Emma Bishton calls it “a bit of a crazy idea”.
She and a friend, relatively new to cycling, will be diving into their first organized cycling event, making a 4,200-mile journey from London to Iowa for the Register’s Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, starting Sunday.
They are part of a wave of foreign riders for the 2022 edition of RAGBRAI. According to the US International Trade Administration, the number of foreign tourists arriving in the United States has dropped to 19 million from 79 million in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. By 2021, with much of the world still on periodic lockdowns, the visitor count reached 22 million. This year, as restrictions on international air travel ease, international arrivals have increased by another 15%.
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This is reflected in an increase of around 20% in foreign RAGBRAI participants during the 2021 race, according to RAGBRAI marketing director Anne Lawrie.
Bishton, like many people, started cycling in earnest during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Before that, she said in an email, she would have called herself more of a runner than a cyclist.
She has always had a bicycle, she said, but until the pandemic, it was left unused in her garden.
“Now I try to travel by bike whenever I can,” she wrote. “To friends’ houses, to work, (and) on weekend farms.”
She said she did some week-long bike trips in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and Wales with fellow Londoner Daniela So. But she hadn’t been on a bike ride with a crowd of other cyclists.
Then, late last year, she received a video from So about a “big cycling adventure”. She watched it and was immediately interested.
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Still, she didn’t think she and So would actually participate until one night when the two met for drinks. At the end of the night, they signed up to ride RAGBRAI.
The 450+ mile journey from Sergeant Bluff to Lansing will be the longest Bishton has traveled in seven days – and her first visit to Iowa. She said she’s looking forward to the feeling of achievement at the end — and the pie along the way.
“International travel has been so difficult for a few years now, so being able to see a new part of the world and riding a bike is really cool,” she said. “It’s always great to have a challenge, and RAGBRAI seemed like the perfect one for this year.”
Some riders coming from Australia
While Bishton and So’s journey may seem daunting, some pilots are literally coming from the other side of the Earth. They include Neil Booth, who lives in Queensland, Australia. This may interest you : The US is in turmoil this July 4, but many see reason to celebrate. He is embodying RAGBRAI on an extended family visit to the US, which will include trips to Colorado, Texas and California.
Booth, 72, has been cycling for about four years. RAGBRAI, however, will be his first major cycling event. He’s excited for the “crazy episode” – although the heat could pose an extra problem for him.
“We are currently in our ‘winter,'” he said. “However, I’ll be heading straight into your summer and I’ll have to learn to get used to the change quickly.”
He first heard about the ride from some YouTubers who cycled last year and was “shocked” by the festivities along the route.
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“I just said, ‘This is something I have to do!'” he said. “While I’m happy to just sit on my bike and ride and not draw attention to myself, I’m also happy to be in the middle of the fun and the absurd.”
In addition to other Australians and Brits, the more than 120 foreign cyclists joining the inter-state party for 2022 include dozens of Canadians from seven provinces; contingents and individual pilots from Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Holland, Sweden, Norway and Mexico, and even a couple from Thailand.
Next year, even more pilots are likely to cross oceans for RAGBRAI to celebrate its 50th year. Lawrie said he expects to see an overall increase in passenger numbers for the half-century anniversary.
“We look forward to seeing riders from around the world in 2023 as we celebrate the 50th annual RAGBRAI,” she said. “It will be a wish list item for many and we anticipate a large turnout to mark the milestone.”
Sarah LeBlanc covers the western suburbs for the Register. Please contact her at 515-284-8161 or sleblanc@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @sarahkayleblanc
