Ragbrai 2010: World’s Largest Bike Ride
Des Moines (Global Adventures): The 38th edition of the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Ride Across Iowa (Ragbrai) is coming July 25 through 31, 2010. Ragbrai was started in 1973 by columnists Donald Kaul and John Karras who thought it would be fun to ride their bikes across the state of Iowa. They invited people to tag along and about 120 joined them and made the trip. The paper has been sponsoring this event ever since its inception.
With 10,000 participants from all over the country and the world, Ragbrai is most likely the oldest and the largest bike ride on earth. The route varies each year but towns in Iowa compete for the honor and privilege of hosting overnight some 15,000 – 20,000 guests. The tour is generally around 470 miles long, broken down to 60-70 miles each day except for the first and last days which are considerably shorter. There is an optional loop (called the Karras Loop) on one day each year for cyclists wanting the challenge.
The ride is limited to 8,500 week-long riders and 1,500 day riders. The cost is $140 for week-long participants and $25 per day for day riders. The entry postmark deadline is April 1, 2010. If an individual or group elects to submit a manual (paper) entry, the entry including the signed original waiver(s) and payment must be complete, correct and dated no later than Feb. 15, 2010.
There is a lottery and if a rider is accepted after registering, the lottery results are announced May 1, 2010. The weekly or daily fees includes wristbands, route marking signage, baggage transportation, camping accommodations, discounts, sag wagon services, emergency medical services, traffic control, souvenir patch, daily route maps, and entries into drawing for a free bike for riders and other prizes for support vehicle drivers.
Camping areas will be set aside by each community on school grounds, county fairgrounds and/or city parks and are large enough to accommodate all registered riders. It’s possible that some communities will not have space available to accommodate all vehicles at the main tent campground, so support vehicles may be directed to a separate campground.
Paramedic teams patrol the bicycle route and emergency medical treatment will be available in each campground. Ambulances and paramedic teams patrol the route each day of the event from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Ragbrai is kicked off with a bicycle trade show featuring the newest and latest in bicycling and associated industries. The Expo takes place in the starting town on the Saturday afternoon before the ride begins. All participants, friends, family and community residents can attend the free event. The annual Expo features Ragbrai’s official ten bike shops (they are the only vendors with permission to sell official t-shirts and other mementoes), bicycle and equipment manufacturers from around the country and retailers that are associated with the cycling world.
While Ragbrai is not a race, it is a one-of-a-kind event that will suck you in, wear you out, and surely crank you up.
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