Skip to content
NOWCAST KCCI News at 6am Weekday Morning
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

RAGBRAI 2024: Route announced for summer bike ride across Iowa. And it's the hilliest ever.

RAGBRAI 2024: Route announced for summer bike ride across Iowa. And it's the hilliest ever.
WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS WE LEARN MORE. AND WE NOW KNOW THE ROUTE FOR RAGBRAI II 51 THIS JULY. BICYCLISTS WILL TRAVEL THROUGH SOUTHERN IOWA KCCI SARAH PEREIRA WAS THERE FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT. PEPPER, WHAT WILL THE RIDE LOOK LIKE? WELL, KAYLA, I HOPE YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON YOUR HILL TRAINING BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE THE HILLIEST ROUTE. RAGBRAI HAS EVER SEEN. NOW WE’RE GOING TO BE GOING DAY ONE, STARTING IN GLENWOOD, AND THEN FROM THERE RIDING ON TO RED OAK, THEN ATLANTIC, THEN THE STEEPEST RIDE OF THE ROUTE IS GOING TO BE CLIMBING MORE THAN 4000FT ON THE WAY TO WINTERSET, THEN GOING ON TO KNOXVILLE, OTTUMWA AND FOR THE FINAL OR EXCUSE ME, FOR THE LONGEST PORTION OF THE ROUTE, 82 MILES FROM OTTUMWA, MOUNT PLEASANT. THEN THE FINAL STRETCH TAKES CYCLISTS TO BURLINGTON. NOW THAT’S A GRAND TOTAL OF 434 MILES, ONE OF THE SHORTER ROUTES IN RAGBRAI HISTORY. BUT THERE IS MORE THAN 18,000FT OF ELEVATION. THEY’LL BE CLIMBING. THE RIDE DIRECTOR SAYS THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED ON A ROUTE THROUGH SOUTHERN IOWA, BUT THE OTHER BENEFIT OF THIS REGION VIEW OF OUR STATE’S RURAL BEAUTY. I LOVE SMALL TOWN IOWA, AND WE’LL GO TO SMALL TOWN IOWA AS MUCH AS WE CAN. WE GOT, YOU KNOW, THROW THEM SOME LOVE BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE DYING OUT. WE WANT TO KEEP THEM GROWING AND STRONG. RIDERS LOVE SMALL TOWNS BECAUSE THEY JUST THEY DO. THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND WITH FOR OUR RIDERS AND THE RIDERS KNOW THIS. SO IT IS VERY RURAL DOWN THERE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PRETTY AMAZING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE READY TO SIGN UP AND SUPPORT THIS RIDE. SO LIKE I SAID, THE RIDERS ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES SOME DAYS, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE A GOOD, GOOD RIDE FOR FOR THEM. AND IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE SOME OF THESE CITIES HAVE SEEN RAGBRAI ROLL THROUGH GLENWOOD AND OTTUMWA, LAST
Advertisement
RAGBRAI 2024: Route announced for summer bike ride across Iowa. And it's the hilliest ever.
We now know the route for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa this summer.RAGBRAI LI will start July 21 in Glenwood and end July 27 in Burlington. In between, there will be overnight stops at Red Oak, Atlantic, Winterset, Knoxville, Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant and Burlington.That's 434 miles, the eighth-shortest, but hilliest, ride in RAGBRAI's 51-year history. Last year's route started in Sioux City and ended in Davenport, with overnight stops in Storm Lake, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama-Toledo and Coralville along the way.Bike owned by RAGBRAI co-founder auctioned offAlso Saturday night, RAGBRAI auctioned off a bike owned and ridden by RAGBRAI co-founder Donald Kaul. Rachel Kaul, Kaul's daughter, donated the bike, which was custom-built for her father in 1977.It sold for $8,500. The money will go to the Dream Team, "a charity that works with at-risk youth to build their self-confidence by training for and participating in RAGBRAI," the Des Moines Register reported.RAGBRAI LI route, July 21-27, 2024Sunday, July 21: Glenwood to Red Oak, 44 miles. Monday, July 22: Red Oak to Atlantic, 40 milesTuesday, July 23: Atlantic to Winterset, 79 milesWednesday, July 24: Winterset to Knoxville, 74 milesThursday, July 25: Knoxville to Ottumwa, 60 milesFriday, July 26: Ottumwa to Mount Pleasant, 82 milesSaturday, July 27: Mount Pleasant to Burlington, 45 milesMore RAGBRAI coverage50th annual RAGBRAI ride showcased the best of IowaKCCI archives: Former ride director credited with saving RAGBRAIGet a look at the RAGBRAI logo for 2024Colfax among small Iowa towns to make big impression on RAGBRAILocal artist paints mural in Ankeny during RAGBRAIEditorial: After 50 years, RAGBRAI remains a special Iowa traditionRAGBRAI riders visited the 'Field of Dreams' movie location in 1989KCCI archive: Story City played host to RAGBRAI in 1989

We now know the route for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa this summer.

RAGBRAI LI will start July 21 in Glenwood and end July 27 in Burlington. In between, there will be overnight stops at Red Oak, Atlantic, Winterset, Knoxville, Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant and Burlington.

Advertisement

That's 434 miles, the eighth-shortest, but hilliest, ride in RAGBRAI's 51-year history.

Last year's route started in Sioux City and ended in Davenport, with overnight stops in Storm Lake, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama-Toledo and Coralville along the way.

Bike owned by RAGBRAI co-founder auctioned off

Also Saturday night, RAGBRAI auctioned off a bike owned and ridden by RAGBRAI co-founder Donald Kaul. Rachel Kaul, Kaul's daughter, donated the bike, which was custom-built for her father in 1977.

It sold for $8,500. The money will go to the Dream Team, "a charity that works with at-risk youth to build their self-confidence by training for and participating in RAGBRAI," the Des Moines Register reported.

RAGBRAI LI route, July 21-27, 2024

Sunday, July 21: Glenwood to Red Oak, 44 miles.

Monday, July 22: Red Oak to Atlantic, 40 miles

Tuesday, July 23: Atlantic to Winterset, 79 miles

Wednesday, July 24: Winterset to Knoxville, 74 miles

Thursday, July 25: Knoxville to Ottumwa, 60 miles

Friday, July 26: Ottumwa to Mount Pleasant, 82 miles

Saturday, July 27: Mount Pleasant to Burlington, 45 miles

More RAGBRAI coverage

50th annual RAGBRAI ride showcased the best of Iowa

KCCI archives: Former ride director credited with saving RAGBRAI

Get a look at the RAGBRAI logo for 2024

Colfax among small Iowa towns to make big impression on RAGBRAI

Local artist paints mural in Ankeny during RAGBRAI

Editorial: After 50 years, RAGBRAI remains a special Iowa tradition

RAGBRAI riders visited the 'Field of Dreams' movie location in 1989

KCCI archive: Story City played host to RAGBRAI in 1989