RAGBRAI

RAGBRAI (pronounced "RAG-brye") is a massive cross-state bicycle ride across Iowa that is well known throughout the U.S. and the world. The title RAGBRAI is an acronym for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Thousands of cyclists show up each year to ride from a community on Iowa's western border to another community on Iowa's eastern border, stopping in towns across the state.

The length of RAGBRAI varies from year to year, but it is usually 400 to 500 miles long. Eight "host communities" are selected each year; two of them are the beginning and end points, while the other six serve as overnight stops for the bicyclists. The distance between each host community is usually between 50 and 70 miles. At the beginning of the ride, riders traditionally dip the rear wheel of their bikes in the Missouri River, and at the end, the riders dip the front wheels in the Mississippi River.

In 2005, RAGBRAI begins on July 24 and ends on July 30. The communities involved in the ride in 2005 are Le Mars, Sheldon, Estherville, Algona, Northwood, Cresco, West Union, and Guttenberg.

History

RAGBRAI began in 1973 when Des Moines Register feature writers John Karras and Donald Kaul came up with the idea to go on a bicycle ride across Iowa. Both men were avid bicycle riders. Karras would write articles about what he experienced during this ride.

Karras agreed if Kaul would ride with him. They took their plan to the newspaper's management, who approved of the plan. Don Benson, who was a public relations director at the newspaper, was assigned to coordinate the event. The men invited the public, or a "a few friends" as they called them, to accompany them.

The ride was planned to start on August 26 in Sioux City and end in Davenport on August 31. The towns where the riders would stop overnight were Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines and Williamsburg. The Register informed readers of the event, and the planned route. The ride was informally referred to as "The Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride."

During the first year, 300 bikers began the ride in Sioux City; 114 of them rode the entire route. A number of other people rode part of the route. Attendance was light the first year because of several factors, including the fact that only six weeks notice was given, school was starting that week, and the ride started on the final weekend of the Iowa State Fair.

After the ride was over, Kaul and Karras wrote a number of articles that helped build excitement about the ride. The newspaper received many calls and letters from people who wanted to go but couldn't because of school, the State Fair, or not having enough time to take vacation time for that event. As a result, a ride was planned for 1974, which would take place from August 4th through the 10th. The route would begin in the Omaha, Nebraska, suburb of Council Bluffs, Iowa. It would end in Dubuque, Iowa.

The 1974 ride, known as the Second Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (or SAGBRAI), was more carefully planned. The Iowa State Patrol was involved in the planning, and arragements were made to have medical services available for riders. For the first time, the route was driven in advance. The communities involved were Atlantic, Guthrie Center, Camp Dodge (which is near Des Moines), Marshalltown, Waterloo and Monticello.

After the second year, the ride continued to grow in popularity. The RAGBRAI name, with Roman numerals following it, was adopted for RAGBRAI III in 1975; thus, the 2005 ride will be RAGBRAI XXXIII. The ride eventually moved to the last full week in July, starting on Sunday and ending on Saturday.

Riders come from all over the world, and many ride as clubs or teams. Some of the notable teams are The Killer Bees, The Whiners, Team Pink Floyd, and Team Half Fast. Team Gourmet travels with their own chef, and Team Dragbrai rides in drag. All come to Iowa to celebrate summer on two wheels.

Over the years, 23 people had died during the ride itself, or from injuries sustained on the ride. Only two of these deaths had resulted from injuries sustained while actually riding on bicycles. Most of the deaths were due to heart attacks that riders suffered while resting.

RAGBRAI has had nationwide media exposure, and other rides based on RAGBRAI have been started in other areas of the country.

Overnight stops by year

Year	Route (start to finish)
1973	Sioux City, Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines, Williamsburg, and Davenport
1974	Council Bluffs, Atlantic, Guthrie Center, Camp Dodge, Marshalltown, Waterloo, Monticello, and Dubuque
1975	Hawarden, Cherokee, Lake View, Boone, Newton, Sigourney, Mount Pleasant, and Fort Madison
1976	Sidney, Red Oak, Harlan, Jefferson, Nevada, Grinnell, Iowa City, and Muscatine
1977	Onawa, Ida Grove, Laurens, Algona, Clear Lake, New Hampton, Decorah, and Lansing
1978	Sioux City, Storm Lake, Humboldt, Iowa Falls, Vinton, Mount Vernon, Maquoketa, and Clinton
1979	Rock Rapids, Spencer, Rockwell City, Story City, Tama, Fairfield, Wapello, and Burlington
1980	Glenwood, Atlantic, Carroll, Perry, Webster City, Waverly, Elkader, and Guttenberg
1981	Missouri Valley, Mapleton, Lake City, Greenfield, Leon, Centerville, Keosauqua, and Keokuk
1982	Akron, Cherokee, Estherville, Forest City, Charles City, Independence, Tipton, and Davenport
1983	Onawa, Harlan, Guthrie Center, Ames, Clarion, Grundy Center, Manchester, and Dubuque
1984	Glenwood, Shenandoah, Creston, Adel, Pella, Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant, and Burlington
1985	Hawarden, Sibley, Emmetsburg, Humboldt, Mason City, Waterloo, Monticello, and Clinton
1986	Council Bluffs, Red Oak, Audubon, Perry, Eldora, Belle Plaine, Washington, and Muscatine
1987	Onawa, Denison, Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Forest City, Osage, West Union, and Guttenberg
1988	Sioux City, Ida Grove, Carroll, Boone, Des Moines, Oskaloosa, Fairfield, and Fort Madison
1989	Glenwood, Clarinda, Atlantic, Jefferson, Story City, Cedar Falls, Dyersville, and Bellevue
1990	Sioux Center, Spencer, Algona, Hampton, Oelwein, Cedar Rapids, Washington, and Burlington
1991	Missouri Valley, Atlantic, Winterset, Knoxville, Grinnell, Amana, Anamosa, and Bellevue
1992	Glenwood, Shenandoah, Bedford, Osceola, Des Moines, Oskaloosa, Mount Pleasant, and Keokuk
1993	Sioux City, Sheldon, Emmetsburg, Clarion, Osage, Decorah, Manchester, and Dubuque
1994	Council Bluffs, Harlan, Carroll, Perry, Marshalltown, Marion, Maquoketa, and Clinton
1995	Onawa, Lake View, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Tama, Sigourney, Coralville, and Muscatine
1996	Sioux Center, Sibley, Estherville, Lake Mills, Charles City, Cresco, Fayette, and Guttenberg
1997	Missouri Valley, Red Oak, Creston, Des Moines, Chariton, Bloomfield, Fairfield, and Fort Madison
1998	Hawarden, Cherokee, Rockwell City, Boone, Eldora, Cedar Falls, Monticello, and Sabula
1999	Rock Rapids, Spencer, Algona, Clear Lake, Waverly, Decorah, Manchester, and Bellevue
2000	Council Bluffs, Harlan, Greenfield, Ankeny, Knoxville, Ottumwa, Washington, and Burlington
2001	Sioux City, Storm Lake, Denison, Atlantic, Perry, Grinnell, Coralville, and Muscatine
2002	Sioux Center, Cherokee, Emmetsburg, Forest City, Charles City, Oelwein, Anamosa, and Bellevue
2003	Glenwood, Shenandoah, Bedford, Osceola, Oskaloosa, Bloomfield, Mount Pleasant, and Fort Madison
2004	Onawa, Lake View, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Marshalltown, Hiawatha, Maquoketa, and Clinton
2005	Le Mars, Sheldon, Estherville, Algona, Northwood, Cresco, West Union, and Guttenberg.

External links

• The RAGBRAI Web Site (http://www.ragbrai.org)
• The RAGBRAI Forum (http://ragbraiforum.krkeegan.com) the unofficial RAGBRAI Message Board
• Contains several RAGBRAI articles including "Guide for Virgins," and humor pieces including "Death on Ragbrai" and "Adopt-a-Kybo"  (http://www.wadenelson.com/best.html)