You Use BIKEIOWA... But Are You Really Using All of It?

Posted Jul 7
212

Whether you've been visiting BIKEIOWA for 25 years or 25 minutes, here's how to get the most out of everything BIKEIOWA has to offer.

Since 2001, BIKEIOWA has been connecting cyclists with Iowa's trails, communities, events, businesses, and adventures.

If you've visited BIKEIOWA before, chances are you've used it to:

Find an event
Read the latest cycling news
Discover a trail
Look up a bike shop
Check a Ride Reminder
Learn more about RAGBRAI

That's a great start...

But BIKEIOWA has grown into so much more.

Whether you've been visiting BIKEIOWA for years or you just found us yesterday, there's a good chance you haven't discovered everything the site has to offer.

Let's change that.

• A Resource That's Uniquely Iowa

Over the years, we've had people from around the country ask us the same question:

"Who built this?"

The answer surprises them.

BIKEIOWA wasn't created by a government agency, a tourism bureau, or a national cycling organization.

It was built right here in Iowa - with passion - and it continues to grow through the contributions of cyclists, communities, event directors, sponsors, tourism partners, bike shops, and volunteers who simply want to make cycling in Iowa better.

While many states have trail websites, tourism guides, advocacy organizations, or event calendars, it's rare to find all of those resources brought together in one independent, statewide platform.

That's what makes BIKEIOWA special.

Instead of visiting multiple websites to plan a ride, you can discover:

Events
Trails
Trail-friendly communities
Bike shops
Cycling news
Reviews
Tourism destinations
Advocacy updates
Ride Reminders
Sponsors
Regional Portals
...and much more.

All in one place.

We're incredibly proud of what Iowa's cycling community has built together over the past 25 years, and we believe it has helped make Iowa one of the best places in the country to ride a bicycle.

BIKEIOWA isn't just a website. It's part of Iowa's cycling infrastructure.

• Maybe You Didn't Know...

BIKEIOWA is FREE.

One of the biggest misconceptions we hear is...

"Do I need an account?"

Nope.

You can browse virtually everything on BIKEIOWA without ever creating an account.

That includes:

News
Events
Trails
Cities
Genre-Based Portals
Bike Shops
Reviews
Photos
Maps
Ride Ideas
Ride Reminder archives
...and much more.

No subscription.

No paywall.

No premium membership.

Just Iowa cycling.

• Maybe You Didn't Know...

Creating a FREE Account (Profile) Unlocks Even More

While anyone can browse BIKEIOWA, creating a free profile allows you to become part of it.

With a BIKEIOWA account you can:

Add Events
Submit News
Write Reviews
Share Ride Recaps
Upload Photos
Comment on stories
Manage and update your own content

Think of it this way...

Browsing BIKEIOWA is free.

Contributing to BIKEIOWA is free, too.

You just need an Profile. Register here:https://www.bikeiowa.com/Register

• Maybe You Didn't Know...

You Can Add Your Own Event

This feature has been around for well over a decade, yet many event directors still email us asking if we'll add their ride.

The answer is...

You can do it yourself!

Simply click Add Event from the Event Calendar or go directly here:

https://www.bikeiowa.com/Event/Add

Better yet...

You remain in complete control of your event.

Need to update:

registration links?
start times?
routes?
pricing?
sponsors?
photos?

Just log in and make the changes yourself.

After the ride, come back and post a ride recap with photos to preserve the memories for years to come.

Your BIKEIOWA Profile: Your Personal Dashboard

Once you create your free BIKEIOWA Profile, you'll have access to your own personal Dashboard.

Think of it as your home base on BIKEIOWA.

From your Dashboard, you can:

Manage your Profile
Update your password and account settings
Add, edit, or remove your Events
Submit and manage News articles
Write and update Reviews
Post Ride Recaps
Monitor your Comments and activity
Keep track of all of your contributions to BIKEIOWA

Simply expand the "My BIKEIOWA" menu to access all of your tools and content.

https://www.bikeiowa.com/Dashboard

The best part?

BIKEIOWA is a community.

Much of the information that makes BIKEIOWA such a valuable resource comes from people just like you -event directors, cyclists, bike shops, tourism organizations, advocates, communities, and volunteers who share their knowledge and experiences with others.

Every event you post...
Every review you write...
Every news story you share...
Every ride recap you publish...

...helps another cyclist discover Iowa.

Together, we're making Iowa an even better place to ride a bicycle.

Thanks for being part of the BIKEIOWA community!

• PRO TIP: BIKEIOWA Has 20+ Specialized Portals

Sometimes you don't want to see everything happening in Iowa.

Sometimes you only want to see your kind of cycling.

That's where BIKEIOWA Portals come in.

Think of a Portal as your own personalized BIKEIOWA.

Interested in...

Gravel? Visit the Gravel Portal.
Road riding? Head to the Road Portal.
Racing? Check out the Race Portal.
Mountain Biking? There's a portal for that.
Commuting? Yep!
Touring? You bet.
Trails? One of our most popular portals.
Advocacy? Stay up to date on bicycle legislation and safety.
Training & Fitness? Find tips, events, and inspiration.
...and many more.

Each Portal automatically gathers related:

News
Features
Events
Reviews
...and other content

into one easy-to-browse location.

Instead of sifting through everything on BIKEIOWA, you can go directly to the topics that interest you most - or browse the entire site to discover something new.

Explore all of our Portals:https://www.bikeiowa.com/Portals

• PRO TIP: Use Tags!

One of BIKEIOWA's most powerful - and most overlooked - features is Tags.

Tags are the glue that holds BIKEIOWA together and Tags help connect your content throughout the website.

An event tagged with:

High Trestle Trail
Madrid
Gravel
Trail Ride
Family Ride
Party Ride

can automatically appear on:

The more relevant tags you include, the easier it is for riders to find your event.

• Maybe You Didn't Know...

You Can Submit News

News isn't just something BIKEIOWA writes.

Communities, organizations, bike shops, tourism groups, event directors, and cyclists can all submit stories.

Examples include:

Trail openings
Ribbon cuttings
Bike shop anniversaries
Event Promotion
New businesses
Advocacy
Tourism announcements
Safety initiatives
Fundraisers
Community projects

If it's important to Iowa cyclists...

it's important to BIKEIOWA.

Submit News:https://www.bikeiowa.com/News/Add

• Maybe You Didn't Know...

Reviews Help Other Cyclists

Have you discovered...

a great trail?
an amazing bike shop?
a favorite campground?
a local brewery?
an incredible coffee stop?

Share it!

Reviews help the next cyclist decide where to Ride. Stay. Play.

Submit a Review:https://www.bikeiowa.com/Review/Add

• Maybe You Didn't Know...

Everything is Connected

One thing that makes BIKEIOWA unique is how everything works together.

Imagine you're planning a weekend ride on the High Trestle Trail.

Instead of searching six different websites...

BIKEIOWA connects you with:

Nearby communities
Bike shops
Events
Restaurants
Lodging
Attractions
Reviews
Sponsors

It's all connected.

Explore:

Trails
https://www.bikeiowa.com/Trails

Cities
https://www.bikeiowa.com/Cities

Genre Based Portals
https://www.bikeiowa.com/Portals

Bike Shops
https://www.bikeiowa.com/BikeShops

• Maybe You Didn't Know...

Social Media Isn't Our Home

We love Facebook.

Instagram.

They're great for sharing stories.

But social media posts disappear.

BIKEIOWA doesn't.

Everything is organized, searchable, and available long after a social media post has vanished into the feed.

That's why we don't post everything on social media.

BIKEIOWA is where Iowa cycling information lives.

Today.

Tomorrow.

Five years from now.

• BIKEIOWA by the Numbers

The Iowa cycling community continues to grow, and we're proud to help connect it.

During 2025...

30.7 million page views
10.7 million site visits
7.47 million unique visitors
491 News stories
418 Events
31 Feature articles
20 Reviews
370 Iowa trails covering 3,459 miles
1,036 Iowa community pages
4,272 Ride Reminder subscribers
4,739 registered BIKEIOWA members
$13,869 in merchandise donated to cycling events and organizations
$2,698 donated directly to cycling-related causes

Those numbers represent far more than website traffic.

They represent millions of opportunities for people to discover Iowa by bicycle and strengthen our cycling community.

Lots more statistics like this in our2025 - BIKEIOWA Year In Review.

• Maybe You Didn't Know...

BIKEIOWA Exists Because of Our Sponsors

This website doesn't run on subscriptions.

It doesn't have a paywall.

It isn't funded by pop-up ads.

It exists because businesses, organizations, and communities believe in Iowa cycling.

Their support allows us to provide all of these resources free of charge while continuing to promote bicycle tourism, advocacy, events, communities, trails, and the businesses that make cycling in Iowa so special.

The next time you're looking for: