’t too hard. By the middle
of the week, we were clearing 70-100 miles per day, including
the longest ride of 100 miles in 8 hours!