By Alexandra Connor From The Gazette

Estimated 10,000 riders poised for 411-mile RAGBRA

For T.J. Juskiewicz, 10,000 bike riders trekking from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River over the course of seven days is “a uniquely Iowa event, popularly know as RAGBRAI.

With 44 years under its belt, RAGBRAI is documented as the “oldest, largest and longest recreational bicycle event in the world.” This year — No. 45 — riders are anticipating the third shortest, flattest and easiest route in the journey’s history, but that is not to say the ride is relaxed.

Trailing through Northern Iowa, RAGBRAI begins Sunday in Orange City and ends 411 miles later on July 29 in Lansing. How to ride all seven days? Lots and lots of endurance.

RAGBRAI Director Juskiewicz said that with each year, the bicycle ride offers a different experience, depending on conditions like the weather or the host communities.

On Sunday, the countdown clock on the RAGBRAI website finally hits zero days, zero hours and zero minutes — a moment an estimated 10,000 riders have marked in their calendars.

This year, riders hail from all 50 states and 14 other countries or territories: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Still, the ride remains a resemblance of Iowa with 35 percent of its riders from the state.

Formed in 1973 by two Des Moines Register columnists — then-dubbed as the “Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride Across Iowa” — RAGBRAI has become a tradition paved into Iowa’s summer, the ride coming just weeks before the Iowa State Fair.

The ride officially took shape in 1975 when it was named the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

Some of the special events set for this year’s ride include:

• A Mile of Silence (Sunday), to remember riders who have died during the trip.

• Gravel Loop Day (also Sunday), offering an optional 19-mile loop for those wanting the taste of gravel.

• Mr. Pork Chop and Karras Loop Day (Monday), a moment to remember RAGBRAI legend Paul Bernhard along with the chance to earn a loop patch from one of the ride’s founders, John Karras, during an optional extra 30-mile loop.

• College Spirit Day (Friday). where riders are encouraged to wear their favorite team’s colors or jersey.

With thousands participating in the ride, Juskiewicz said he is most looking forward to just seeing everyone come together, noting some riders that have participated in RAGBRAI all 45 years.

“Just great to see people coming from all over,” he said. “Coming to see the good people of Iowa.”

By the numbers

Here is a look at some of the numbers behind this year’s RAGBRAI:

45 — Years the event has taken place, the first ride coming in 1973.

10,000 — Number of riders expected.

15 — Countries represented by cyclists.

35 — Percentage of riders from Iowa.

411 — Miles in this year’s ride.

48.8 — Additional optional miles riders may choose to ride on Day 1 and 2 of the event.

71.7 — The number of miles in the Day 2 ride — the longest.

44.8 — The number of miles in the Day 7 ride — the shortest.

12,778 — Feet in climb of this year’s ride.

39 — Number of cities through which riders will pass. The optional routes add another two cities.

IMAGE: Lonnie Zingula covers a bicycle with a blanket as riders with Coe College’s TeamCoeBRAI load a truck with their gear for the trip to the start of the 2017 RAGBRAI at Coe College in northeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Friday. July 21, 2017. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

For more on this story go to: http://www.thegazette.com/subject/life/people-places/northern-iowa-awaits-thousands-of-cyclists-as-ragbrai-returns-20170722