It's RAGBRAI week! The 51st ride kicked off Sunday with more 'normal' crowds

HENDERSON — RAGBRAI has kicked off its 51st year with a more — quote, unquote — normal feeling.

Though is anything about this river-to-river ride through the Hawkeye State truly normal ?

After celebrating a half-century last year with a bang, fewer riders are participating in the 2024 edition of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, which will take bicyclists 424 miles across southern Iowa from Glenwood to Burlington. About 18,000 riders are registered this year — a huge drop from the 30,000 for the historic 50th anniversary ride, but right in line with 2022 numbers .

More: RAGBRAI 2024 Day 1 preview: What to know about Sunday's RAGBRAI route, Glenwood to Red Oak

That's welcome news for some cyclists, who say the first few, foggy miles out of Glenwood on Sunday were easier to navigate.

"There's definitely less people," said Mark Cosner, of Chillicothe, Illinois, who is riding his 10th RAGBRAI. His team is raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "It didn't matter on the road. It was more crowded at all the events and activities."

As is typical, more riders and onlookers were anticipated in some overnight and pass-through towns during the weeklong event.

Jennie Davis, executive director of the Mills County Chamber of Commerce, said that Glenwood prepared for 20,000 to 30,000 people . At least some riders were expected to come from Council Bluffs and nearby Omaha, Davis said.

Indianola spokesperson Aaron Young said the city is preparing for 20,000 to 30,000 cyclists when the bike tour comes through on Wednesday. It's the second year in a row the ride will pass through the Des Moines metro, starting in Winterset that morning, which means more tagalongs are likely.

Polka music greeted riders in Silver City, the first pass-through town about 8.5 miles northeast of Glenwood, at 8 a.m. Quickly a crisis emerged: All 400 slices of pie sold out!

But the pie crisis was a welcome reprieve from treacherous conditions on the road Sunday morning. Thick fog blanketed corn and soybean fields between Glenwood and Silver City, creating white-out conditions. There was at least one crash. The rider was treated at the scene by emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

After the first pass-through town, Silver City — a stop on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail — the ride turned east, eventually traveling 42 miles to Red Oak. Support crew met their riders in this meeting town of Henderson.

More: A new Mr. Pork Chop and family are ready to carry on their 40-year-plus RAGBRAI tradition

RAGBRAI riders find different reasons to ride

Danny Davis, of St. Petersburg, Florida, is riding his penny-farthing bicycle across the country from Santa Monica, California, to Ocean City, Maryland, to raise autism awareness and to buy "special bikes for special kids."

Davis, 54, rode out of Glenwood with a crowd of riders around 7:30 a.m. in thick fog. RAGBRAI is part of his bike ride across the country.

Davis attracted large crowds of people who wanted pictures at Saturday night's RAGBRAI Bike Expo in Glenwood.

This year's journey has more feet of climb — 18,737 — than any previous edition. Davis had no shame in admitting he often has to walk his penny-farthing up hills. Between Silver City, the first pass-through town, and Henderson, Davis walked up one steep hill.

"I leave early in the morning and ride so I can get done," Davis said. "But if I have to get off and push, I will. It's part of it."

He gave away 24 bikes in July. He's hoping to give away more than 50 in September when he finishes.

Torie Giffin came with a group of 20 people from the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She and her son, Daniel, were featured in "Shift: The RAGBRAI Documentary" as the 17-year-old battles brain cancer.

Daniel rode last year but is with his father in Texas this week. He had his seventh brain surgery in October.

"Every time they cut into his brain they have to take a bigger circle out that takes out more functions," Torie Giffin said Saturday at the RAGBRAI Bike Expo. She said another tumor developed by November and the "aggressive brain cancer" is spreading into new areas.

Daniel is still managing the best he can, his mom said. He hopes to ride RAGBRAI next year if his older brother and younger sister are willing.

Jim Van Beek was another RAGBRAI rider seeking to raise awareness for a cause.

Since early June, 60-year-old Van Beek has been riding his bike across the U.S., folding the annual bike event in Iowa as part of his journey. Van Beek, a retiree from southern California showing support for service members and military families, began June 9 in Seattle, Washington, hoping to end his trip in New York.

Van Beek has set up a website , ride4warriors.com, for monetary donations to benefit the United Service Organizations .

A first-time RAGBRAI rider, Van Beek said he’s crossed off other goals on his bucket list and seeing other parts of the country for the first time, including Iowa.

“I’ve never been anywhere,” he said. “I was self-employed, which means my vacations were short. I’ve only ever been north of Sacramento. Every state is new. Oregon, Washington — I’ve never been to any of these states.”

Friends, family gather at RAGBRAI

Sisters Julie Andress and Leah Rozendaal were among the thousands of cyclists Sunday morning. The Pella natives, who now live hundreds of miles apart apart from each other, came together for the annual cycling event to carry on a tradition, repping as Team Pie Hunter.

Andress and Rozendaal, who have participated in the ride since 2003, were on a mission: to find their favorite pie. Andress, 48, of Montrose, Colorado, sported her favorite slice — gooseberry — while her husband, Jason, had on a key lime pie hat. Rozendaal, 45, of Blue Island, Illinois, said she loves a crumbly Dutch apple pie, while 12-year-old daughter Sofia Vandervelde can’t get enough pie with Oreos.

“My favorite thing is that you go into a lot of little towns, and the have a lot of pie,” Andress said while stopped in Silver City. “It makes you feel like part of the community.”

“It’s a chance to connect with local communities and a good chance to come back to Iowa and unplug,” Andress continued.

Also in Silver City on Sunday were Iowa friends Kendra Jipp and Kylie Lorenzen who hopped off their bikes to take a quick photo. They held up a cut-out photo of friend Christana Troshynski, who they said couldn’t make it this year because of health issues.

“She’s part of our crew,” said Jipp, 37, from Logan.

Philip Joens is riding his 19th RAGBRAI. He has completed the river-to-river trek seven times. He covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register and can be reached at 515-284-8184 at pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: It's RAGBRAI week! The 51st ride kicked off Sunday with more 'normal' crowds