ROUTE MARKING & SIGNAGE
You will see these signs along the RAGBRAI Route:
BIKES
The bike route is marked each day with bright orange arrows and patrolled by emergency medical crews, the Iowa State Patrol and RAGBRAI personnel.
VEHICLES
RAGBRAI officials and the Iowa State Patrol prepare a route for support vehicles that avoids the bike route and leads drivers directly to the next overnight community. Bright green arrows are used to mark the vehicle route in and out of town.
MEETING TOWNS
Each day, one of the pass-through towns is designated as a meeting town for support vehicles to meet their riders and enjoy the hospitality of the local residents. Bright pink arrows will be used to direct support vehicles to and from the designated meeting town from the vehicle route.
BAGGAGE TRUCK
Each registered cyclist receives a baggage tag that allows them to place a bag on RAGBRAI’s baggage trucks for transport from overnight town to overnight town. The RAGBRAI baggage semi-trucks are always located in the main campground. When entering the overnight community, watch for signs for the RAGBRAI baggage trucks.
KARRAS LOOP PATCHES
Cyclists who complete the Karras Loop are rewarded with a commemorative patch. The Karras Loop patches are distributed on the Karras Loop at a location designated by two large, blue signs. Look for these signs on the right side of the road. Karras Loop patches are only given to registered cyclists completing the Loop during the posted hours; while supplies last.
Iowa’s county engineers caution cyclists that the secondary roads are primarily designated and maintained for motorized vehicular traffic and not necessarily for narrow wheeled bicycles. Iowa winters can be brutal on our road system. A rider may encounter an occasional random crack, pothole, loose granular material or difference in elevation that could pose a problem. With this in mind, if riders are attentive and travel at a safe speed, they should enjoy a comfortable ride across Iowa.
