If you’re searching for one of the world’s most unique cycling events, look no further than RAGBRAI, a seven night bike ride through the midwestern state of Iowa.
Every July, over 10,000 cyclists ride bicycles from the western border of Iowa to the state’s eastern border. RAGBRAI is not a race, but a ride focused on fun as cyclists travel through small towns, cornfields, and rolling hills.
If you’re planning to participate in RAGBRAI, there’s a lot to know before you start riding. You should be familiar with how to register for the event, what accommodation options are available, how you’ll transport your bags from town to town, and a host of other details.
If Iowa isn’t yet on your cycling bucket list, it should be.
Here’s our complete guide to RAGBRAI, Iowa’s famous bike tour.
What is RAGBRAI?
RAGBRAI stands for The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, and it is a weeklong bike ride through Iowa from the Missouri River to Mississippi River.
The ride started in 1973 by two journalists at the Des Moines Register who wanted to ride across the state. 300 cyclists joined the ride, 114 of which completed the entire route. The ride happens annually; today, around 10,000 cyclists ride each year.
RAGBRAI occurs during the last week of July and is a seven night ride, with most days around 70 miles. Because it is not a race, the focus of the event is on fun and enjoyable riding—there’s no need to race from campsite to campsite along the ride.
Even though a large portion of each day is spent riding, RAGBRAI puts a great focus on the communities it visits and events offered along the route. While cycling through the state, participants will appreciate the warm small-town hospitality, concerts, and entertainment along the way.
How can I sign up for RAGBRAI, and how much does it cost?
Previously, RAGBRAI hosted a lottery system for rider registration, but this policy has changed. Now rider registration is on a first come, first serve basis and runs from November 15 to May 15.
Those who register and pay are automatically guaranteed a wristband and entry into the ride, and wristbands are assigned on June 1.
If the registration list reaches its cap, a waitlist will start. After May 15, riders will be contacted if entries into the ride have opened up. If someone is not selected off the waitlist, there’s still a possibility of purchasing a wristband from another rider.
There are three types of registration for RAGBRAI: weeklong rider, weeklong non-rider, and day pass rider.
Weeklong riders are cyclists who receive access to the route for all seven days. The price of rider registration depends on when you register for RAGBRAI:
- November 15-February 28: $200
- March 1 – April 14: $225
- April 15 – May 15: $250
- EXPO Day registration before the ride: $300
Weeklong non-riders—those who are traveling with riders and offering support—must also pay a registration fee. Like riders, this fee varies from $40 to $50 depending on when a non-rider registers for RAGBRAI. Non-riders include vehicle drivers and any other support participants.
Day pass riders are those who do not ride the entire event, but ride a combination of days. Day passes range from $45 to $70 depending on when a day rider registers, and riders must purchase a separate day pass for each day of the ride.
What does RAGBRAI registration include?
The cost of registration for RAGBRAI includes:
- Ambulances and paramedic teams
- Traffic control by Iowa State Patrol officers
- Baggage transported from town to town each day, including unloading baggage
- Sag wagon service to pick up riders in need of service
- Bicycle repair shops along the route, including repair services at campgrounds
- Live entertainment each evening
- Camping locations in host communities
- Portable toilets in official campgrounds
- Route maps and route signs
- Embroidered patch (weeklong riders only)
- Bicycle shipping stations at the end of the route
- Opportunity to join a RAGBRAI Charter
- Long-term parking in starting or ending town
- Gifts for registered support vehicle drivers who attend training before the ride starts
- Access and discounts at food vendors, merchandise booths, and bicycle repair shops
- Annual bicycle Expo before the ride starts
- Free patch for participants who complete optional routes like the gravel day
RAGBRAI Bike Route
The RAGBRAI bike route changes every year, although it always runs from west to east. On average, the weeklong ride is a little under 500 miles with each day around 67 miles. Of course, the exact distance can change from year to year.
Regardless of the route, all rides begin at the Missouri River and end at the Mississippi River. It is a tradition to dip your wheels in each river at the start and end of the ride.
In 2023, RAGBRAI will be 500 miles—the ride starts in Sioux City and ends in Davenport. The overnight towns along the route are Storm Lake, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama-Toledo, and Coralville.
Between the daily start and end towns during RAGBRAI are pass through towns, one of which is a meeting town. Meeting towns have more services and vendors than other pass through towns, as they are usually bigger than the smallest towns along the route.
The ride begins at 6AM each morning, and services run between 6AM and 6PM. Staying within this time is important as if you ride too quickly or too slowly, services will not be available. The route is marked with orange arrows each day, allowing cyclists to easily find their way along the route.
Can minors ride RAGBRAI?
Children can participate in RAGBRAI, although the official website explains how it’s difficult for a child to pedal the entire route themselves before the age of 12. It’s recommended to have the child on a road bike or buy slicks for a mountain bike to ensure easier riding along the route.
Children under five can ride in a bike trailer and trail-a-bike, but they should wear a helmet.
How to prepare for RAGBRAI
Get a safety check on your bike
Before RAGBRAI, take your bike to a bike shop for a safety check. Bike mechanics (or yourself if you’re proficient) can check the gears, hubs, wheels, and all other bike parts to ensure everything is working properly.
This is also a great time to stock up on spare tubes, patch kits, bike bags, and other accessories.
Ride frequently
Although you can show up to RAGBRAI without any prior training, we highly recommend riding regularly before the event.
Riding for an hour or two several times a week before the event will help ensure your muscles and endurance are prepared for the ride. If possible, it’s best to go on a longer ride once per week (4-5 hours) so you can get accustomed to sitting on the saddle for longer periods of time.
Making sure you can comfortably ride at least fifty miles per day leading up to the route should help boost confidence that you can complete the ride. Even if you’ve never ridden 70 miles in one day before, the adrenaline and upbeat atmosphere during RAGBRAI should help you get through each day.
Practice riding in different weather conditions
As much as you’d prefer riding in sunny, 75 degree weather, that won’t always be the case during RAGBRAI. July averages in Iowa are in the mid 80s and can be more humid than you might be used to.
RAGBRAI has been prone to severe weather events, from grueling 100 degree days to extreme wind and hailstorms. While uncertain weather shouldn’t stop you from signing up for RAGBRAI, it’s helpful to have experience cycling in a wide range of weather conditions.
To train for RAGBRAI, practice cycling in the rain, with high winds, and in varying temperatures. Doing so will help you prepare for any challenges during the route. It will also help you get an idea of what to pack for the week, as some items may prove more useful than others in the rain or during a warm day.
Accommodation during RAGBRAI
Most RAGBRAI riders sleep in campgrounds each evening. As part of your registration, RAGBRAI organizes camping areas for all riders.
These camping areas are chosen by each community, and are typically on school grounds, city parks, or county fairgrounds. All campsites are big enough to accommodate all riders, but some may be unable to fit all support vehicles.
If this is the case, support vehicles will be directed to a different campground.
Riders and non-riders can also choose to stay in hotels or Airbnbs during the week, but availability is not guaranteed. With thousands of participants staying in small towns each evening, availability at hotels can be extremely limited.
Additionally, the host communities are not announced until just a few months before the ride. This makes it difficult to plan where to stay in advance. Once the route is announced, hotels may book up quickly.
Some participants choose to have a non-rider drive an RV or camper from community to community. This can be a comfortable option, but you should make note that campgrounds will not have water or electrical hook-ups, although there will be a dump station.
What are RAGBRAI charters?
Many RAGBRAI riders sign up for a charter, which is an organization that handles logistics like transportation, accommodation, and support during the ride.
Signing up for a charter comes with an additional fee on top of your RAGBRAI registration. The exact cost depends on which services you select.
Some riders use a charter solely for transportation from a larger city, such as Omaha or Des Moines, to the start town. Prices can vary from charter to charter, but you can expect to see prices between $200-300 for roundtrip transportation for you and your bike and around $500 for a full service charter.
Full service charters include perks like transportation, baggage support, use of exclusive campsites, sag service, beverage tents, charging stations, and meet and greets with others on the charter. Some charters may also include tent rental, tent set up and tear down, showers, meals, and entertainment.
Riding as part of a charter is not necessary, but is helpful for those who want extra service throughout the week. Plus, it’s great for those who need transportation to and from the starting/ending towns.
What bike should I use for RAGBRAI?
One thing you’ll almost immediately notice during RAGBRAI is the sheer variety of bikes ridden. Everything from tandem bikes to gravel, recumbents, and even penny-farthing bicycles take the roads during the event.
Regardless of which bike you ride during RAGBRAI, you want to make sure it fits. Before riding the first bike you see, take the time to figure out your bike size.
Bikes are sized in centimeters. You can look at a chart to see where you height corresponds with bike size. Alternatively, you can visit a bike shop to check your bike fit properly and try out different bike sizes. You want to make sure the frame size, stem (handlebars), and saddle are all at the correct positions to ensure proper body positioning while riding.
The most efficient bicycle to ride during RAGBRAI is a road bike. Road bikes have slick, thin tires that reduce rolling resistance, allowing for fast speeds while riding. We recommend using a road bike during the event as, generally speaking, they are the easiest to ride for long distances.
Related: S&S Coupler bike & Break-Away bikes: are these the best touring bikes?
If you only have a mountain bike or gravel bike, consider purchasing slick tires before the ride to reduce resistance. That being said, if you plan to participate in the optional gravel day during RAGBRAI, the thicker tires will be appreciated.
There’s nothing wrong with using specialty bikes like tandems and recumbents, and many cyclists ride these types of bikes every year. Again, the most important thing is whether or not the bike fits you.
A $1000 road bike will render itself useless over a $100 hybrid bike if the road bike doesn’t fit you properly!
Can you use an e-bike?
E-bikes—electric-assist bicycles—are permitted on RAGBRAI, and help to increase inclusivity of the event. Using an e-bike is optional, but many participants who may not otherwise be able to ride 500 miles appreciate the added help of the electric-assist.
You should consider, however, whether or not the e-bike battery can get you through the day. If your battery dies mid-ride, will you be able to finish the ride each day?
If cycling with an e-bike, you may want to reserve e-bike charging through Backroads Battery. For a little over $100, Backroads Battery provides you with a reserved electrical outlet for your e-bike.
A generator is available during your lunch break, allowing you to recharge your battery while eating. Or, if you have two batteries, Backroads Battery will charge your second battery while you’re riding. You can swap the batteries out during lunch.
RAGBRAI baggage transport and limits
Wondering how to move your belongings from place to place during RAGBRAI?
Don’t worry, there’s no need to carry your tent, clothes, and sleeping bag on your bike with you. While you can cycle with panniers and other bike bags, it’s much easier to take advantage of RAGBRAI’s baggage transportation service.
All riders will receive a baggage tag upon registration. This baggage tag permits riders to utilize RAGBRAI’s baggage semi-truck at no extra cost. The RAGBRAI semi-truck follows the route and transports riders’ bags from campsite to campsite.
The baggage drop off hours are between 5AM to 8AM each morning. It’s important to drop your bag at the truck before setting off on the day’s ride. Don’t forget to be packed up before 8AM—you wouldn’t want to miss the drop off time!
After the day’s ride, you can pick up your bag between 11AM and 6PM.
There are a few rules and regulations with baggage during RAGBRAI if utilizing the baggage truck:
- One bag per rider (tent or sleeping bag can be attached to the bag)
- 50 pound weight limit
- Backpacks with frames, hard plastic and soft sided luggage, and bike cases are prohibited (bring a duffel bag instead!)
- The number of your wristband and bag number must match when claiming luggage
Support vehicles information
Many riders are supported by a non-rider driving a support vehicle throughout RAGBRAI. Whether an RV, truck, or car, these vehicles can support riders by carrying their belongings throughout the week.
All support vehicle drivers are required to register as a Weeklong Non-Rider for RAGBRAI. Registration must include the driver’s name, make and model of car, and license plate number.
The cost to register a support vehicle depends on the vehicle type:
- RV/Bus: $90
- Truck (straight truck, Penske, U-Haul, Ryder): $80
- Standard Vehicle: $45
- +Trailer: $20
