PACKING FOR RAGBRAI 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What extras are included with the charter?

Our goal is to make things more convenient for you on your cycling vacation. We have a charging tower for your electronic devices, a huge shade tent and chairs, large water jugs that we keep full of water (no ice in these) for your water bottles, bike pumps for the morning inflation, cold beverages and coffee in the morning (both available for a small donation), etc.

Do we offer one way transportation?

If we have seats available we may offer this option. We will do round trip transportation first, and fill in if we have one way seats that open up.

Is there parking available at store locations?

We have limited amounts of unsecured parking at both of our loading locations. Parking is not guaranteed, is first come first serve, and is at your own risk. If you do plan to park at one of our store locations, please let us know, so we have a rough idea of the needs.

What is our bag/luggage limit?

Each person can have 2 bags. The total weight limit for the luggage is 50 pounds combined. (Not 50 pounds per bag)

What do I need to bring...?

We will have chairs and tire pumps, a charging station for your electronic device of choice. Check our 'Packing for Ragbrai' section for a suggested list of things that you should plan to bring.

What time do the luggage trucks leave camp?

7 or 7:30 am. Yep, don't plan on sleeping til noon with our charter. We will wake you up if we don't see you moving around. =)

Where will we be camped in...?

If things work out according to plan we will have a preassigned camping spot in each overnight town. Sometimes that doesn't happen. If we know ahead of time, we will advise you in an email the week before we leave (don't ask before that, we won't know) Sometimes things change on us, and plans get set aside, be prepared to go with the flow, we are in town somewhere!

How do I find the campground?

We will have signage starting at the edge of town, leading you to the campsite. These signs will be posted on poles, fence posts, barricades, etc... just follow them in. If you miss a sign, or can't find the camp, go to the bike shop area and ask the staff at our shop- they will always know where we are. Information centers should know, but sometimes it depends on who you talk to you, so it may not help.... but the bike shop will always know where we are after 11 am!

Can I ship my bike?

You can, we would be happy to receive and build it for you if you are a member of our charter. There is a shipping service that is available however, that will transport your bike boxes, and pick them up your bike at the end of the week for shipping. Not all the details are out yet, but check out www.ragbrai.com for updates on this service.

Will we be close to showers?

We will probably be within walking distance of a shower. Sometimes we have to take a shuttle. Just depends on where we get located. Same goes for the port a potties... we won't always be right next door, it isn't possible to always be near the facilities. The overnight towns determine where showers will be, and what type they are.

Can I bring my Solar Shower?

We do not provide shower enclosures for use of solar showers. Iowa Code prevents the drainage of gray water into anything but a sanitary sewer line (nope street drainage is not the same thing) as we can't provide that, we don't suggest that you bring them along. If you choose too, and you use one, you could receive a ticket.

How do we transport bikes?

When you check in on Saturday, we will have you take your bike to our truck (semi or 26' straight truck) where we will remove the pedals, and ask you to remove large bags. We then will load them up with packing blankets for the trip. If you want to take extra precautions, you may get pipe insulation at any hardware store that will slip over your tubing. Be prepared to haul insulation in your luggage, as we have no space allocated for that. More details on this will be forthcoming in the information emails that you will be getting. We do the same thing on the return trip at the end of the week.

How should I train?

Yes, there are people who ride RAGBRAI without doing any other riding, however, it will be much easier if you put in some preparation ahead of time. Start out slow – get your bike ready, and make sure it feels comfortable to you. Ride every day if you can- even 10 miles adds up! When you have a few miles under your wheels, take longer rides of 20 miles or so, and do a few that are 40 or 50 miles so that you are used to long days in (or on) the saddle! Get used to drinking lots of water, and eating frequent snacks while you ride- it is important to keep well hydrated and have fuel for your body to use. Remember to follow the "rules of the road" while you ride – remember that you are doing this for FUN!

When do we annually open up registration?

Shortly after the RAGBRAI Route Announcement, likely February 1st. At that point we will take registrations, process your payment, and rely on you to get us your wristband number on May 1. A friendly reminder: Our service is not available unless you have a wristband, so get us that number May 1 to finalize your reservation!

When will we know the costs every year?

Around January 28th. We have to know the overnight towns first, and then we get the transportation quotes.

My question isn't answered here... what should I do?

Feel free to shoot us an email at leanne@bikeworldiowa.com

RAGBRAI is an experience like none other... but we are camping. No air conditioning, there will be bugs, there might be a breeze during the night if we are lucky...we will probably have a thunderstorm in the mix... kybos will be nearby, but not always right next door (there is a ratio of 75:1, not bad!)... What you can count on is the wonderful hospitality of Iowa... the friendliness of the people, the wonderful scenery, and food like nowhere else.