RAGBRAI Route Inspection Pre-Ride Ready to Launch from Onawa

The RAGBRAI Route Inspection Pre-Ride Team arrived in Onawa this afternoon preparing for their seven-day journey across the state.  Approximately 45 members of the RAGBRAI Route Inspection Pre-Ride Team, including RAGBRAI Director T.J. Juskiewicz, RAGBRAI Assistant Director Scott Garner, RAGBRAI’s Merchandise and Media Manager and host of the JustGoBike podcast’s ParrotTalk Andrea Parrott and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition’s Executive Director Mark Wyatt will ride the entire RAGBRAI route 50 days in advance of the event. This year’s ride will encompass 428 miles across the state, from Onawa to Davenport.  The local RIDE RIGHT Committees will also join the ride in their areas of the state.

RAGBRAI XLVI is dedicated to Ann Karras. Wife of RAGBRAI Co-Founder John Karras, Ann was and is a beloved part of RAGBRAI history. For more on her role with RAGBRAI:  https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/kyle-munson/2017/11/17/ragbrai-first-lady-ann-karras-dies-iowa-bicycling/875476001/

For the fourteenth consecutive year, the RAGBRAI staff and a select group of cyclists will ride the entire RAGBRAI route 50 days in advance of the event.  The mission of the Route Inspection Ride is to spend an entire week inspecting the route and teaching the local RIDE RIGHT Committees what to do with the information learned during the inspection ride.  The group meets with the 8 overnight towns and over 40 pass-through town leaders along the way to review their RAGBRAI game plans.  They also will be looking at traffic patterns since they will be riding the route on the same day of the week that RAGBRAI will ride on later this summer.

RAGBRAI works diligently with the RIDE RIGHT committees to continually inspect the roads and report potential hazards to local officials and engineers who might be able to repair the roadways.  The local RIDE RIGHT committee also alerts home owners on the route about the event and educates townspeople about bicycle safety.  Many committees will host bike rodeos, helmet giveaways and other safety events for the community’s youth prior to RAGBRAI’s arrival.

In addition to reporting on road conditions, the team will be posting a daily update to RAGBRAI.com, pointing out some places of interest along the route that riders wouldn’t want to miss.  The team will also be inspecting some of the tasty treats that the town will be serving to RAGBRAIers in July.

A big thanks to Rich Ketcham of Geobike for devising the high-tech GPS tracking system for this year’s pre-ride and Mark Wyatt, the executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and the RIDE RIGHT state chairman, for helping with all safety aspects of the ride.

The team met Saturday evening with the local Onawa RIDE RIGHT Committee to discuss Sunday’s pre-ride and safety concerns in their community.   For the past several years, the Ride Inspection Team has been joined daily on their trek by the local committee members as well as local bike club members and bike shop owners that are willing to help.

ONAWA

RAGBRAI riders will assemble for a Super Saturday on the Widest Main Street in USA! Super heroes are heading to Onawa to join riders for the start of the 46^th Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. The town is tremendously excited to have RAGBRAI back after 14 years!  Onawa is no stranger to hosting super starts for RAGBRAI having successful hosted five previous times in 1977, 1983, 1987, 1995 and 2004.

Onawa is nestled between the beautiful Loess Hills and the Missouri River and did you know that the Eskimo Pie was created in Onawa in 1920? Yep, a Danish schoolteacher and candy shop owner named Christian Kent Nelson got the inspiration from a young Onawa boy who could decide between chocolate and an ice cream.  Mr. Kent experimented with this tasty treat and eventually worked with a Mr. Russell Stover to bring the Eskimo Pie to markets!  Eskimo Pies or any ice cream will taste great on the streets of Onawa to start RAGBRAI!

Onawa RAGBRAI will start Super Saturday with a live remote broadcast from Q102.3 playing all the hits of today.  They will be broadcasting from the RAGBRAI Bike Expo (the largest bike expo in the Midwest) and Beverage Area from 9:00 AM to noon.  The RAGBRAI Bike Expo and Beverage Area will encompass the Widest Main Street in USA so that you can have a nice cold beverage while exploring downtown Onawa and the Bike Expo.  Following Q102.3, DJ Schwartz from Complete Music will be continue keeping the music flowing from approx. 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM.

Live bands will hit the stage around 1:30 PM and play through the afternoon, evening and into the night!  Four bands have been lined up to keep the RAGBRAI Expo and Beverage Area going!  The first to hit the stage will be 4 On the Floor followed by One 2 Go both out of Omaha, Nebraska.   Opening for our headlining band will be Onawa’s own and Siouxland’s Choice Award winning band In Due Time! Amber, Risty and Jeremy will get you going and ready for the night!

Onawa is extremely excited to have 35^th and Taylor headline the Onawa RAGBRAI Concert!  If you haven’t yet heard of them yet, you definitely will in the near future.  35^th and Taylor is an awesome up and coming band that has been awarded the “Spirit Award” by the Iowa Rock and Roll Music Association by unanimous vote for the contribution as the “future of rock and roll in Iowa”! 35^th and Taylor has opened for Fuel, Dishwalla, Marcy Playground and many more.  Recently they played in-front of a sold-out show at the United Center opening for Bon Jovi’s This House is not for Sale Tour!

Other events that will be going on in Onawa will be Corn hole, sand volleyball, Ladder ball, etc. all throughout the fair grounds.  The Onawa Community Theater Players and West Monona Speech team will have several plays they are putting together specifically for RAGBRAI!

A big highlight every year is the huge RAGBRAI Outlet Tent in the RAGBRAI Expo in the downtown.  Thousands of older RAGBRAI items are drastically marked down so riders can pick up an older RAGBRAI jersey for $25 and other items that you need for your adventure.

Every detailed is being planned to help make this the best RAGBRAI yet! For update to date changes and information, please visit www.OnawaRAGBRAI.com or follow on Facebook @OnawaRAGBRAI!

There will be many other things added in the future so be sure to keep an eye out on Facebook and OnawaRAGBRAI.com!

For more information on Onawa’s RAGBRAI plans, visit:

Onawa’s RAGBRAI Website

Onawa’s Facebook Page

35th and Taylor’s Website (Main Stage Entertainment)

RAGBRAI Expo in Onawa

Be sure to tune in each day for the daily updates and photos from the route inspection ride on the RAGBRAI web site www.ragbrai.com. You can also follow the pre-ride adventure and learn interesting tidbits about the route by following on FACEBOOK  Facebook.com/RAGBRAI or on TWITTER by following @RAGBRAI_IOWA, @TJRAGBRAI, or @RAGBRAI_Andrea

For the past several years, the RAGBRAI Route Inspection Ride Team has been joined daily on their trek by the local committee members as well as local bike club members and bike shop owners that are willing to help.  If you plan to join the riders for a day, you must provide your own transportation back.

RAGBRAI XLVI Route Inspection Pre-Ride Schedule
(Sunday, June 3 – Saturday, June 9, 2018)

Sunday, June 3
(Onawa to Denison)
Ride leaves at 7 AM from: Gaukel Park (in Front of Fighter Jet)

Monday, June 4
(Denison to Jefferson)
Ride leaves at 7 AM from: Boulders Inn Majestic Hills

Tuesday, June 5
(Jefferson to Ames)
Ride leaves at 7 AM from: Mahanay Bell Tower in Downtown Jefferson Square

Wednesday, June 6
(Ames to Newton)
Ride leaves at 7 AM from: Brookside Park

Thursday, June 7
(Newton to Sigourney)
Ride leaves at 7 AM from: Downtown Courthouse Square

Friday, June 8
(Sigourney to Iowa City)
Ride leaves at 7 AM from: Downtown Sigourney Square (in front of Fountain)

Saturday, June 9
(Iowa City to Davenport)
Ride leaves at 7 AM from: Downtown Iowa City (in front of Old Capitol)

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