World’s biggest recreational bike ride begins anew for golden anniversary trek across Iowa

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — What bills itself as “the world’s longest, largest and oldest recreational bicycle touring event” is larger than ever this year as RAGBRAI celebrates its golden anniversary. 

The brainchild of a couple of writers from The Des Moines Register in 1973, the ride begins with a dip of the rear tire in the Missouri River and ends seven days later with a ceremonial dip of the front tire in the Mississippi. In between, a crowd that could push 50,000 will pedal upwards of 100 miles each day across the rolling Iowa farmland in a caravan that has been likened to Woodstock on wheels.

This year’s RAGBRAI started in Sioux City on Sunday with last night’s stop being Storm Lake. Bikers head to Carroll today. The final stretch takes bikers to Davenport on Saturday