Pork Chops and Cornfields: These Photos Capture What Makes RAGBRAI Special
The Editors
The Best Photos From RAGBRAI's 50th EditionKersten Vasey
The scent of pork chops, grilled corn, and homemade strawberry pie. And then something rank. Is that coming from you or a cow you just pedaled past? You slow to a stop at the pig farm to reapply chamois butter, and “Back in Black” fades to “Free Bird” as various stereos on wheels whiz by. Back in the saddle, a roadside family of six throws a popsicle your way. You swerve to snag it and narrowly dodge a quad tandem in Speedos. It’s your fifth popsicle of the day and it’s only 9:30 a.m.—another average morning on RAGBRAI, a.k.a. the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, the largest and oldest recreational bike ride in the world.
Its appeal seems to defy logic: tens of thousands of people of all ages, many camping each night, descend on Iowa to ride hundreds of miles from the Missouri to the Mississippi during the peak heat of summer. The ride was the brainchild of two Des Moines Register journalists, John Karras and Don Kaul, as a challenge that swelled from 300 Iowans in 1973 to thousands from all over the world. Averaging 468 miles ridden over seven days, the route changes yearly while many of its riders stay the same—once you experience the magic and mayhem of RAGBRAI, it’s hard to steer clear.
An estimated 30,000 to 60,000 people took to the byways, bridges, and gravel roads of Iowa each day for “One L of a Ride,” the 50th-anniversary ride that launched on July 23, 2023, from Sioux City—just as it did 50 years earlier. Severe thunderstorms, surprise hills, and high temperatures were only small setbacks as the annual party on wheels proved once again that pain is temporary, and RAGBRAI is forever.
A young rider poses with a baby goat at one of the many roadside farm stops that lure riders of all ages. Goat yoga, tractor rides, slip ’n’ slides, petting farms—all common stops on RAGBRAI.Kersten Vasey
Claire and Blaine Hawkins battle to stay cool at the Madrid fire station. The couple rode on their tandem from Ames to Ankeny to celebrate their upcoming nuptials the following weekend. The heat index soared over 100 on multiple days throughout the week. Many riders opted to start their rides before sunrise to avoid riding during the hottest parts of the day. The official SAG wagon stayed busy throughout the week, picking up hundreds of riders who ended their days early due to heat and exhaustion.Kersten Vasey
A couple rides the optional gravel route on a Hase Bikes Pino tandem recumbent bike between Storm Lake and Early on day No. 2. A gravel loop was added to RAGBRAI in 2015 and an optional day was included in 2021 due to the newfound popularity of gravel riding. The route is generally less crowded, which many riders prefer. Due to road construction, a two-mile stretch of gravel was mandatory for the first time in decades. Kersten Vasey
“Dan Dan the Cycling Man” adds his name to the World Record Day sign in Madrid between Ames and Des Moines. Self-supported at 73, Dan recently switched to riding an e-bike to be comfortable participating. With a long history of bikepacking across the country, Dan rode from Key West to Fairbanks when he was 60. RAGBRAI initially had plans to set a Guinness World Record for the largest parade of bicycles but canceled the plans due to requirements from Guinness.Kersten Vasey
Cyrille Vincent poses next to a portrait of Major Taylor at the expo in Sioux City, Iowa. Vincent is the director and executive producer of Whirlwind, an upcoming documentary about Taylor, who became the first Black cyclist to win a cycling world championship in 1899. Vincent rode RAGBRAI for the first time to raise money for his documentary. While he didn’t complete all 500 miles in 2023, Vincent believes it was a life-changing experience and hopes to complete a full ride in the future.Kersten Vasey
Another humid and hazy sunrise greets riders outside of Carroll.Kersten Vasey
The Dream Team lines up for the long-awaited front tire dip that marks the end of day No. 7 and the end of the journey to the Mississippi River in Davenport. The Dream Team is a five-month program in the Des Moines Area that pairs high schoolers with mentors to achieve personal growth and develop healthy habits. The nonprofit believes in the power of bicycling to change lives—the program culminates at RAGBRAI for dozens of young adults each year.Kersten Vasey
