Get ready for RAGBRAI

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

RAGBRAI started its annual trek across the state from Orange City on Sunday. It spent Sunday night in Spencer, and will spend Monday night in Algona and Tuesday in Clear Lake before rolling through Floyd County and spending Wednesday night in Charles City.

Charles City has witnessed RAGBRAI up close and personal before, most recently in 2010 when the bike ride made an overnight stop in this city.

But for those new to the area or who have not experienced the event, the overwhelming nature of RAGBRAI can be a little hard to imagine.

Bob Krueger of Charles City is an avid bicyclist who has participated in many RAGBRAIs, and who is local chairman of the Ride Right Committee which works to make biking safe, especially during events such as the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

“You will see cyclists forever,” Krueger said of Wednesday’s RAGBRAI overnight stay in Charles City, and of the route leading to Charles City Wednesday and away from Charles City Thursday.

Some streets will be closed and others will have so much bike traffic that it will be difficult to enter or cross, he said in a press release.

“Please try to keep the right side of the road and shoulder clear of objects and debris,” Krueger said. “Please limit automobile use on marked bicycle routes, and if you park on the route please be careful when opening car doors.”

There are 8,500 weeklong passes given out for RAGBRAI participants, plus another 1,500 daily passes, meaning a total of 10,000 “official” bike riders per day, according to RAGBRAI Factoids on the event’s website.

Add in another 2,000 or so people including family members or friends who drive ahead to set up camp, support staff, law enforcement, bike repair shops, medical teams and others and you’re up to about 12,000 people who are officially part of the event.

But the hoard swells well beyond that, with hundreds or thousands of unofficial bicyclists joining in depending on the day and the route, and hundreds or thousands more area residents joining in to experience the event and enjoy the entertainment at the overnight stop communities.

General estimates, depending on who you talk to, range from 15,000 to 20,000 people entering a community for at least part of an overnight stop, with larger numbers associated with larger communities.

For example, according to RAGBRAI Factoids, 36,000 bike riders were counted on the road from Perry to Des Moines for the 2013 ride.

Krueger said it’s natural to want to join in the fun, but the sheer number of bike riders makes some guidelines necessary.

For example, he said, if it’s a hot day it might seem like a nice idea to give riders a cool spray of water. But many riders have expensive electronic gear on their bikes that may not be waterproof, or they might be carrying supplies that could be damaged by water.

“Don’t try to hand anything to riders,” Krueger said. “No high-fives.”

He also cautioned about kids and pets.

“Young cyclists may want to follow along, but will only make the ride more dangerous,” Krueger said. “And for the safety of your pets and riders, please keep pets or other animals penned or leashed.”

He said people who want to set up food or refreshment stands along the route should comply with food and beverage laws, and remember to keep the stands on the right side of the road in the direction the bikers are traveling, so they don’t have to cross traffic to get to them.

Food and beverage stands in Charles City and within two miles surrounding the city are controlled by the city and Floyd County and are with permits only.

“We want to make this a fun event,” Krueger said. “Please join us in showing our RAGBRAI guests the pride of Iowa.”