Ragbrai LIII - Bikepacking through Iowa
Details
Come join us for an awesome week of bike packing. This is a super fun tour of Iowa.
Iowa?! Yes that's right. ABC is going out of state to do something different and absolutely memorable.
I posted this a few years back, but there were no takers. Well this year I've managed to convince some people already and I'll spend the next 10 months selling this as best as I can on each trip I go on.
What is it?
I know the mid-west may not sound so enticing for a backpacking club, but at least check out their official site:
If you're still reading this then maybe I got your attention. Picture this. You wake up in a nice state or city park. You pack up your tent and gear, drop it off by a Ragbrai bus (or carry it with you), and you get on a bike and start pedaling down a scenic country road. Fields of corn or soy, green pastures, cows, horses, rolling hills as far as the eye can see. You pass through little towns and stop for coffee or a snack. The ride is at a leisurely pace. No one is racing, no one has anywhere else to be. You pass by beer and wine gardens set up on the side of the road. There are food trucks. The Amish have pies and ice cream. You stop where and when you want to and just sit watching the bicycles go by. Few hours in the bike seat gets you to the next host town for the night. You pick up your stuff from the bus and set up for the night in another park or the official Ragbrai campgrounds. They'll be food, drink, and a live show to see. Next day you repeat the adventure.
More details:
The exact route changes each year. It always starts on the West edge of the state and ends on the East. The course for 2026 will be announced in January of 2026.
It will be 7 days of riding about 60 to 80 miles each day. All on paved roads that are mostly blocked from traffic (except in towns and cities where you'll have cops directing traffic).
This is not a race. Any pace you want to go is fine. Oh, and they'll be like 14 to 20 thousand people doing this with you! This is a huge deal in Iowa.
Logistics:
I have a house in South Central Iowa. I'll probably be there at least a week or two before Ragbrai. Anyone who wants can come stay at my place before or after. You can also ship your bicycle to me before the event.
There may also be people driving from AZ. In that case you should carpool. It's a 21 hour drive from Phoenix to my place in Iowa. I usually take 2 days stopping near South Fork, CO to car camp.
You can fly into Des Moines airport and I can come pick you up.
You can also fly/drive directly to the starting city (will be announced in January).
Next Steps:
Training - TIME IN THE SEAT! That's really the most important thing to start training. Just sitting in that little bike seat for a few hours a week at first, few hours a day closer to the event.
60 to 80 miles may sound like a lot, but it's on a bicycle, on paved roads. It's not that bad. 3 to 7 hours of pedaling each day. Most of us that backpack or exercise regularly already have what it takes. You just want to work on toughening up your undercarriage.
Sign Up - you can register on the official site once the route is announced. The registration buys you entry into the nightly events and you can put your stuff on the bus each day. It will be driven to the next host town so you don't have to carry anything. If you plan to bikepack (carry all your gear) you don't really have to register. It's called being a "pirate". I've done it.
Feel free to message me or post in the comments if you have any questions.