Hotel shuttle?

Uber/Lyft?

That is a toughie. Jonathan is right about the shuttle. Ask the hotel now, not Saturday. The thing is, the shuttle may not be able to get that close to the luggage drop off.

Take what you need for one night and drop your big bag off the night before and bring your little kit on Sunday morning may be another route.

I would be shocked if a Le Mars motel had a shuttle service, but you might talk a local into helping you.

Iirc, the basic Ragbrai truck won’t hold luggage overnight. Charters may be different. I’m new, so IDK for sure.

I do the same thing, nearly ever year and I will be doing it Sunday morning in Le Mars. My two suggestions are 1) lower the weight of your pack as much as possible, get it down to 30 pounds or so 2) practice riding a mile or two with it on your back because that is likely what you will end up doing. I had a 43 pound pack one year and my host house was 3+ miles out of town in Atlantic, not fun. It is a relatively small price to pay for the luxury of a hotel. I will be staying at a hotel in Le Mars and will be riding 2 miles, with my pack (only 25 pounds this year) to the baggage truck in the morning.

The baggage truck wont “hold” your bags overnight, like was said. But, you can take what you need to the hotel, close up your bag and throw it under the baggage truck and leave it there all night. Then, in the morning, ride over there with your stuff, put it in your bigger bag, load it up on the truck and be on your way. I did that every day I rode in 2019 and my bag was right there under the truck where I left it each morning.

Wouldn’t it be simpler to give up the hotel and camp near the baggage truck?

Keep the motel and follow Uncle Kraig’s advice. If you’re worried about theft, you could lock the bag to a nearby pole, but I would consider that unnecessary.

Pro Tip #1 if you do follow my advice. Always put your bag under the truck in the rear, behind the back wheels, never in front of the back wheels. If that truck fills up first and leaves before you get there, you can thank me later :) FYI, if you do this, you will not be the only one. Many people have a very small bag/pack in their bigger bag. They take what they need for the night, put it in their small bag. They then throw their big bag under the truck and ride off. The process repeats itself every day.

How are you getting your bags to LaMars? Drop them off at the main camp instead of the hotel. Set up one tent at the main campground on Saturday and put other bags in the tent overnight. Backpack your overnight needs for the hotel. Return on bike with backpacks Sunday morning. Take down tent and load bags on truck.

Alternatively, become real good friends with another team with vehicle at the hotel in LeMars and you might be able to have them drop your bags at the luggage truck in Sac City on Sunday afternoon.

I don’t get the point of a hotel that night. Seems like a lot of hassle. Like someone said, cancel and save the money by just staying at the main campground. That first morning at the main campground is the best. Good luck though…

I don’t get the point of a hotel that night. Seems like a lot of hassle. Like someone said, cancel and save the money by just staying at the main campground. That first morning at the main campground is the best. Good luck though…

Early forecasts are for temps +/- 95 degrees on Saturday which probably means overnight lows in the 70’s and or 80’s. There is not much better than a nice long shower (with no lines) after sweating all day and night at the expo and then sleeping in a big soft bed in air conditioning before heading out Sunday for a 90 miler to Sac City. It is a bit of a hassle with the bags but overall, I’d take the trade off every day if I could :)

Pack lighter and ride the two miles.

Goldengirllv,
RDaryl’s ideas sound like the old puzzle of getting the grain, fox, and chicken across the river. A perfect solution. . . unless you don’t have a tent. If you do, then I go back to thinking you should camp near the truck. I hope it works out for you.