The 2024 RAGBRAI Route Inspection Team leaves Winterset on their way to Knoxville on Day 4 of the RAGBRAI LI route.
Day 4, Wednesday, July 24: Winterset to Knoxville
- Miles: 75
- Feet of climb: 3,041.
- Themes: RAGBRAI Jersey Day.
- Pass-through towns: St. Charles, St. Mary's, Milo, Lacona, Melcher-Dallas.
- Meeting town: Indianola.
- Gravel option: 9.5 miles, 708 feet of climb.
- Highlights: The ride out of Winterset is exceedingly scenic and includes the Imes covered bridge just outside St. Charles. Meeting town Indianola is a Des Moines outer suburb, making its fourth appearance on the ride, with attractions like Simpson College and an active town square. It's also the home of the National Balloon Classic, a massive annual gathering of hot air balloonists set to start July 26, just two days after RAGBRAI's visit. Overnight town Knoxville is the home of Knoxville Raceway, one of the nation's top tracks on the sprint car circuit, a time-honored stepping stone to NASCAR. Riders are invited to pedal a lap or two on the dirt track, And even if that's not your cycling style, the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum offers an impressive history of the motorsports niche.
Source - Stats from Philip Joens - Des Moines Register Reporter and 18 time RAGBRAI veteran.
~~~
What does the Route Inspection Team do?
- We ride the route on the same time and day of the week that RAGBRAI will ride in July.
- We identify any unsafe traffic patterns like a factory shift ending as we are rolling by, etc..
- We look for any road hazards or conditions that may need improvements before the event. That data is shared with the county engineers.
- We visit with all the towns and give them an idea of when they can expect riders in their towns when RAGBRAI comes through.
- We answer any questions the town committees and their business owners may have.
- We share the experience with registrants.
- We showcase the beautiful route and everything these communities have to offer.