The inaugural edition of a new cross-state bicycle ride, Iowa’s Ride 2020, was forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the ride WILL take place in 2021, and has organizers have announced the route it will take.
According to Iowa’s Ride Director TJ Juskiewicz, the ride will begin in Dubuque, and wrap up in Rock Rapids….exactly the same as had been planned for this year. Riders will gather in Dubuque on Saturday, July 17th, and leave Sunday morning, the 18th, for Monticello, where they’ll spend Sunday night. Monday’s route leads to Vinton, where riders and support staff will spend the night. Then on Tuesday, July 20th, the group will ride to Eldora, and spend the night in that city. On Wednesday, July 21st, Clarion is the riders’ destination and overnight stop, then Thursday they’ll head for Emmetsburg, and spend the night in that Palo Alto County town. Friday morning, riders will pedal from Emmetsburg to Sheldon, where they’ll spend their Friday night before heading to the final stop, Rock Rapids, on Saturday, July 24th.
Juskiewicz says this semi-supported ride will be FREE for everyone that was originally registered to ride on Iowa’s Ride this summer. He says the purpose of the journey is simple: support Iowa’s small towns and their businesses, which they were unable to do this summer due to COVID-19.
He says he received hundreds of personal emails after being forced to cancel Iowa’s Ride 2020, from people throughout the world. He says there were, what he called, “several good friends and some generous folks” that asked to put the refund of their 2020 registration fees towards “something good.” Juskiewicz says each overnight town will have one main campground for primitive camping at no cost to set up your tents or park your RV. He says Iowa’s Ride will provide a complimentary baggage truck to throw a bag on each morning that will be moved to the next town. Riders will have the ability to buy a shower from a high school, the city pool or a shower truck. There will be a few bike mechanics on the route to help repair bikes and sell parts riders might need.
While there is that support, he says there will not be sag service and the route will not be marked for turns. Don’t expect law enforcement at every crossing waving you through. You will have route maps that you can print off or download to your bike computer or smart phone. The daily rides will be minimally supported, so you must be prepared to be self-supportive. But we all know that people will stop to help their fellow cyclists along the way.
Juskiewicz says there will be no charge to register for Iowa’s Ride 2021, and details will be coming soon.