Organizers of the statewide bicycle ride known as RAGBRAI are riding the route themselves this week to make sure everything’s ready next month’s big event, which draws riders from around the world. RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz says it’s the annual route inspection ride to survey things like traffic patterns and other elements that might have an impact on the many thousands of cyclists.
He says they’ll make a report on things that might cause problems for the riders and inform county engineers to see if they can repair any of those hazards.
Juskiewicz says a group of local riders usually will take part in each leg of the inspection ride. He says they had about 75 people ride with them on the first day since it was a Sunday, but usually about a dozen people ride the route each day.
Juskiewicz says problems found during their inspection ride won’t mean a change in the route. He says if there’s something major like a bridge being washed out, they’ll have to adjust, but even after the flooding in 2008, organizers didn’t need to change the route.
Juskiewicz and about ten others are riding the route today from Clear Lake to Charles City after riding through the rain Tuesday from Algona. For more information about RAGBRAI and to follow Juskiewicz’s blog while traveling the inspection route this week, visit: “www.ragbrai.com“.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City