RAGBRAI Graphic Designer Cory Mutch gives us a peek under the hood of the RAGBRAI LII logo. The annual RAGBRAI 52 logo is anchored by vibrant blues and neon red colors. The logo design inspired by 1950s bomber art captures the spirit of the ride, the open roads, and the friends met along the adventure.
The RAGBRAI logo and theme release marks the start of an exciting countdown to the 52nd edition of RAGBRAI which will be held July 19 – 26, 2025. Registration opens November 15!
Cory walks us through the logo:
“When brainstorming for a theme and logo the obvious connection was playing off the B-52. I’ve always loved Bomber/Nose Art and the stories behind how the crews came up with the name and artwork around each one. Nose art was seen as a way to boost morale and provide a sense of pride much like our annual logo does for many riders every year.
Of those styles, the “City of,” was a cool design where the nose of the plane was painted with the name of a city, often the pilot’s hometown, signifying a personal connection to their place of origin. This got my mind thinking about pinning RAGBRAI’s origin “IOWA,” and all the people who take flight from all over the World and United States to come to our great state to the conquer the trip from river to river on their bicycle.
My first sketches all had the aircraft the main focus and prominent in the forefront. After doing numerous drafts I knew I wanted to add the bicycle in some way. I started researching era correct bikes and came across the article about Sgt. Bill Britch (see below) and decided this was the style of bike that fit with our theme. His story ties with our riders how they personalize their bikes, or push themselves to see how far they can ride, and even, like some of you have seen on route… he rode his bike backwards on the handlebars.
The final touch was to add some POP… “pop art” that is. This is one of my favorite art styles. In High School I painted many of Roy Lichtenstein’s works and changed them up a little to add my own personality. The dot pattern adds that little extra finishing touch to the logo that brings all these aspects together!”
- The B-52 is a massive aircraft with a flight crew of just five. It was first put in service in 1952 and is the oldest active aircraft in military service. Having a similar resemblance to how RAGBRAI is the world’s oldest, largest, and longest multi-day bicycle touring event organized by a staff of just eight.
- Cory Mutch (RAGBRAI’s Graphic Designer) hales from Grundy Center, IA and there was a B-29 named “The City of Grundy Center”. Note the flagpole that was carried over into the 2025 design.
- The bicycle in the logo was drawn from a picture of a WW2 issued bike. The Army’s official use for these bicycles was to provide transportation for personnel engaged in dispatch or messenger service. Of course they were used for many other purposes and proved a fast and economical way to get around Depots, Camps and Airfields. They are amongst the rarest of vintage military vehicles to be found.
- Sgt. Bill Britch and his bike (seen here in this article showing him riding backwards much like our very own Will Walker). Not familiar with Will? We interviewed him on the JustGoBike Podcast! Click this text to hear all about the backward biker of RAGBRAI!
Cory Mutch has been RAGBRAI’s Graphic Designer since 2022, and designed the LI and LII logos. He’s an avid cyclist and rides the Route Inspection each year. You may also recognize him from the Main Campground, slinging duffel bags all week during RAGBRAI. Before joining the team, Cory served on four Charles City RAGBRAI committees, most recently as the co-chair for the 2022 ride.
