As travel becomes easier, more international riders are participating in RAGBRAI
Emma Bishton calls it "a bit of a mad idea."
She and a friend, relatively new to cycling, will be plunging into their first organized biking event by making a 4,200-mile journey from London to Iowa for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, beginning Sunday.
They're part of a surge of foreign riders for the 2022 edition of RAGBRAI. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, the number of foreign tourists coming to the United States fell to 19 million from 79 million in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. In 2021, with much of the world still in periodic lockdowns, the visitor count inched up to 22 million. This year, as restrictions ease on international air travel, international arrivals are up another 15%.
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That's reflected in an increase of some 20% in foreign RAGBRAI participants over the 2021 ride, according to RAGBRAI Marketing Director Anne Lawrie.
Bishton, like a lot of people, took up 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'd always owned a bike, she said, but until the pandemic, it had sat unused in her garden.
"Now I try to travel by bike whenever I can," she wrote. "To friends' houses, to work, (and) on weekend explorations."
She said she had done a few weeklong cycling trips on the Outer Hebrides islands off Scotland and in Wales with fellow Londoner Daniela So. But she hadn't participated in a bike tour with a crowd of other riders.
Then, late last year, she received a video from So about a "massive cycling adventure." She watched it and was immediately interested.
Still, she didn't think she and So would actually participate until one evening when the pair met for drinks. By the end of the night, they had signed up to ride RAGBRAI.
The 450-mile plus journey from Sergeant Bluff to Lansing will be the furthest Bishton has ridden 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, so to be able to see a new part of the world and go by 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
Though Bishton and So's journey may seem daunting, some riders are coming, literally, from the other side of the Earth. They include Neil Booth, who lives in Queensland, Australia. He's incorporating RAGBRAI into a lengthy visit to family in the U.S. that will include trips to Colorado, Texas and California.
Booth, 72, has been riding for about four years. RAGBRAI, though, will be his first extensive cycling event. He's excited for the "mad episode" — though the heat may pose an extra issue for him.
"We are currently in our 'winter,'" he said. "However, I’ll be stepping straight into your summer and will have to learn to acclimatize to the change quickly."
He first heard of the ride through a few YouTubers who rode last year, and was "gobsmacked" by the festivities along the route.
More: RAGBRAI entertainment includes Sugar Ray, Don Felder as cyclists ride 451 miles across Iowa
"I just said, 'This is something I have to do!'" he said. "Although 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 nonsense."
In addition to other Australians and Brits, the more than 120 foreign riders joining the rolling, cross-state party for 2022 include dozens of Canadians from seven provinces; contingents and individual riders from Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Mexico, and even a couple from Thailand.
Next year, it's likely even more riders will cross oceans for RAGBRAI to celebrate its 50th year. Lawrie said she expects to see overall ridership increase for the half-century anniversary.
"We expect to see riders from all of the world in 2023 as we celebrate the 50th annual RAGBRAI," she said. "It will be a bucket list item for many and we anticipate a large turnout to mark the milestone."
Sarah LeBlanc covers the western suburbs for the Register. Reach her at 515-284-8161 or sleblanc@registermedia.com. Follower her on Twitter at @sarahkayleblanc
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: RAGBRAI sees uptick in international riders in 2022 as travel opens
