After three rides starting in northwest Iowa, including last year’s 50th anniversary RAGBRAI, which began in Sioux City, the Register’s Annual Great Iowa Bike Ride is beginning its second half-century with a change of location.
Here’s what lies ahead.
Sunday RAGBRAI route
Glenwood to Red Oak.
What to know
This will be a southerly route. That means smaller cities, more cows, fewer pigs and lots of hills. In fact, at 18,375 feet, this year’s ride has the greatest elevation gain in RAGBRAI history.
More: How you can conquer the hilliest RAGBRAI ever: expert advice
The climbing will begin immediately, as riders ascend from Glenwood in the Missouri River Valley through the picturesque Loess Hills. After first passing through the town of Silver City – a stop on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail – the tour turns east, first onto Carey Road and then Brothers Road. Narrow, albeit paved, farm roads begin the saw-toothed rollercoaster that will characterize much of this year’s route. You zoom in to see the green fields below, then zoom out and do it again until you lose count. The day’s distance is less than 42 miles, so it’s a good warm-up for what’s to come.
There’s a brief stretch of gravel as you leave the town of Henderson, but those who can tough it out will be rewarded with a comfortable cruise down US 59.
Yes, Emerson, a gateway city, promises to slip and slide.
Nightlife town Red Oak has fallen on hard times, losing major employers like its Eveready battery factory 30 years ago. But it remains a two-Casey town (Iowans know that’s a big deal in a rural area) and maintains a pleasant square and handsome courthouse. It has a distinguished, if tragic, history as a city that sacrificed more than its share of soldiers in conflicts, commemorated with a Second World War museum in its old railway station. It was also, for a time, the childhood home of longtime “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson.
Visit his RAGBRAI Facebook page at facebook.com/RAGBRAI.redoakiowa.
Climate
Sunday calls for a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms with partly sunny skies and a high near 76. Winds will be out of the east and northeast at 5 to 7 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than one-tenth of an inch, except larger amounts possible in thunderstorms.
On Sunday night, expect a chance of thunderstorms before 7pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. East northeast wind around 6 mph, becoming calm at night. The probability of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than one-tenth of an inch, except larger amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Entertainment
Performances in Red Oak begin at noon. The main attraction Pet Rock, a tribute band to the 1970s, is scheduled to take the stage at 8:30 pm.
Looking for
The stunning views along Brothers Road between Silver City and the meeting town of Henderson.
This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: RAGBRAI 2024 Day 1 Preview: From Glenwood to Red Oak
