See the full RAGBRAI 2022 route, maps and day-by-day distance, towns and details
It's almost RAGBRAI time.
The 49th edition of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa starts July 24 in Sergeant Bluff on the Missouri River and reaches Lansing on the Mississippi River seven days later.
Some 17,000 participants are expected for the world's biggest annual bicycle tour, with more joining for shorter segments. Here's a day-by-day look at what to expect.
Day 0, July 23: Sergeant Bluff
Theme: Get a little Bluff on your tires
Highlights: As riders gather Saturday for Sunday morning's start, more than 80 exhibitors will offer bike-related goods from noon to 9 p.m. at the RAGBRAI XLIX Bike Expo in downtown Sergeant Buff. As many as 25,000 riders and others are expected in this town of 5,015 just south of Sioux City.
Entertainment: Placid Quake (rock cover band) noon-2 p.m.; Smokin' Clams (rock) 2:30-4:30 p.m.; Wrecked Becky (eclectic cover band) 5-7:30 p.m.; Above the Covers (pop punk) 8-11 p.m.
Parking: Short-term parking throughout the city. For more information, visit Sergeant Bluff RAGBRAI on Facebook.
Camping: Sergeant Bluff Recreation Complex, Topaz Drive
Tire dip: For those who want the authenticity of starting the ride with a tire dip in the Missouri River, it's about a 6-mile ride from the center of Sergeant Bluff to Weedland Access, a river boat ramp. But local ride organizers plan on bringing tubs of river water into town for those who would rather avoid the extra miles.
More: From the RAGBRAI 2022 route to its history, here’s everything you need to know about the annual ride
Day 1, July 24: Sergeant Bluff to Ida Grove
Miles: 53.2
Feet of climb: 2,545
Themes: Mile of Silence, honoring deceased riders; U.S. Air Force 75th anniversary; Knights of the Round Tire in Ida Grove.
Pass-through towns: Bronson, Battle Creek
Meeting town: Anthon, home of the late Charles Osborne, who held the Guinness World Record for the longest continual hiccup attack, which lasted 68 years.
Highlights: Pedaling the surprisingly steep Loess Hills as the ride leaves the Missouri River valley; overnight town Ida Grove's castle-themed architecture. Byron Godbersen, founder of Ida Grove's Midwest Industries, liked castles and made sure castle-like features such as gates and turrets were incorporated into the designs of buildings throughout the city of 2,050, including his company's plant.
Entertainment in Ida Grove: Neil Anders and the Brothers Merritt (singer-songwriters) 2-4:30 p.m.; Damon Dotson (singer-songwriter) 5-7:30 p.m.; Not Quite Brothers (rock cover band) 8-11 p.m.
Camping: OABCIG High School, 900 John Montgomery Drive, Ida Grove
You can find downloadable GPX files for RAGBRAI's 2022 routes on the RAGBRAI website.
More: New to RAGBRAI? Here's everything rookies need to know before riding across Iowa
Day 2, July 25: Ida Grove to Pocahontas
Miles: 71.2
Feet of climb: 1,694
Themes: PeopleForBikes Day, College Jersey Day
Pass-through towns: Galva, Schaller, Nemaha, Fonda
Meeting town: Newell
Highlights: Pass-through town Schaller, the self-proclaimed Popcorn Capital of the World, will hand out bags of the local product. First-time overnight town Pocahontas, population 1,589, with its RAGBRAI slogan, "You are going to love Pocahontas," is the smallest city on this year's route. The route begins to flatten out here as it rolls through the rolling, corn-covered plains of northwest Iowa.
Entertainment in Pocahontas: The Polkatoons (Czech polka and waltzes plus some unexpected covers) 2-5 p.m.; Jim Bollard aka DJ Jimmy Kim (party pro) 5-8 p.m.; Pop Rocks (arena-style rock and pop covers with lots of costumed mimicry) 8-11 p.m.
Camping: Elbert Park Soccer Fields, northeast of the Pocahontas County Courthouse in Pocahontas.
You can find downloadable GPX files for RAGBRAI's 2022 routes on the RAGBRAI website.
Day 3, July 26: Pocahontas to Emmetsburg
Miles: 56.4
Feet of climb: 1,699
Themes: Gravel Day, Dream Team 25th Anniversary Day
Pass-through towns: Havelock, Rolfe
Meeting town: West Bend
Highlights: The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, a sprawling collection of nine hand-built grottos, the life's work of the late Father Paul Matthias Dobberstein; Emmetsburg's 973-acre Five Island Lake, a natural lake that's perfect for a cooling swim, as well as the Wild Rose Casino & Resort and the town's well-represented Irish heritage; the optional 48-mile Gravel Day ride. With little elevation change, this is potentially the easiest ride of the week, depending on the temperature and wind direction and speed — a good thing, considering that Day 4 is Century Day.
Entertainment in Emmetsburg: One Layne Band (local classic country performers) 2:45-4:45 p.m.; Birdchild (Top 40 covers) 5:15-8:15 p.m.; Pork Tornadoes (RAGBRAI's favorite eclectic cover band) 8:45-11 p.m. Around town: Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band
Camping: Palo Alto County Fairgrounds, 2010 Madison St., Emmetsburg
You can find downloadable GPX files for RAGBRAI's 2022 routes on the RAGBRAI website.
Day 4, July 27: Emmetsburg to Mason City
Miles: 105
Feet of climb: 1,699
Themes: Century Day, John Karras Day and RAGBRAI Jersey Day
Pass-through towns: Rodman, Whittemore, Algona, Wesley, Klemme
Meeting town: Britt
Highlights: The 105-mile century route, returning after 37 years as part of the main ride in homage to late RAGBRAI co-founder John Karras. Are you up for the challenge? (Extra SAG wagons will be circulating for those who aren't); Britt's National Hobo Museum; big-name music lineup in Mason City, the largest town on the 2022 route, with its Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, "The Music Man" heritage (the musical's composer, Meredith Willson, was a native and Mason City is the River City in "Ya Got Trouble," and Fat Hill and Mason City microbreweries.
Entertainment at Mason City (three stages): Jesse Calvert (rock and country covers) 2-5 p.m.; 13 on Seven ('90s rock and grunge covers) 3-6 p.m.; Danny Grause (country, blues, funk and rock) 3-4:30 p.m.; Brad Morgan (country) 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Don Felder (former Eagles guitarist) 6:30-8 p.m.; Sugar Ray (chart-topping pop-rock '90s band) 8:30-11 p.m.
Camping: East Park, 802 Third St.; Riverside campground/MacNider Park, 901 Birch Drive; Parkers Woods campground, North Jackson Avenue; High School campground (families), 1700 Fourth St. E.; main RV campgrounds, North Iowa Events Center, 3700 Fourth St. S.W.
You can find downloadable GPX files for RAGBRAI's 2022 routes on the RAGBRAI website.
More: RAGBRAI names new director, tapping longtime participant in ride and Iowa's cycling community
Day 5, July 28: Mason City to Charles City
Miles: 47.9
Feet of climb: 1,260
Theme: Charlie Harper Day, Crazy Socks Day
Pass-through town: Rockford
Meeting town: Marble Rock
Highlights: Fossil hunting and weird landscapes at the Floyd County Fossil & Prairie Center, Rockford; splashing in Rockford's Shell Rock River and Marble Rock's ride-through shower; Charles City's downtown whitewater course on the Cedar River and Tellurian Brewing. It's also the birthplace of suffragist leader Carrie Lane Chapman Catt.
Entertainment: Brad & Kate (eclectic acoustic) 1-2:30 p.m.; Blame Not the Bard (Irish) 2:30-4 p.m.; Levi Smith & The Bad Landings with guest June West (rock) 4:30-6 p.m.; Wheelhouse (Americana and bluegrass) 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Viva Knievel (funk, soul and contemporary hits) 9-11 p.m.
Camping: Lions Field Park, 20 Lions Drive; Kate McLeod Park, Clark and North Illinois streets; Wildwood Ball Fields, Third and South Iowa streets; Kmart parking lot, 1405 S. Grand Ave.; Merten J Klaus Park, Leland Avenue; College Avenue southwest lot, College Avenue; college grounds, Jung Avenue and Clark Street; middle/high school grounds, 1 Comet Ave.; Sportsmen's Park and VFW, 1505 N. Grand Ave.
You can find downloadable GPX files for RAGBRAI's 2022 routes on the RAGBRAI website.
Day 6, July 29: Charles City to West Union
Miles: 63
Feet of climb: 2,025
Theme: Iowa State Patrol Appreciation Day
Pass-through towns: Ionia, New Hampton, Waucoma, Hawkeye
Meeting town: Lawler
Highlights: Hunting for painted rocks in Waucoma; Looney Toons theme and Starlite Ballroom in Lawler.
Entertainment in West Union: Beau Timmerman (country-styled covers) 10 a.m.-noon; The Swing Crew (eclectic acoustic covers) noon-2 p.m.; Bar Flyz (rock covers) 2-4 p.m.; Steven Schroeder (country) 4-5 p.m.; Rolling Thunder (AC/DC tribute) 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Arch Allies (classic rock tribute band) 8-11 p.m.
Camping: Sites scattered throughout West Union.
You can find downloadable GPX files for RAGBRAI's 2022 routes on the RAGBRAI website.
Day 7, June 30: West Union to Lansing
Miles: 65.4
Feet of climb: 2,966
Theme: Tire dip in the Mississippi
Pass-through towns: Elgin, Gunder, Waukon
Meeting town: Postville
Highlights: West Union bills itself as the "Gateway to the Driftless Area," with scenic trails and trout streams. Indeed, just beyond the city, on the final stretch, riders will encounter the region's rugged karst topography, with the most elevation gain on any day of the ride even though it's headed into the valley of the Mississippi River. Pass-through town Gunder is famous for the Gunder Roadhouse's giant Gunder Burgers. Meeting town Postville is among the most diverse cities in Iowa, a Kosher meatpacking center with a workforce from several continents and a large contingent of Orthodox rabbis. Lansing is a resort town that will turn on its charm to try to keep the crowd around for a few extra hours of tire-dipping, a final party and — for the truly hardy — a chance to pedal up steep Mt. Hosmer for a spectacular view.
Tire dip: River access is on North Front Street at Main Street.
Entertainment in Lansing: Buffalo Express (bluegrass) 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Squirrel Tail (bluegrass) 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Camping: For those who'd like to stay just one more night, reservations for camping in Lansing are available here.
You can find downloadable GPX files for RAGBRAI's 2022 routes on the RAGBRAI website.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: RAGBRAI 2022 route maps, distance, towns, entertainment and details
