RAGBRAI 2015

Thousands of bike riders pass through Fort Dodge and the surrounding area on the annual statewide ride

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Ben Dixon, of Ohio, fills up at the water filling station in Manson during RAGBRAI Monday morning.
-Messenger photo illustration by Joe Sutter

This image, made from multiple photos, shows the south end of the RAGBRAI vendor area in Manson Monday morning, with the water refilling station at center. Center left, Chris and Brenda Frazier, of DeWitt, stop for water during their first time on a RAGBRAI ride.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Manson's RAGBRAI logo had a lot of riders asking where the crater could be found Monday morning. The crater is about 24 miles wide and is no longer visible, having been filled in by glaciers sometime in the last 74 million years.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Carson Widlund, 10, of Manson, calls out to RAGBRAI riders announcing food for sale by Cub Scout Pack 95 Monday morning.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

RAGBRAI riders crowd Main Street in Manson on Monday. The riders came in from the north and enjoyed vendor booths and a beer garden in Manson's downtown.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

"I've never been on stilts before. That''s why I'm next to a pole." Mike Biedenfeld, with the Manson RAGBRAI organizing committee, dresses as Uncle Sam and gives information and photo ops to Bill Logan, of New York, and other riders Monday.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Skip Burns, left, of Boston, Massachusetts; and Sonya Hirsch, of Denver, Colorado, walk in the lead of a team of Bike and Build riders. Bike and Build holds cross-country bike rides across America to raise money for affordable housing. On Monday, the riders were just doing RAGBRAI for fun.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

RAGBRAI riders Lisa Lott, Ottomwa, and Jill Klepper, Spring Valley Minnesota, pose with Annette Westering in Manson Monday, Westering was there to represent the only stoplight in Calhoun County, located in downtown Manson, and provide photo ops for the riders.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

RAGBRAI riders round the corner of Iowa Highway 7 and Calhoun County Highway P19 on their way from Manson to Clare Monday morning.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Husband and wife Melissa Lanzourakis and Al Joens, of Sioux City, said the tandem bike is nice because they can help each other out when tired, while coming through Clare on RAGBRAI Monday.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Why wear a fluffy pink unicorn as a helmet cover? "Why not? It's a unicorn," said Adam Pirillo, of Des Moines, as he stopped for water in Clare Monday afternoon. "I usually have skittles I throw to the kids too."
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

RAGBRAI rider Jim Fox, of Houston, Texas, cools off at the Northwest Iowa Badgers team dunk tank in Clare Monday. After throwing the baseball several times and missing, the team decided to all rush forward at once and hit it manually.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Brad Bosworth, of Nevada, rolling through the Clare stop on RAGBRAI Monday afternoon, said a friend told him his all black recumbant trike looked like the Batmobile, so he decided to dress the part.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Recumbents, trikes, and tandem bikes can be seen on the RAGBRAI route—sometimes all at once. Bill and Sandy Barry, of Grand Rapids Michigan, ride through Clare Monday afternoon on a recumbent tandem tricycle.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

RAGBRAI riders make their way up the hill on Iowa Highway 7 on their way into Fort Dodge Monday afternoon.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

Steven Oswald, left, and Ethan Lenz slice watermelons at the Manson Mennonite Church booth during RAGBRAI Monday.
-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter

A cable stretched between two tractors serves as a bike rack for RAGBRAI in Manson Monday.
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Cindy Long of South Carolina takes a selfie during her layover in Storm Lake during RAGBRAI on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Brad Foldenawer joins fellow RAGBRAI riders in Storm Lake on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Larry Vaney of Coldspring, Kentucky take part in RAGBRAI on Sunday in Storm Lake
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Vinny Virenpot of Davenport rides through Storm Lake during RAGBRAI on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Matt Copeland of Omaha chows down on a Gyros sandwich during a layover in Storm Lake on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Chlysa Niewald of Owenville, Missouri rides through Storm Lake during RAGBRAI on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Amanda and Matt Wessel of Knoxville, Tennessee represent Team Pie Hunter during RAGBRAI on Sunday at Storm Lake
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Travis Viren of Davenport rides throught Storm Lake during RAGBRAI on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Chantal Wener of Breckenridge, Colorado helps cool down the riders with a spray bottle during RAGBRAI in Storm Lake on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Andrew Walker of Marshalltown rides in his first RAGBRAI on Sunday at Storm Lake
-Messenger photo Britt Kudla
Tammy Larson of Sioux City rests for a while after riding from Hanover to Storm Lake during RAGBRAI on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Mike Isenberg of Arizona takes a break during RAGBRAI on Sunday at Storm Lake
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Peg Eekhoff of Sioux Center, riding in her 12th RAGBRAI, takes a break during her stop in Storm Lake on Sunday
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Angelia Regier of Sioux City rest by the beach during her stop in Storm Lake on Sunday.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Thomas Geiser, left, of Galbton, Pennsylvania, looks over a bike as Jeremy McKinley, of Trek Bicycles, talks to him about the bike's features. The business provides bikes that can be tested out by riders.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Devin Lux, of Cherokee, walks his bike through the vendor area during RAGBRAI Monday. Fort Dodge was an overnight stop on the route.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

From left, Kenan Rogers, Robert Lozano and Lisa Pindel, all of Denver, Colorado, stop and rest during RAGBAI's overnight stop in Fort Dodge Monday.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Pat Peyla, of Wabasha, Minnesota, takes a detour off the RAGBRAI route Monday to grab some lunch at Hy-Vee.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Tim Burmeister, left, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, stretches out after arriving in Fort Dodge during RAGBRAI. His support driver, Dan Romberg, left, shares a laugh.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

RAGBRAI riders set up their tents on the field at Fort Dodge Senior High School Monday as they prepared to spend the night in town.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

John James, of Augusta, Maine, sets up his tent in the field at Fort Dodge Senior High School Monday.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

A group of RAGBRAI bicyclists enter the camping area near Fort Dodge Senior High School Monday.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Dana Kincaid, left, of Oskaloosa, and her sister, Taryn Kincaid, of Logansport, Indiana, look for a place to set up their tents near Fort Dodge Senior High School Monday. The two were participating in RAGBRAI.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Brian Holt, of Altoona, uses a magazine as shade after setting up his tent during RAGBRAI at the Fort Dodge Senior High fields Monday. Though a unique way of getting shade, Holt admitted it wasn't very effective.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Kim Barnett, of Austin, Texas, straps on her helmet during RAGBRAI's overnight stop in Fort Dodge Monday. Barnett, who injured her wrist after driving over a hose during the race, said she was still planning on finishing despite her injury.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Scott Herren, left, of West Des Moines, and Jon Buss, of Ames, enjoy some homemade ice cream just outside of Crossroads Mall Monday as RAGBRAI riders spent the day in town. Buss was riding in the race, and Herren was driving the support vehicle.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Keith Bryhne, of Fort Dodge, prepares to ride off from St. Olaf Lutheran Church Monday after taking a lunch break during RAGBRAI. Bryhne, who also rides motorcycles, said it's more challenging riding long distances on a bicycle.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Steve Gasparovich, left, sprays sunscreen on his son, Jake Gasparovich, during RAGBRAI's stop in Duncombe Tuesday. The Gasparovich family, of Omaha, Nebraska, participates in RAGBRAI every year.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Mary Caligiuri, of Des Moines, takes a photo during RAGBRAI's stop in Duncombe Tuesday.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Agathe Vanderbroucke, 16, left of Paris, France, walks alongside a multi-seat tandem bike with Steven Lawyer, of New Virginia. Lawyer said Vanderbroucke is the daughter of a longtime friend of his from Paris and invited her on RAGBRAI this year. The bike ride stopped in Duncombe Tuesday. Lawyer's son, Sam Lawyer, 12, is at the back of the bike.
- Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari

Members of the Simpson College RAGBRAI team, from left, Miles Kirts, Kelly Kirts and Bryan Gregston, repair one of their bikes in Duncombe Tuesday. Duncombe was one of the stopping points on the cross-state bike ride.