HOT WEEK: RAGBRAI Kicks Off Sunday

RAGBRAI kicks off on Sunday, but riders might not be in a celebratory mood at the end of the day this year.

Thousands of riders will dip their back tires in the Missouri River in Sioux City on Sunday morning for the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. 

From there, it will be a 470 mile ride across the state, with overnight stops in Cherokee, Webster City, Marshalltown, Cedar Rapids and Anamosa.

One week later, the ride comes to an end with a dip of the front tire in the Mississippi River in Clinton.

Bike shops across the state have spent months preparing for the ride.  Now Mother Nature is forcing them to make last minute changes.

Bike World is hosting hundreds of riders this year. 

Ride organizers say their number one goal is to keep everyone safe and on the road through the heat.

Bill Throckmorton, Marketing Manager at Bike World says, “This is one if those years we`ve put more of everything on, not just liquid, but all types of supplements dry as well as wet and we want to encourage people to keep their bodies in the shape that they need to be. We don`t want to see people dropping.”

Bike World is overstocking its “portable store” they’ll take on the road with them.  It will have everything to keep you bike moving, and your body too.

The store is set up every day by fellow riders who’ve finished the day’s route.

Bike World is increasing its staff on the road this year to make sure no one is pushed too far on the ride.

Bill says, “That`s hot work, so we want them to take care too because it’s very easy to start a project, and the next thing you know your system is out of water and you are dehydrated.”

Ten-thousand registered riders will take part in this year’s RAGBRAI, as well as all the unregistered riders who join the route each day.