Both bike tours will overnight in Jefferson during the Bell Tower Festival
~by Chuck Offenburger for the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association
Two organized bike rides will be held on the full length of the Raccoon River Valley Trail on Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12. Both “Tour The Raccoon” and RAGBRAI’s Dream Team will ride from the Des Moines area to Jefferson on Saturday, camping overnight, and then returning to the Des Moines area on Sunday.
The Des Moines Cycle Club’s 8th annual “Tour The Raccoon” is open to the public, and typically attracts up to 100 bicyclists, some of them from other states around the Midwest. Georgie Libbie, president of the DMCC, said numbers will be down this year, probably to “about 35 to 45 riders,” because the club got a late start organizing the ride. That happened, she said, because the club’s leaders were in disagreement with some new rules and requirements for group events on the trail that are now required by the three county conservation boards that own and operate the RRVT.
The disagreement has been at least temporarily resolved, and “Tour The Raccoon” – one of the best rides for experiencing the whole RRVt – is rolling again. Online registration and more information is available at http://www.dmcycleclub.com/. “Tour The Raccoon” riders will camp at the Trailhead Campground in Jefferson.
RAGBRAI’s Dream Team, now in its 21st year, has done training rides in past years on portions of the RRVT, but this will be the first time the team of 40 teen riders and about 15 adult mentors will ride the full trail. They had planned to do the full trail ride last July, but were forced to cancel when wild thunderstorms with lightning raked the area on that Saturday. But hopefully the weather will cooperate this year, and the Dream Teamers will be camping at Greene County High School in Jefferson.
Since 1996, RAGBRAI, the Bike World bicycle shop and other supporters in Des Moines have put together a team of girls and boys, teenagers in their middle school and high school years, to learn about bicycling and experience RAGBRAI.
About 40 are picked each year after being recommended by school counselors, pastors and at-risk youth program workers. Most of the team members are economically challenged and would never have this experience without help. Then adult mentors who are experienced RAGBRAI riders put the kids through a five-month training program. They are issued new Trek bicycles, helmets, cycling clothing, camping gear and more. They begin training and then riding in March, and continue thru July. If they complete RAGBRAI (and nearly all do – about 500 of them over the years), they keep the bicycle and equipment.
It costs about $1,000 per Dream Team rider for equipment, training and related expenses. Those are mostly covered by donations from RAGBRAI, Bike World, the BACooN RIDE, the “Birdies for Charities” program of the Principal Golf Classic, donations from several Iowa bicycle clubs and other organizations and individuals.
You can learn more about the Dream Team at the Internet site http://www.dreamteamdesmoines.org/.
One of the Sunday highlights and traditions of “Tour The Raccoon” is a complimentary breakfast at the Milwaukee depot at the RRVT trailhead, provided again by McFarland Clinic of Jefferson. That includes the community’s famous Bunkers Dunkers glazed donuts, bananas, orange juice and coffee from Jefferson’s Greene Bean Coffee Co. This year, McFarland Clinic manager Keri Brooker has invited the RAGBRAI Dream Team members and mentors to come join-in on the breakfast, too.
