I first heard of RAGBRAI several years ago when I was riding like a crazy man doing centuries nearly every weekend. RAGBRAI (pronounced rag-br-eye) is the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. RAGBRAI is a 7-day ride, starting on a Sunday and ending on Saturday from the western edge of Iowa to the eastern edge. The route changes every year, but this year starts in Council Bluffs, IA and ends 442.3 miles later in Burlington, IA. Tammy and I are signed up to take part in RAGBRAI 37!

RAGBRAI is an event unlike no other. It is the largest organized bike ride in the United States. You camp each night in small towns in Iowa. It’s too big to be defined by one thing. Some call it a party on wheels, others like to hammer the miles away. I’m looking forward to finally riding it.

We will have a lot of training to do before July 19th. It is suggested you get 1,000 miles on your bike before you show up. Additionally, I’m going to work harder than I have at dropping weight faster so that I’m carrying less heft across Iowa. I’m sure there will be much to say about this adventure in the future. More to come, and wish us luck! :-)

See also: RAGBRAI Wikipedia Page.