The 52nd RAGBRAI, or Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is coming to Orange City.
This year’s route was released at the official RAGBRAI route announcement party in Waukee, IA on Jan. 25, 2025. The ride will take place July 19-26 and Orange City will be the first overnight host town on the trip across Western Iowa.
This is Orange City’s second opportunity to be a host for RAGBRAI. Orange City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mike Hofman explains how the town will be impacted by this event to KIWA Radio.
Hofman said, “each year RAGRAI sends out an application packet to all the communities across the state that have either hosted before or has hosted.”
No town knows if they will be chosen prior to the announcement party. RAGBRAI can be a great opportunity for smaller towns like Orange City.
“Obviously when you are bringing 25,000 to your community there is an economic impact for that,” Hofman said. RAGBRAI can give exposure to small communities and show what they have to offer.
However, being a RAGBRAI host can also come with challenges. Hofman estimates that Orange City will probably need over 800 volunteers. An event of this scale can be a big strain for towns.
Yet, the experience of volunteering for RAGBRAI is not something you forget. “When I was young, I was a cub scout, and I remember my first volunteer opportunities was with RAGBRAI” said Collin Verschoor.
The organizers of this bike ride do not want hosting to become a burden for towns. This year they have increased their support for overnight hosts to $50,000.
RAGBRAI is not just a bike race, it is something that brings people together.
“My parents actually met on RAGBRAI and their wedding rings are bicycles because of it, so there are a lot of memories associated with RAGBRAI for me” Audrey Leyen, the new Resident Director of Stegenga Hall said.
This is a family event for her. “My uncle rode the ride as a quadriplegic using a hand crank bike attached to a normal bike on the back that my mom rode.” Leyen said. “I love the stories of RAGBRAI that show the community that it fosters and allows for people of all capabilities to participate. My uncle would often get help going up hills by fellow bikers due to the comraderies and community that the road established.”
The total distance for the 52nd RAGBRAI will be shorter than previous years, covering only 406 miles with a total climb of 10,487 ft. Last year’s route was over 500 miles, which was one of the longest in RAGBRAI history.
This year, RAGRBAI will begin in Orange City then travel to Milford, Estherville, Forest City, Iowa Falls, Cedar Falls and Oelwein.
Orange City has not been an overnight host since 2017 when it was the starting point as well. Le Mars was the starting point in 2021, and Sioux Center had its turn in 2012. The pass-through towns for this year will not be announced until April.
This coming July will be a great opportunity for Orange City to showcase its heritage, food, businesses and community. Over 18,000 bikers registered for last year’s ride, and many more have registered in past years.
There is no way to be sure how much of an impact this year’s RAGBRAI will have on Orange City.
“I have been at 20 RAGBRAIs in my life and rode the whole thing four times, I think.” Leyen said, “It was a sweet time for our family to set aside work and bike for a week seeing new fun parts of Iowa.”
Photo submitted.
