Updated April 1, 2024
The RAGBRAI (Ride Across Iowa) is the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, an eight-day ride across the state. Coming on its 50th year (“L”), RAGBRAI is a classic cycling experience and bucket list event for all types of cycling enthusiasts. Picked as one of our best road cycling events in the Midwest, RAGBRAI is a ride, not a race, and it is the longest recreational bicycle tour in the world. The route is about 500 miles but is not entirely flat; prepare for rolling hills along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers that total 16,549 feet to climb.
For its 50th iteration, things kick off in Sioux City with the Expo at Tyson’s Event Center before the riding officially begins. The Iowa host towns for the overnight stays this year are Sioux City, Storm Lake, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama-Toledo, Coralville, and Davenport. Each location offers organized housing, food, showers, vendors, and a concert series, making RAGBRAI truly an eight-day progressive festival on wheels. Here is a breakdown of each day’s riding profile:
Day One: Sioux City to Storm Lake – 77 miles – 3,504 ft elevation
Day Two: Storm Lake to Carroll – 62 miles – 1,818 ft elevation *shortest day and least climbing
Day Three: Carroll to Ames – 83 miles – 1,479 ft elevation *longest day
Day Four: Ames to Des Moines – 50 miles – 1,216 ft elevation
Day Five: Des Moines to Tama-Toledo – 82 miles – 3,652 ft elevation *most climbing
Day Six: Tama-Toledo to Coralville – 80 miles – 3,276 ft elevation
Day Seven: Coralville to Davenport – 66 miles – 1,604 ft elevation
There is extensive rider support daily, including four ambulance and paramedic teams, free SAG service, and bicycle repair shops along the routes that offer discounts for repairs, accessories, and RAGBRAI apparel.
Ventures Endurance Events produces RAGBRAI (Ride Across Iowa), and they are also known for another classic multi-day cycling experience, Ride the Rockies, which we consider one of the best cycling events in the Colorado and the Rockies, as well as Tour of the Battenkill, a top gravel races in New England.
