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Hi, I’m Philip Joens. At age 8 in 2001 I rode my first RAGBRAI. Now I cover public safety and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register.

So for the RAGBRAI Rookiesout there, let me answer some basic questions about registration, camping, road etiquette, food, hygiene, entertainment and training. While putting this together I read questions online and thought of my own.

This guide is long, so scrollto subheads you want if you have concerns about a specific topic. Yet it barely scratches the surface. If you have questions that aren't answered, give me a call or send them to me using the contact information at the end.

WHAT IS RAGBRAI?

What does RAGBRAI stand for?

The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

How did it get started?

In 1973, Des Moines Register copy editor John Karras and Washington columnist Donald Kaul wanted to ride their bikes across Iowa. Ten-speed bikes were a relatively new thing then and fitness fads were all the rage. So they convinced their bosses to let them ride across Iowa and have the newspaper pay for it if they wrote stories along the way. A crowd of riders joined them for what was billed The Great Six-Day Bike Trip. It was such a hit that they did it every year after that, adding a day and renaming it RAGBRAI. Now it's a professionally run event with a full-time, year-roundstaff.


Is RAGBRAI a race?

No. It's for everyone.

How many days is it?

Seven days on the road. But riders who gothe whole week try to get to the starting town on the Saturday before the first riding day. The party starts there and a bike expo is held.


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