CYCLIST APRIL SORENSON was the most recent speaker in the presentation series at the Madison Public Library with assistance from the Friends of the MPL. On Tuesday, she spoke to audience members about her experiences with the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), an over 450-mile ride from the western to eastern part of the state.
CYCLIST APRIL SORENSON was the most recent speaker in the presentation series at the Madison Public Library with assistance from the Friends of the MPL. On Tuesday, she spoke to audience members about her experiences with the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), an over 450-mile ride from the western to eastern part of the state.
For some, riding a bike is a simple and leisurely activity. For others, it’s a way to journey across an entire state in a week’s time.
This was the focus of a presentation from Iowa native and cyclist April Sorenson, who was Tuesday’s keynote speaker at the Madison Public Library in collaboration with the Friends of the MPL.
Sorenson recounted her four years of experience with the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). The ride encompasses an over 450-mile trek split across seven days in the last full week of July.
“It’s not a race; it’s basically just fun for those of us who like to be out soaking up the hot sun, wind, insects and moving down the road on our own power,” Sorenson joked.
Sorenson said the RAGBRAI is one of the oldest cycling events in the world, with origins dating back to 1973. She explained that the ride started out as a challenge between members of one of Iowa’s top newspapers, the Des Moines Register.
Feature writer/coper editor John Karras suggested to columnist Don Kaul that he should bicycle across Iowa and chronicle his journey for the paper. Kaul agreed, but only if Karras would accompany him. Public Relations Director Don Benson was then assigned to coordinate the ride.
From there, the trio invited members of the public to join them. Participants were only given six weeks notice, yet an estimated 300 people showed up to ride. Only 114 completed the journey, which stretched roughly 350 miles from Sioux City to Davenport — but a new Iowa tradition had just been born.
“10,000 people are officially allowed to join, but people can buy passes from day to day, and some just show up without purchasing a pass,” she said, “so sometimes they think there can be as many as 20,000 to 25,000 people going town to town.”
Sorenson noted that the upcoming ride is the event’s 50th anniversary.
While the route changes every year, 2023 will feature a journey from Sergeant Bluff to the town of Lansing near the Mississippi River. Sorenson said that towns and cities along the way are utilized as overnight campsites, all of which contain local food options, sightseeing opportunities and concerts.
She added that the overnight stops are mostly well-equipped to handle the massive amount of riders moving through their communities, yet conditions can sometimes get a bit packed. She then described a town where riders were stuffed shoulder to shoulder for the majority of the night.
“I camped on the lawn of a city councilman that night,” Sorenson quipped.
Participants are permitted 50 pounds of luggage for their camping materials, clothes and other necessities. Sorenson added that some choose to carry these items on their bike, though most elect to use a sponsored semi truck that carries luggage from one overnight spot to the next for a small fee.
Sorenson said that while the majority of riders dress in standard cycling apparel, others are a bit more adventurous. She highlighted a man who dresses as Elton John on a recumbent bicycle, a pair who perform as Batman and Robin, and a group of men who ride in speedos.
Sorenson said that like the dress code, which style of bicycle participants use is largely unrestrictive. She’s seen tricycles, rollerblades and even a group of performing magicians who completed the entire ride on unicycles.
Sorenson said that she first became interested in cycling after purchasing a bike to ride with her children.
“Now, I ride my bike more than they do,” she laughed.
Her first RAGBRAI was in 2017, and she has participated in each one since, excluding 2019 due to starting a new job. In 2020, the RAGBRAI was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Sorenson, cycling was attractive not only as valuable exercise but also for moments of peaceful solitude where she can enjoy the beauty of the state she grew up in, and she is eagerly awaiting her participation in the ride’s 50th year.
