The 32nd Annual "BRR" Ride won’t be quite the bone-chiller that it has been in the past. The 24-mile-long bicycle ride Saturday is a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce in Perry, located in Dallas County.
Cyclists will pedal round-trip between Perry and the Greene County town of Rippey. The inaugural event in 1978 took place in a blizzard and drew just 13 riders. Two years ago, some 500 riders braved an actual temperature of six-below-zero. Wendy Goodale, executive director of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, is hoping this year’s forecast will bring a record turnout.
"I think there was one other time it was 60-degrees and there were over 2,000 riders, so that’s what we shoot for," Goodale said. Last year’s ride drew 1,300 bicyclists. Goodale says Perry could be considered the "biking capital" of Iowa. A 72-mile loop on the Raccoon River Valley trail is under construction. That trail, when finished, will wind through Perry and 13 other towns in three counties.
"Then, there’s another trail coming through from Ames and Ankeny through Woodward. We’re hoping to connect to that trail as well so we’ll be part of a figure eight loop with Perry right in the center," Goodale said. More information about BRR, which stands for Bike Ride to Rippey, is available on-line at the Bike Iowa website .