RAGBRAI ’24 is Coming!

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Hear them coming? The bikers are on their way! But it’s not the rumble of Harleys, it’s the whiz of a road bike as it passes by flying downhill. There are no loose-fitting leather vests with these bikers. They’re mainly clad in tight-fitting, moisture-wicking outfits that breathe much better than leather. RAGBRAI is coming!

Once again, I’ll be escorting the Buff Riders on their journey from one side of the state to the other. As their devoted SAG (Support And Gear) driver, I’ll be driving the Buff Bus through towns across the state. If you’re attending this wild gathering of bike enthusiasts and see this bus, stop by!

Buff Riders Buff Bus
Buff Bus, The Buff Riders Bike Team

Going Home

The general route of this year’s event was revealed with much fanfare in January. But it wasn’t until April that we got to see the full route, including the meeting towns. This year’s event is a special one for me as it will traverse through southern Iowa, trudging through a number of towns that I have been through many times. This includes my hometown of Red Oak! The big orange pumpkin that is our water tower will be an inviting sight to many riders who have struggled through the Loess Hills that first day.

Red Oak, Iowa, Watertower; By RuralResurrection, Wikimedia

Will Greenfield Be Ready?

But will Greenfield be ready? On May 21, 2024, a tornado ripped through the heart of the community. The violent F4-sized tornado destroyed almost everything in its path. When the Route Inspection Team rolled through in early June there were comments that they didn’t know if Greenfield would be ready for the event in late June. Some thought it would take a miracle for the community to be ready to host cyclists as the Day 3 Meeting Town.

But it was announced on June 11th that Greenfield would in fact host riders during RAGBRAI. To be ready for RAGBRAI two months after a tornado tore the community apart is mind-blowing. If you want to help their recovery efforts, go to RAGBRAI’s Greenfield Strong page and follow the link to the page to donate.

Check Out Each Community Along the Way

Like in past years, I fully expect RAGBRAI ’24 to provide a treasure trove of potential content for the Rural Resurrection blog. I’ve started looking at towns along the way that might provide inspiration. But if you know of any unique aspects or stories about the following communities, let me know.

I’ve also included links to each Meeting Town’s and each Overnight Town’s Facebook page for the event below. Check them out. Every community approaches the annual event differently. Regardless of whether your community is in Iowa or another state, it is a good practice to see what each community does for such large events. You can also see how each community handles marketing. After checking out a few websites or Facebook pages, you can typically tell who does a good job and why.

Downtown Newton RAGBRAI 23
Downtown Newton RAGBRAI ’23

Meeting Towns

Meeting towns are communities that usually provide a lunch stop. Well, except for those crazy riders that start at 4 am. They’re usually too small to hold riders overnight, but big enough to handle the influx for a few hours. It’s usually a nice mid-point for riders and their support crew to meet up.

Overnight Towns

Overnight towns are communities that host most of the riders for the evening. These communities are large enough to handle all the riders and are typically the county seat for their respective county.

Hopefully, I’ll have time to post to social media channels along the way. So be sure to subscribe and check Rural Resurrection’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for short bits of content along the way.