Come on you Iowa folks, give us something for the rumor mill. There’s always been newspaper reports, etc. in the past regarding communications to the DMR.

As to Missouri Valley as a start, that’s just not my favorite spot. Let’s start south of Council Bluffs.

http://www.nonpareilonline.com/news/local/at-least-four-swi-communities-to-vie-for-ragbrai/article_0703c59f-a53e-51dc-9719-58ec57372be7.html

I’d like to suggest a “southern tier” route, going through the southern-most counties along the Iowa-Missouri border starting in Hamburg. We’d pass through and/or overnight in places with previous RAGBRAI experience like Shenandoah, Clarinda, Bedford, Leon, Corydon, Centerville, Bloomfield and KEOKUK. Other first-time towns could also join the parade. In the alternative, we could ride through the next row of counties to the north, starting in Glenwood and passing through/overnighting in places like Red Oak, Corning, Creston, Osceola, Chariton, Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant and Burlington.

Regardless of the route, it will be another memorable RAGBRAI. I can’t wait until next July (just have to survive Hurricane Joaquin and another @#$@%@#% winter in the northeast). See you along the I-O-Way!

Mr. Woo, I like your first route.

Gotta include Lamoni as a pass through town at least…they have been interested as an overnight as well. Lamoni has been a pass-through town at least twice before, once on IX (my first RAG) and then another time (don’t remember the year.) My old B.A. college, Graceland University, is also there with all of its charm and scenery. Cheers.

Graceland? Did Elvis go there?

I have a couple of southern route suggestions, both include several “new” towns.

ONAWA- Turin, Moorhead, Dunlap, Earling, Panama, Westphalia. HARLAN – Walnut, Lewis, Cumberland, Massena, Fontanelle, GREENFIELD – Orient, Creston, Diagonal, Tingley, Ellston, Sun Valley Lake, Grand River, LEON – Garden Grove, Humeston, Cambria, Millerton, Seymour, Numa, CENTERVILLE – Mystic, Moravia, Albia, Chillicothe, Kirkville, Cedar, Fremont, Hedrick, Martinsburg, SIGOURNEY – Ollie, Richland, Brighton, Coppick, Crawfordsville, Wyman, WAPELLO – Toolsboro, Oakville, Kingston BURLINGTON.

GLENWOOD- Tabor, Malvern, Hastings, Emerson, RED OAK – Elliot, Grant, Wyman, Bridgewater, Orient, CRESTON – Afton, Arispe, Tingley, Ellston, Sun Valley Lake, Gran River, LAMONI – Davis CityLeon, Garden Grove, Humeston, Cambria, Millerton, Promise City, Seymour, Numa, CENTERVILLE – Mystic, Moravia, Hocking, Albia, OTTUMWA – Floris, Eldon, Selma, Hillsboro, Salem, MOUNT PLEASANT – New London, Lowell, West Point, Franklin, Donnellson, New Boston, Montrose, Galland, KEOKUK.

jwsknk – I like your Glenwood route. Reminds me a little of RAGBRAI XX.

But I wonder, so long as we are suggesting good routes, if the DMR has ever considered two nights in one overnight town. You arrive in town and spend the night, do an out and back, spend the night, and then move on again. Lots of week long rides are doing that now. It’s rather nice to not have to break camp for a day. Something like that for RAGBRAI in 2016 would allow for a fairly “straight across Iowa” route without sacrificing total mileage. It would have to be a town large enough to handle two nights (i.e., Ames, Des Moines, Waterloo, etc.).

Iceman, I would be up for two nights in one town as long as it was a larger town as you stated.

I heard a rumor that it was starting in Orange City and Alton would be co-hosting it. Similiar to Tama/Toledo a few years ago. I love RAGBRAI rumors!

would OC shut everything down at midnight?

Ice,

Maybe a loop day ride from the double overnight town. An out and back with a RAGBRAI size crowd may be asking for some head-on bike collisions.

Moots – that’s what I meant. I’ve done four or five week long rides in the past few years that did a “loop ride” that returned to the overnight town, thereby allowing people to camp there for two nights. Works well. The late risers really like it since there’s no requirement to get their luggage loaded by 7 or 8 am. Also, it’s been noted on this board more than once that the riders are getting older and some folks really like to lounge for a day. And finally, I’m sure a city like Des Moines or Ames would relish the idea of having that many folks “$pending” an extra day and night in their municipality.

It all makes sense. Some come on DMR, show some originality.

“They” would probably be afraid of that, too many would stay out all night drinking and not ride at all on the loop out day, just stay and drink more. Someplace like the state fairgrounds might be able to handle it, multiple stages and fenced for some degree of control.

Ice,

A day loop ride or optional rest day would make lots of sense. All the team vehicles and personal get a rest day also then. Might even be the perfect century day.