The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa — better known as RAGBRAI — started in 1973 by John Karras and Donald Kaul, two columnists for the daily newspaper.
It is annually held on the last full week in July. The ride starts near the Missouri River/Big Sioux River, which make up the western border of Iowa, and ends on the Mississippi River. The seven-day ride averages 468 miles, or an average of 67 miles per day. The route includes a starting community and an ending community along with six stopover communities. The 50th ride was held last year.
RAGBRAI has announced this year’s starting community as Glenwood while Red Oak, Atlantic, Winterset, Knoxville, Ottumwa and Mount Pleasant are the stopover communities before the ride ends in Burlington. Sheldon has been honored to serve as an overnight stop in 1993 and 2005 and a ride-through in 2014.
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