Editor’s Note: 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 photos from his journey. John reflected on his experience documenting and riding in his first-ever RAGBRAI.

Pedaling hard through the rolling hills of Clayton County, I began to see the road signs for Edgewood, then Garber, and finally Guttenberg. The end of my seven-day journey by bicycle was coming near, and only as I coasted down the steep slope of Garber Road into Guttenberg that I realized how much more RAGBRAI is than just a bike ride.

The decision to take part in the Register’s 52nd Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa did not come lightly. With 406 miles to ride and 10,487 feet to climb, I knew I would meet my match.

Veteran RAGBRAI riders, however, will argue the 50th ride, at a total of 500 miles, was more of a challenge, but I would say that any period of 7 days spent sleeping in a tent is challenging enough.

Nevertheless, I decided to bring a notebook along and strap a camera to my back so I could document my journey through the fields, forests, and foothills of Iowa.

RAGBRAI LII began on Saturday, July 19th, as riders from across the world rolled into Orange City, Iowa, either by bus, car, or even pedaling in from a nearby city with their luggage strapped to their bicycle. The theme this year was ‘Take Flight.’ A fitting slogan for the sense of freedom that riding a bicycle can instill in you, but it can also be taken literally for the flyover that took place over downtown Orange City by a massive Boeing refueling tanker aircraft, seen by thousands of cheering cyclists that evening.

After a night of food and live music, the following Sunday morning acted as the true kickoff to the week’s ride. Waking up at 6:00 A.M. only to immediately start tearing down my tent before donning my bicycle helmet was another slow reminder as to why I’m not a morning person. After pedaling out of Orange City, though, the promise of homemade pie by a series of colorful yard signs placed along the side of the road to Granville gave me the strength to shake off my morning tiredness.

Iowa’s small-town hospitality is one of the true joys of riding RAGBRAI. The smiling volunteers and witty signs that welcome riders to each town are a testament to the phrase: Iowa nice, which seems to get used even more during RAGBRAI.

“I can ride my bike anywhere at home, but it’s fun to come and ride with 20,000 new friends,” said Danny Davis, the founder of Lucky Penny USA, a non-profit built around providing custom three-wheeled and balance bicycles to children with special needs.

Davis is a recognizable figure on the RAGBRAI route, as he rides a modern penny-farthing bicycle based on the iconic design of the 1880s high-wheeled bicycle with a small rear wheel.

In 2024, Davis rode his penny-farthing across the nation, from Santa Monica Pier, all the way to Ocean City, Maryland, in a fundraising attempt to supply more bicycles to families in need. It was a $7,700 success, but Davis believes that the generosity of RAGBRAI riders this year can advance his non-profit even further.

Davis, however, is not the only one on the RAGBRAI route that is looking for some additional fundraising. While in Bancroft on Tuesday, July 22nd, I spoke with Captain Scott Shillington of the Bancroft Fire Department, who is working against the clock on raising enough money to build a new fire station before their current facility is replaced by a power plant substation in 2027.

“We really wouldn’t be anything without our community,” Shillington said. “Our community has helped us tremendously.”

Shillington said the Bancroft Fire Department has had some federal grants to assist with new equipment purchases, but now needs to focus all efforts on the new facility.

“We have a plot of ground that we feel would suit us very well; it’s just the process of getting things going.”

Getting things going involves a fundraising goal of 1.5 million dollars, a heavy price tag for the small Bancroft community. Shillington is thankful to have always had the strong support of his community, but he is also optimistic that the generosity of RAGBRAI riders can fill in some of the gaps.

So far, a total of $410 has been raised for the new fire station on Zeffy, a fundraising site used by non-profits.

With the new facility still a far cry away, Shillington says whatever happens, Bancroft will always have the support of its neighboring communities, “the community has always stepped up when we’ve said this is our plan and this is where we’re going with it.”

In other small town communities like New Hartford, the need for additional fundraising is just as urgent. Speaking with EMT Sarah Child, I learned about their efforts to raise money for a new ambulance to care for their community of about 600 residents.

“It’s 2002, and just getting where a lot of things need to be upgraded,” says Child, who notes that although the ambulance team in New Hartford is happy to see riders experience what their town has to offer, they are also looking for any possible donations to come their way. Unlike Bancroft’s fire department, the ambulance team in New Hartford does not receive any grants and must rely on donations from individuals as well as billing for their services.

“You don’t always know that you’re going to need the service until you need it, and it’s a shame if you don’t have it or no one’s available,” Child said, who adds that the fire department and ambulance team in New Hartford are entirely volunteer based, much like the rest of rural Iowa.

The fundraising potential that RAGBRAI brings to small communities can be paramount for underfunded essential services like fire departments and ambulance teams, but it also depends on the coordination of the towns and the willingness of the riders.

I spoke with RAGBRAI Ride Director Matt Phippen before the week’s ride, who affirmed that RAGBRAI is only as strong as the communities it passes through.

“Without the people of Iowa in our communities, we do not have a ride. It’s truly Iowa nice, and the people of Iowa that pull this off,” says Phippen, who adds that the RAGBRAI organization provides every town and county it passes through with seed money to assist with rolling out the welcome mat to riders. “Overnight towns will receive $50,000, our meeting towns receive $10,000, and all our pass-throughs will receive $5,000.”

As I rode through all of the smaller pass-through towns this summer, eating homemade pie and walking tacos, I realized the importance of RAGBRAI.

These small towns can be easy to overlook, but with events like RAGBRAI, people can come and witness the best of what they have to offer firsthand. The people of small-town Iowa are unique and vibrant, and they will do everything they can so that their communities thrive.

They are the reason that RAGBRAI can continue even after 52 years, and they are the reason I will be returning next year to sleep in a tent for another seven days.