Outstanding Organized Rides
Ragbrai 450 - 500 miles

This fully supported ride (SAG wagons, ambulances, emergency transport) is always the last full week in July. The route varies every year. You start on the west side of Iowa with your back tire in the Missouri River and end with your front tire in the Mississippi. While called a party ride in some circles, note you average 70 miles a day, each &amp; every day, for a full week. It starts on a Sunday and finishes Sat afternoon. There is an optional century loop one day of the ride. Typical climbs of 12,000 to 20,000 feet over the week.

The ride is physically challenging. You need to have completed at least 1,000 miles of training. The roads you ride on are typically closed, no traffic in either direction except for ambulances. Occasionally the road is only closed in the direction you are traveling. Police are usually stationed at every intersection. Ride registration covers your camping gear transportation, ambulances, camping, and entry to various events. (There is a concert in every overnight town you stay in.)

The ride has about 10,000 week long riders, 3,000 - 5,000 day riders and probably 3,000 bandits. Weeklong riders enter a lottery to win a place in the ride. (The lottery for this year is already closed, but you can find people selling their spots after the lottery results are posted.) Day passes are available for quite a while yet. For this years route visit:

http://www.ragbrai.com