More than 40,000 bicyclists rode through Greene County on Tuesday on their way from Carroll to Ames. They were part of the 50th anniversary RAGBRAI®, the largest RAGBRAI yet.
The route took them through Jefferson on the old Lincoln Highway, and then on to Rippey, an official “meet up” town for riders and support vehicles. Both towns spent the last several months planning and recruiting volunteers for an event that lasts about half a day or less.
Early riders left Carroll in morning darkness and were in Jefferson well before 7 am. The last of the riders got to Jefferson at about 12:30 pm.
Part of Jefferson’s preparations was to complete a resurfacing of W. Lincoln Way, a job that was finally done last week. Many riders commented on the smoothness of the street and even thanked residents for what they expected would be the best few blocks of the entire ride.
For residents who treated RAGBRAI like a parade, the people-watching was great, with every size and style of bicycle and bicyclist.
For those who had a chance to talk with bicyclists, there were stories to hear and stories to tell – stories of coming from Seattle, or Jacksonville, or Grand Junction (Colorado) for the ride, and stories of Doreen Wilber or the Mahanay Bell Tower.
But, by the end of the workday, porta-pots and just a bit of litter were the only hints it wasn’t just an ordinary Tuesday in Greene County.
Visit the Friends of Rippey Facebook page to see Peg Gannon’s pictures from RAGBRAI in Rippey.
