It’s a warm July day. It’s Ragbrai (pronounced Rag Bray) and means Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Across Iowa. You might ask what is Ragbrai? It is the longest and largest bicycle ride in the state of Iowa with 8500 week-long riders and 1500 daily riders which is when most families participate.

Ragbrai started in 1973 as a challenge issued by Don Kaul, a Washington columnist, to his friend John Karras. John Karras then wrote an article encouraging others to join them. Originally, 300 riders began the ride. At the end, 115 riders completed the tour. The event is an annual ride. Riders come from all over the United States and the world. According to tradition, bicyclers dip their back tires in the Missouri River at the start of the ride and their front tires in the Mississippi River at the ride’s end.

Ragbrai’s average distance is 472 miles. Riders, even kids, bike an average of 68 miles per day. Along the route, eight host communities are picked to be, using one as the starting point and one as the end point. The other six are overnight stopping points.

Bikes of all kinds and bicyclers of all ages, from ten months to 83 years, make the seven day trip with the help of their friends, family and other bicyclers. Tents are pitched and suppers cooked over the grill. Kids sit on the ground listening to music.

Months in advance preparation begin. Local residents offer spots for cyclists to pitch a tent or park their buses. Results from pies baking contest welcome the cyclist. Spaghetti dinners are prepared. Kids’ bike safety courses are offered as well as races are offered.

In the host cities, as riders enter the town all ages come out to line the road. They take pictures and call out their support as the riders coast by. There’s face painting and balloons. There’s always music. There are art contests to design a banner for the townspeople to welcome the riders. Some town even designed cancellation stamps for riders to have a souvenir.

As the cyclist leave, they wave and call out goodbyes to the crowd of kids along the roads. Some kids hand out water bottles to thirsty riders.

For more detail, contact the: Des Moines Convention and Visitor Bureau, 601 Locust St., Ste. 222, Des Moines, IA 50309. 800-451-2652 or 515-286-4960 www.desmoinesregister.com, www.ragbrai.org