Pedaling Paradise
For one weekend, Mills County was at the hub of the cycling universe as more than 10,000 bicyclists gathered for the start of RAGBRAI - the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
The 420-mile journey across the state started in Glenwood Sunday morning and ends in Muscatine on Saturday.
Riders endured sunny skies and warm temperatures on Day 1 of the ride as they made their way to Shenandoah, with stops along the way in Malvern, Tabor and Randolph.
Along the route, riders were greeted with applause, well-wishes and signs of encouragement from roadside spectators who got up early to watch the colorful parade of two-wheelers pass by.
The riders flooded Malvern’s Main Street where many took a break to fill their water bottles and grab a bite to eat from a local food vendor. Similar scenes played out in Tabor and Randolph where many of the weary riders looked for a shady tree to rest under.
Sunday morning’s sendoff marked the seventh time Glenwood has served as the starting point for RAGBRAI, the largest and oldest cross-state bicycle ride in the nation. Many of the RAGBRAI participants were in town by Saturday to enjoy the kickoff festivities that included an expo of bicycle-related retail vendors and a beverage garden and live music on Town Square.
Glenwood Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Linda Washburn said the successful event was an opportunity to showcase the Glenwood community.
“I thought everything went well,” Washburn said. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative efforts of the RAGBRAI team here in Glenwood. Without the work of so many volunteers, we wouldn’t have been able to host 20,000 visitors.”
Town Square was buzzing with activity from the opening of the bike expo at noon to the closing of the beverage garden at midnight. When RAGBRAI last visited Glenwood in 2011, the expo was held on the parking lot at Glenwood Community High School, but was moved to Town Square this year at the request of RAGBRAI organizers who wanted one centralized location for the day’s festivities. The move drew the praise of RAGBRAI director TJ Juskiewicz and members of the Glenwood RAGBRAI organizing committee. The high density of pedestrian traffic was beneficial for the more than two dozen food vendors and local establishments around the square.
For the first time, the beverage garden was “open air.” Adults who purchased alcoholic beverages in the beverage garden could move around freely with their drinks throughout the confines of the beverage garden.
“RAGBRAI people thought everything on Saturday went very well,” Washburn said. “For the most part, both the expo and the open air concept in the beverage garden went very well.”
There was a strong law enforcement presence around the square. Glenwood Police Chief Eric Johansen and Mills County Sheriff Eugene Goos both said they feel the event went well.
“Overall, I would say the event in Glenwood was very successful,” Johansen said. “There are advantages and disadvantages of the open air concept in the beverage garden. and I was concerned about Sharp Street being closed as long as it was, but it worked out fine.”
Goos said he felt this year’s RAGBRAI went smoother than some previous years, despite the arrests of 13 people for public intoxication, disorderly conduct and other related charges.
“All of the arrests were local people,” Goos said. “Twelve were from Glenwood and one from Malvern.”
Day 1 of the week-long ride across the state did began with tragedy on Sunday when a Florida bicyclist died after being struck by a pickup truck on U.S. Highway 34 west of Interstate 29 (story on Page 1A). The bicylist was not on the designated RAGBRAI route when the collision occurred. Investigators believe he may have been riding to the Missouri River to dip his back tire into the water, a longstanding RAGBRAI tradition.