Daily Iowan photojournalist John Charlson rode the full 406-mile and seven-day trek with a camera, capturing his journey along the way. Check out dailyiowan.com for more photos and John’s story about his journey.
The third day of the Register’s 52nd Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI LII) was a challenge for all. Temperatures climbed to the upper 80s, and riders daring enough to take a detour upon riding into Crystal Lake, Iowa were met with a total of 101.9 miles. The Karras Century Loop occurs annually, one day out of the week where riders can choose to pedal over 100 miles and receive a commemorative patch upon completion.
Day 4 only increased in difficulty from there, with riders cycling into a 20 mph headwind as they traveled south through the meeting town of Latimer, and into the overnight town of Iowa Falls. Finally offering some relief from the strong winds, Thursday’s ride traveled mostly east through towns like Ackley and Aplington, with the overnight town being 50 miles away in Cedar Falls.
Nearing the end of the week, riders only had a short 38.4 mile ride into Oelwein, but the long hill separating downtown from the main RAGBRAI campgrounds near the Oelwein High School gave some riders extra incentive to stay in their tents and rest before the longer 61.6 mile ride to the end town of Guttenberg on Saturday. When riders left Oelwein, they were greeted with another foggy morning as they passed through the towns of Stanley, Aurora, Lamont, and Dundee before arriving into the meeting town of Edgewood.
After fighting through the nearly 2,000 feet of climb that surrounds Garber, riders finally arrived in Guttenberg, Iowa to dip their front tires in the Mississippi River. The week’s ride totaled 406 miles and 10,487 feet of climb, making for an easier year than in past RAGBRAI’s, but just as much as an accomplishment.
