A Quick History Of Ragbrai:

Way back in 1973 a copywriter (John Karras) from the DeMoines Reisgter and a columnist (Donald Kaul) had the wild idea to spend six days riding across the State of Iowa, laying on the charm they convinced their bosses to let them turn it into a “work trip” by agreeing to write about their adventure for the paper. That first year 200 riders showed up to join them on their adventure they dubbed, “The Great Six Day Bike Trip”. It was such a hit that they added an extra day, turned it into an annual event, and it’s now a professionally managed bike ride.

General Info

Is it a race?

Absolutely not. It’s the exact opposite. Due to the sheer number of riders on the route, slow and steady is the way to go. That’s not saying you won’t occasionally be passed by a roaming hoard of overly enthusiastic spandex-clad super-cyclers, however, you 100% do not need to be an everyday Lane Armstrong to ride Ragbrai.

How Many Days Does It Last?

Seven days of riding. 8 days if you decide to park your car at the end town, and shuttle to the start. Pop on down to “logistics” if you want more info on that.

How Long Is It?

Every year the route varies in distance, but it generally totals around 500 miles give or take a few depending on the route.

 

Are There Other Bike Rides Like It?

Yes, but it is the largest of its kind. No other bike tour hosts as many riders or offers the level of entertainment put on by RAGBRAI

Can You Ride Ragbrai solo?

Of course, you can! You’re never really alone on Ragbrai, with so many riders on the route there is always someone around to lend an encouraging word or two!

Registration:

How To Register For Ragbrai

Registration is done on a first come first serve basis directly through Ragbrai’s website. Generally, registration opens in mid-November the year before the ride. Early birds get the best deals, prices increase incrementally closer to the actual start date.

Options For Registration:

• Weeklong Riders- For riders who want to ride all 7 days

• Single Day Riders- For riders who only want to ride some of the days. 

• Non-Rider Registration- For support drivers and others who don’t want to ride but want access to the expo and the nightly entertainment.

Ready to register? Get started here.

How Much Does It Cost?

Weeklong registration costs upwards of $200, single-day riders, and non-rider passes are significantly less expensive ( closer to $50). Keep in mind the earlier you register the less it will cost you.

 

Ways To Ride Ragbrai

There are 4 main ways people ride RAGBRAI, we’ll go over all 3 of them here:

Use The RABGRAI Baggage Truck

The purest way to ride Ragbrai and in our very humble opinions the best. When you register for Ragbrai with your registration you automatically get access to the use of the daily baggage trucks. What does that mean? Every morning you pack up your tent, and bag walk it to the designated loading area, pass it off to staff, who load it onto the truck and drive it to the end town where you pick it up when you arrive.

Things to consider:

1. You are 100% responsible for the set-up, break down and pack up of your gear every single day. This may not seem like a lot but when you’re on your third day straight on the back of a bike and mentally emotionally exhausted, the simple act of setting up a tent can seem impossible.

2. Your bag has to be on the truck no later than 8 am, (pretty late by Ragbrai standards) so if you have intentions of sleeping in this service is probably not for you.

3. Bags are weighed, and they are sticklers for the weight limit. 50 lbs may seem like a lot to work with but when you’re packing everything you need to exist and survive for 7 days on the back on a bike into one bag. That weight can add up fast.

4. When the bags arrive at the end town they are piled onto the ground, whether its raining, snowing, hailing, or any other insane summer weather Iowa decides to bust out. So you either need to pack your bag in a way that your goods are well protected, leave the important stuff at home or skip using the baggage truck.

 

Use A Charter Service

Charters are a super popular option for a lot of reasons, the most important being they take a lot of the “extra” work out of Ragbrai, enabling riders to simply wake up in the morning, hop on their bikes, and arrive to camp without a worry in the world. While we didn’t ride this option, it honestly looked pretty cush.

Things to consider:

1.  There are a lot of different charter services that offer different services, at massively different price points. Some like Pork Belly offer a full catering experience. Some just pack up your stuff for you each day and set it up for you each night. So before signing up for a charter do your research, and make sure you’re getting what you need/want.

2.  Charters sell out quickly, if this is an option you want to take don’t wait. Find out when they are opening registration and sign up that day. Otherwise, you might find yourself slumming at the baggage truck every morning.

Bring A Support Vehicle

This is undoubtedly probably the most complicated option, but maybe just maybe the most fun. Instead of lugging your own gear to and from the trucks each day, or cashing out for an expensive charter if you can manage to talk friends or family into driving a vehicle (car, vans, RV’s we’ve seen them all) for you, you can live have a lot of the luxury of a charter minus the cost.

Things To consider:

1.  Anyone driving a support vehicle is required to go to a driver’s meeting before the start.

2.  You can have more than one support driver. Why does this matter? It opens up the door to groups riding relay style (EX: 1 day on 1 day off), just keep in mind all drivers must attend the meeting so if this is the style you choose to ride, you need to have your drivers sorted in advance.

3.  Support vehicles must be registered. Registration can be done at the same time as rider registration.

4.  Parking at the overnight towns can be pure chaos. Your driver is going to need a lot of patience.

Ride Self Supported

10/10 would not recommend this option for new riders or first-time Ragbrai riders. Here’s why, self-supported riding is like backpacking but on a bike, everything you want to carry has to fit on your bike, and you are responsible for lugging those things from town to town each day. It sounds like a fun idea until you’re riding up and down hills all day with an extra 50 lbs on your bike and or trying to balance that overloaded bike through a crowd of hundreds of your new friends. It’s not fun, and if you’ve never bike packed before, Ragbrai is definitely not the place to test it out.

 

Packing For Ragbrai

Packing for Ragbrai can be a little tricky, it’s a bit like packing for a backpacking trip, but also not. Lucky for you, we’ve taken the stress out of it and written an entire post about it along with a handy dandy printable packing list. Hop on over to the post here.

Logistics:

Getting To And From The Ride

If you’re riding with a group and have access to 2 vehicles, this is a no-brainer. Leave one car at the long-term parking provided at the end town and drive to the start. 

 

But what happens when you only have one car? You’re left with only two choices, leave your car at the start of Ragbrai and shuttle back at the end or leave your vehicle in the final town and shuttle to the start. Personally, we’re fans of the second option. Taking the long cross state bus ride is so much more enjoyable when everyone is freshly showered, excited, and full of energy. Wrapping up 7 days on the back of a bike, by hopping in your vehicle, is one of the best feelings because when you’re done you’re done, ya know what we mean?

 

Here’s the catch, no matter what you choose to do Ragbrai does not offer a shuttle to riders. You’ll need to figure that one out on your own. Many of the larger charter companies offer shuttle services for riders and their bikes. Pork Belly is one of the largest charter services and a popular shuttle choice, you can learn more about their services here.

 

Sleeping Options

We’re going to use the word “options” very loosely here, because tent camping is pretty much the only option however there are some other options if you’re lucky you might be able to snag one.

Charter Bunk Houses:

Some charter services offer bunk rooms ( the AC and comfy mattress is a big selling point on these) in the form of a converted semi-truck.

RV’s and Vans:

 If you’re lucky enough to have a support driver and have access to a vehicle with sleeping arrangements like RV’s or a van then this might be perfect for you! 

 

Hosts:

Iowans are some of the kindest and most welcoming people in all of the USA, there we said it and we’re not sorry, because its true! Lots of locals will open their homes, showers and sometimes even a spare room to Ragbrai riders. Hosts can be hard to find and usually book up really quickly. 

 

Hotels:

The most unlikely option, but a very lucky few every year manage to snag hotel rooms in overnight towns. Booking a hotel in or near an overnight town is a bit like spotting a unicorn, so while it’s an option, making it your primary choice for accommodations is not a good plan. 

 

Food: 

If you go hungry during Ragbrai, you’ve done something horribly wrong. Food options are literally everywhere. 

 

Along The Route: 

You’ll find everything from Boy and Girl Scouts, local fire and EMS, churches, farmers etc. selling goodies to keep you going; ice-cold pickles are a particularly popular option. 

 

Pass Thru Towns:

Pass thru towns are exactly what they sound like; the major towns that you will pass through during your ride each day. These are generally where you will find your larger food hubs and more action/ entertainment happening, as well as large water bottle refill stations. These are also great spots to plan a little rest stop in between all the miles you’ll be pedaling. Keep in mind pass thru towns do have a set “closing time” each day, when the vendors shut down and the state police come through to push all the stragglers along. 

 

Famous foods served along the Ragbrai route not to miss:

 

Mr. Porkchop

Sassy Slushies

Local Homemade Pies

Sweet Corn From The Iowa Corn Farmers

Chris Cakes Pancakes

Pizza From Caseys 

 

Overnight Towns: 

Overnight towns tend to be larger than pass-thru towns because they need the capacity to host all the riders in one place at one time. In these towns, you’ll find the Ragbrai expo, where generally you’ll see the same standard food vendors night after night, but you’ll also get the chance to experience the magic of a “church dinner”. Churches along the Ragbrai route have become infamous for the delicious meals they serve to riders for incredibly reasonable costs. Think homemade spaghetti, lasagnas, salad, garlic bread, lemonade, and desserts all the good stuff. The catch is, that church dinners sell out fast, so if you want some of that homestyle comfort cooking the sooner you get to the overnight town the more likely you’ll get your hands on some of the deliciousness. 

 

Cash Or Card 

Some services do accept cards and you will find ATMs along the route but often they’re empty. Carrying cash is 100% the best option. Unless you are riding with a support vehicle or a charter that offers food, you’re going to be buying all of your food each day, which can be a little pricey. We allotted $50 per person per day and had plenty left over by the end of the ride. We took cash out in advance and distributed $50 to each of our personal stashes each day, to make sure we never exceeded our budget, and that way we both had cash on us just in case we got separated during the day. We found that what we spent each day varied a lot and in the end we had money left over. 

 

Cell Service

This a hotly talked about topic among Ragbrai riders. The reality of an event like this is that cell towers are going to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people trying to use them all at once. Sometimes your cell phone is going to work just fine, and other times you’ll have no signal at all. Cell service is unpredictable at best. 

 

So how do you deal with getting separated? If you get separated along the route, the likelihood of reconnecting is slim, your best bet is to pick a reliable location in the overnight town to meet back up. The baggage truck is a perfect spot because it’s guaranteed to be in every single town, so even if you don’t know the area you’ll be able to find this spot. 

 

Keeping Your Devices Charged

This just might be the single greatest challenge of Ragbrai aside from the actual riding itself. Charing areas are few and far between and highly coveted. Solutions include; paying for a charge at a mobile charging unit, begging someone with a generator to plug in for a few minutes, using a charter service that offers device charging, and or bringing a small solar set up and backup battery bank. Your absolute best bet to keep your device charged is to set your cell to airplane mode until you absolutely need it so you don’t wear it down searching for a signal all day. Find everything we used to keep our devices charged here.

 

Hygiene

If you’re a germaphobe Ragbrai is probably not the place for you. 7 days, camping with hundreds of other people around and limited resources in terms of showers, and restrooms, tends to get might interesting, very quickly. 

 

Bathrooms 

There are 2 main restroom options for riders not using a charter or support vehicle. Port-a-potties also known as kybos among Ragbrai-ers and cornfields. Yes, you read that last one correctly. 

 

Port-a-potties or their more affectionate name kybos are everywhere, and so you know what when you get inside them. Disgusting is the tip of the descriptive iceberg when it comes to the quality of these accommodations, but when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. You’ll find these in all the overnight towns, and pass thru towns but not on the route per se, that’s where the cornfields come in. 

 

If you don’t already think of Iowa and immediately think of corn you will once you’ve ridden Ragbrai, in fact, the majority of the views along your ride are going to be of corn, which is mighty convenient when Mother Nature calls. Just make sure you step back far enough so that riders on the road can’t get a glimpse (you’d be surprised how often that happens). If you choose to use toilet paper, pack it back out with you, pollution isn’t cool. 

 

Pro Tip: It’s a good idea to keep a small baggie of toilet paper with you. Kybos run out often, and if you have the need in a corn field, well let’s just say corn leaves don’t feel so great on the tush. 

 

Showering

Oh the luxury of a shower on Ragbrai, a rare thing for most riders who aren’t with a charter or a support driver. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t options…

 

Shower Trucks

Some vendors like Joe’s Wetshack will set up in the overnight towns and for a fee offer riders a timed shower

 

Schools

Many schools with gym shower facilities will open their doors to riders for a small fee, this is often way less expensive than the shower trucks but usually requires a little walking/ riding to get to. 

 

Pools

Overnight towns with community pools will charge you for a swim and you can use the showers for free. 

 

 

Safety

What Happens If Can’t Finish The Route For The Day?

Stuff happens, accidents, injuries, extreme fatigue and of course bike issues, that is where the SAG wagon comes in. SAG stands for support and gear, and that is exactly what the SAG wagon is there for, to support riders and carry their gear to the overnight town. 

Riding the SAG wagon should never be your plan for the day but a last resort option. When you elect to “Sag” you are committing to riding in the van to the overnight town. The SAG wagon will not drop you at the overnight town until they are full of riders, so if you’re thinking this is a fast way to be done with the day, it’s not., sometimes riding sag can take longer than riding the route. 

If you find yourself in need of a ride, while on the route turn your bike upside down on the left side of the road, and wait, a SAG will be along to get you. If you can make it to a pass thru town look for a Ragbrai employee or town representative and they can direct you on where to go, to meet up with a SAG Wagon.  

What Happens If I Have A Problem With My Bike?

Flat tires, popped tubes, bad valves, broken chains, even lost pedals, if it can happen to a bike it’ll happen on Ragbrai. So what do you do about it? You should be prepared to do basic bike maintenance during the ride. That means resetting a chain, fixing a flat and changing a tube. 

If you need help with these things, lucky you the US Airforce Cycling Team is usually around to save the day. These spandex-clad heroes ride the route multiple times a day carrying supplies and the skills necessary to repair most of the common issues riders run into. For more complicated issues, the best bet is to make your way to the overnight town for the day, and hook up with one of the mobile bike shops at the expo for repairs. 

What Happens If I Have A Medical Emergency?

Medical/ First Aid tents are in every overnight town. You can be seen there free of charge; For more serious issues you’ll need to arrange transportation to the nearest hospital. 

Ragbrai pays for ambulances to follow the ride. In addition to the ambulances, EMS clinicians on motorcycles ride the route at regular intervals so that they can quickly respond to emergencies, while the ambulance is en route. 

Ragbrai registration covers ambulance services for riders and transportation for their bikes to the next overnight town. Whereas rogue riders/ non-registered riders are billed for ambulance trips and their bikes are left where ambulances pick them up- one of a million reasons why it’s so important to register if you’re going to ride.

 

Riding Etiquette 

You do not need to be a professional or even a regular rider to ride Ragbrai, you do need to familiarize yourself with proper riding etiquette to keep you and other riders safe on the route.

• The left lane is for passing and fast riders, if you don’t belong there, don’t ride there. Pace lines of riders will often cruise the left moving at speeds faster than 20 mph, not a crash you want to have.

• Yell, “Car Up” when a vehicle is approaching from the front

• Yell, “Car Back” when a vehicle is approaching from behind

• Yell, “Stopping” when stopping and do not cut other riders off in order to stop.

• Yell, “turning” to signal to other riders you are about to make a turn. With hundreds of bikes approaching turns at the same time, even basic turns on Ragbrai can quickly devolve into chaos.

• Yell, “Rumbles” when approaching rumble strips, and point with a flat hand in the direction of the rumbles so other riders can determine where they are.

• Do not cut riders off when getting back on the road, wait your turn and slide in when you can.

 

What Type Of Bike Do You Need?

If it can roll you can use it on Ragbrai. You’ll see every type of bike and even some not bikes on the route. A road bike or a touring bike is the most common style used however if you’re not looking to invest a ton of extra cash on a new bike and already happen to have one gathering dust in your garage, why not just ride that?

You can find more details on bike selections on our post, Packing For Ragbrai.

Training Programs

Do you have to train for Ragbrai? No. We didn’t, but speaking from personal experience you’ll have a whole lot more fun if you do. 

A general rule of thumb is to ride the total amount of miles in Ragbrai before the actual event. 

Ragbrai offers training tips on their official website as well as a super helpful downloadable PDF training plan, to take the stress out of your training. You can view it here. 

Additional Resources To Keep You Motivated 

Registering an event in November that doesn’t take place until July leaves a lot of room to fall off the motivational wagon. From YouTube vids to blog posts, there are so many stellar resources out there to keep your interest piqued and your cycling legs spinning. The Just Go Bike Podcast is an excellent resource for all things cycling, but also for Ragbrai specific episodes. You can listen in here.