Crookston Represented in the RAGBRAI “One L of a Ride”
Jim Kozitka and John Janssen completed the Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) on Saturday, July 29th. RAGBRAI is more than just a bike ride. It is an epic seven-day rolling festival of bicycles, music, food, camaraderie, and community. It is the oldest, largest, and longest multi-day bicycle touring event in the world, according to the website. The ride began on the west side in Sioux City, Iowa, ending with a tire dip into the mighty Mississippi in Davenport.
What stood out about this year’s 50th Anniversary 500-mile ride was the elevations and the heat, with temps ranging over 100 degrees on multiple days and heat indexes of 110 and more. Each year the route changes, with daily rides in 2023 extending between 55-89 miles and elevations daily reaching up to 4,218 feet of climb. Elevations that are hard to train for when Crookston is home.
Both riders noted that the daily celebrations and concerts were clearly enjoyed more by the locals in the overnight towns. “It was a matter of setting up a tent and getting a few hours of sleep, and we would hit it again long before daybreak to try and beat the heat,” said Kozitka.
The last stop before the finish seemed to round out a week of survival when a heavy thunderstorm came through during the night, scampering bikers to shelters with power outages and downed trees in the area.
Janssen and Kozitka agreed it was nice to be home.
Crookston’s Cathy LaJesse and Bill Kresl also participated in the ride.
