In this article I am going to review the various equipment you should consider having on you and your bike for RAGBRAI.

1. Bicycle – Yes, you will want a bicycle for RAGBRAI. It’s far enough on a bike, you wouldn’t want to walk it or even run it. The type of bike you bring to RAGBRAI is very individual to you. You can ride a standard road bike, a hybrid bike, gravel bike, mountain bike, fat bike, etc. You need to first and foremost have a bike that fits you and is comfortable to ride. More than anything, it needs to be comfortable. After riding 400+ miles, even the best fitting bike will feel somewhat uncomfortable. Besides comfort, the other things you should keep in mind are the weight and rolling resistance. The heavier the bike, the harder it is to pedal, especially uphill, and we have a few of those this year. The rolling resistance is related primarily to the type of tires. Thinner, more slick road bike tires have less rolling resistance that the large, studded mountain or fat bike tires. Make sure that you are training on whatever bike you plan to ride on RAGBRAI so your body can get used to it.

2. Shoes/Pedals/Cleats – The shoes you wear are very important for cycling. Your foot is where all your bodily force travels through to power the bike.