Cyclists from five states participate in Embrace the Hills bicycle ride

“This is my favorite bike ride.” Those words were from Thomas Wynn of Des Moines when asked what he thought of the Embrace the Hills bicycle ride.

Wynn is a retired police officer from the West Des Moines Police Department, and he said it was “well worth the two-hour drive” to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the Loess Hills.

This was Wynn's second year with Embrace, and this year he brought a cycling buddy, Bill Jess, who is also a retired police officer. The two tackled the 37-mile route that took them through Magnolia, Pisgah, Little Sioux, and River Sioux.

Wynn also said that the organizers “do a truly great job preparing food and giving the riders a place to fellowship after the ride”, which started and ended in Mondamin.

Eighty-nine cyclists from Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, New York, and Missouri registered for the ride, about one-third of them doing the 29-mile route with a total elevation of 600 feet. Fifteen bikers took on the 37-mile route with hills, adding up to 1,300 feet of climb. The longest route, 51 miles, took a trip through Logan, then Magnolia, to join the other routes, and those athletes were challenged by about 2,000 feet of the Loess Hills.