Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
RAGBRAI inspects Day Six route
Wayland and Trenton welcome pre-ride team
WAYLAND — Wayland, Trenton and other stops along the RAGBRAI Day six route gave inspection riders a taste of what RAGBRAI will look like in Southeast Iowa next month as they made their way along the route last week.
Every year before sending thousands of bicyclists out on the seven-day ride across Iowa, a team, consisting of riders and support staff, ride the expected route at the same time and day of the week for a thorough inspection.
According to RAGBRAI’s website these team members use this pre-ride as an opportunity to identify any unsafe traffic patterns and look for any road hazards or conditions. Additionally, they visit with the RAGBRAI committees in each town and give them an idea of when they can expect riders to come through and answer any questions.
Finally, riders on the inspection team share their experiences on the route with registrants as they showcase the stops and what these communities have to offer. JustGoBike Podcast documented every day of the pre-ride with commentary on the riding itself and the towns they visited along the way.
Much like RAGBRAI participants will next month, the inspection team set out for Day Six of their ride on Friday, last Friday, June 7, to be exact. The team rode from Ottumwa to Mt. Pleasant with stops in a variety of towns along the way, including Trenton and Wayland.
Day Six consists of 84.8 miles with an option to make it a full 100 miles for a Century between Wayland Mt. Pleasant. The route also includes 3,160 feet of climb.
“I felt like today was one of the more difficult days of climbing,” JustGoBike’s Podcast documented about Day Six.
While the ride started in Ottumwa and made its way through Fairfield, eventually riders entered Henry County as they left Brighton and stopped by Wayland approximately 9 miles down the road.
According to the JustGoBike podcast, Wayland will do a tribute to “Tender Tom” LeRoy Crook with extra-large turkey legs when riders make their way to their porch. Other activities in Wayland on Day Six will include music and a large dunk tank.
Additionally, former RAGBRAI Office Specialist Mariah Jepson now lives in Wayland and many riders will look forward to seeing her as they pass through.
Just seven miles down the road from Wayland, riders made their way into Trenton which celebrates their winding roads around their park with the theme “You Can’t Ride Straight Through.”
Trenton welcomed riders with Bierocks, which are soft rolls stuffed with a variety of filling. Riders could choose from Maid-Rite, taco, pizza, or dessert filled Bierocks. They also enjoyed frozen, sugar-covered grapes on a stick as they took a quick break on the playground equipment in Trenton before heading out to finish up Day Six at the Mt. Pleasant Square.
Mt. Pleasant then greeted riders with the fire department’s brand-new ladder truck displaying an American Flag. The team ate dinner with the Mt. Pleasant RAGBRAI Committee, took some photos with the steam engine on the square, and prepared for Day Seven of the run.
Finalized in-town routes for all the stops will be released shortly following the successful inspection ride last week.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
