Members of team Me-Off depart from the Glenwood
campground and begin their 475-mile journey across the state of Iowa. Most
teams are followed by support vehicles, including buses and campers, during
the weeklong ride.
Every year in late July, thousands of people strap
their bicycles to their cars, vans, trucks and buses and migrate to the
midwest for the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. The weeklong
trek through the small towns of the Hawkeye State is the largest of its kind
in the country, and for 31 years, cyclists have traveled Iowa's backroads.
Some ride because of the satisfaction of finishing. Some ride to get in
shape. Some do it to raise money. However, most would agree it's about the
journey and the people met along the way. This is a look at the people of
Ragbrai XXXI.
