Next Chapter Men’s Collective

🚴 NEXT CHAPTER MEN’S COLLECTIVE — RAGBRAI 2027
📅 July 23–Aug 1st, 2027

We are starting to put together a Next Chapter group for RAGBRAI 2027 — the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
If you’ve never experienced RAGBRAI, it’s difficult to describe just how much fun this week is. 30,000+ riders participate every year, which is why this is something we need to start planning and booking well in advance.

### A LITTLE RAGBRAI HISTORY

RAGBRAI started in 1973, when two Des Moines Register writers, John Karras and Donald Kaul, decided to ride their bicycles across Iowa and invited readers to join them. A few hundred riders participated along the way that first year.
What began as a newspaper-sponsored ride became an Iowa tradition and one of the oldest, largest and longest recreational bicycle touring events in the world.
More than 50 years later, cyclists still spend a week riding across Iowa each summer, following a different route and visiting different communities each year.

### FROM RIVER TO RIVER

One of the great RAGBRAI traditions marks both the beginning and the end of the journey.
Before starting the ride across Iowa, riders traditionally dip the rear tire of their bike in the Missouri River.
Seven days and hundreds of miles later, we reach the other side of Iowa and celebrate by dipping the front tire in the Mississippi River.
Missouri to Mississippi. One state. Seven days. On a bicycle.
That's the goal.

### IT'S MUCH MORE THAN A BIKE RIDE

Every morning we’ll leave camp and spend the day riding through small Iowa towns. The towns along the route essentially throw a weeklong party for the riders.
The hospitality from the people of Iowa is incredible.
And then there’s the food.
Homemade pies. Old-fashioned homemade ice cream. Fresh Iowa sweet corn. Pancake breakfasts. Pork chops. Local church dinners. Food trucks. And just about anything else you can imagine.
Part of the fun is discovering the traditional RAGBRAI stops that riders look forward to year after year — Mr. Pork Chop, old-fashioned homemade ice cream stands, roadside farm stands, fresh Iowa corn, local church food, beer gardens, live music and countless roadside vendors.
These aren't just places to refuel. They're part of the RAGBRAI experience.
We ride. We stop. We eat. We explore. We have a beer. We meet people. Then we get back on our bikes and continue across Iowa.

### WHAT KIND OF RIDING ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

The route changes every year, so we won't know the exact mileage until the 2027 route is announced.
Historically, a good planning expectation is:
🚴 7 consecutive days of riding
🚴 Approximately 400–450 total miles
🚴 Around 55–65 miles per day on average
The terrain is relatively flat with rolling hills. There aren't mountain passes or long Colorado-style climbs. Instead, expect rolling Iowa countryside with shorter climbs and descents throughout the day.
Some days will be easier and shorter. Others may approach 70–80 miles.
And remember: RAGBRAI isn't a race.
We have all day to ride. We'll stop in the towns, eat, explore, relax and experience everything happening along the route.
We'll also organize Next Chapter training rides in the months leading up to RAGBRAI so everyone can gradually build up their mileage and get comfortable riding consecutive days.

### REGULAR BIKES AND E-BIKES ARE WELCOME

You don't need a racing bike.
Road bikes, endurance bikes, gravel bikes, hybrids and other suitable bicycles can all work well for RAGBRAI.
E-bikes are also allowed as long as they comply with Iowa's e-bike regulations.
So whether you want to ride the entire route under your own power or would rather have some electric assistance on the rolling hills, you're welcome.

### HOW WE'LL DO IT

We'll use Pork Belly Ventures, the RAGBRAI outfitter I've used previously.
We'll be camping, but Pork Belly makes camping about as comfortable as possible. They provide their own camping areas, luggage transportation from town to town, hot showers, food vendors, common gathering tents, charging stations, beer and other services.
We ride the bikes. Pork Belly moves our gear to the next town.
We'll carpool from Colorado to the starting town, leave our vehicles there, ride across Iowa for the week and take a shuttle from the finish back to our vehicles.

### WHAT WILL IT COST?

2027 pricing has not been released yet, so these are planning estimates based on recent RAGBRAI and Pork Belly pricing. I'll update everyone when official 2027 pricing becomes available.
RAGBRAI Weeklong Registration: approximately $250–$300
This is the official registration required to participate in RAGBRAI and is paid directly to RAGBRAI.
Pork Belly Ventures Weeklong Support: approximately $600–$700
This is separate from RAGBRAI registration and gives us the Pork Belly camp experience — dedicated camping areas, luggage transportation each day, showers, charging, common areas, entertainment and other support throughout the week.
Tent Service — Optional: approximately $600 per tent for the week
For guys who don't want to set up and take down their own tent every day, Pork Belly offers tent service. They take the tent down, move it to the next overnight town and set it back up. This cost can potentially be shared if two guys share a tent.
Shuttle/Transportation: approximately $200–$250
We'll carpool from Colorado to Iowa and use the RAGBRAI/Pork Belly transportation system to get back to our vehicles after completing the ride.
Food & Spending Money: plan on approximately $40 per day
There are food vendors everywhere along the route, and eating your way across Iowa is part of the experience.
A reasonable initial planning budget is therefore approximately $1,400–$2,000 per person, depending on tent service, food, transportation and personal spending.
This does not include your bicycle, cycling equipment or any gear you may need to purchase before the trip.
Once 2027 prices are published, I'll put together an exact cost breakdown.

### IMPORTANT DATES TO KNOW

📌 November 15, 2026 — RAGBRAI registration opens
RAGBRAI registration is separate from Pork Belly, and everyone participating will need to register for the ride.
📌 January 1, 2027 — Pork Belly registration expected to open
Pork Belly opened its 2026 registration on January 1. We're waiting for confirmation of the 2027 date. Some Pork Belly services, particularly tent service, can sell out, so we'll want to be ready when registration opens.
📌 Late January 2027 — RAGBRAI route announcement expected
This is when we'll learn the starting town, finishing town, overnight towns, exact daily mileage and complete route across Iowa.
📅 July 23, 2027— Depart for Iowa
📅 July 24–31, 2027 — RAGBRAI LIV
📅 Aug 1st, 2027 — Depart back to Colorado

WHY I'M POSTING THIS NOW
RAGBRAI isn't something we can decide to do a few weeks beforehand.
With 30,000+ riders participating every year, RAGBRAI registration, Pork Belly camping/support and transportation need to be reserved well in advance.
Right now, I'm trying to identify the guys who are seriously interested so we're ready when registration and Pork Belly reservations open.
For now, if riding across Iowa with a group of guys from Next Chapter sounds like something you'd like to experience, let me know you're interested.
7 days. 400+ miles. Missouri River to Mississippi River. Small Iowa towns. Incredible food. Cold beer. Thousands of cyclists. One unforgettable week.
RIDE. CONNECT. EXPERIENCE LIFE.
Next Chapter Men’s Collective — RAGBRAI 2027