RAGBRAI Experience

A charter bus carries the team to the start of RAGBRAI® where they meet the trucks carrying the bikes,
tents, clothing and other equipment for the week. The team is well prepared for a week of enjoying the
Iowa hospitality that only RAGBRAI® can bring. The team tent-camps in the main campgrounds throughout
the week. Some mentors are designated as campground hosts, and provide support to the team in each
overnight town. They are responsible for laying out the campsite, and scouting out the overnight town
for showers, food, and entertainment possibilities.

A daily allowance is provided to each team member to be used for breakfast, lunch, and snacks along the
road during the day. Each team member is responsible for recording their purchases throughout the day,
and turning that in to the campground host upon arrival at the overnight town. The evening meal is usually
taken as a team, sometimes through arrangements with a local group, or within the campground.

Showers for the team are either arranged through representatives from the overnight towns, or in some
cases, through the portable showers operated by “The Shower Guys”.

Mentors and team members are then paired up, and are free to enjoy the activities provided by the
overnight town. On some occasions, the team may enjoy scheduled activities such as a movie night,
swimming, or attending special events.

After a week of meeting the challenges of miles of wind, hills, and weather, the riders arrive in the
final town to celebrate six months of commitment and hard work. This is always an emotional time as the
team joins in the tire-dipping ceremony at the Mississippi River, putting the finishing touches on a
successful season. For many of the Dream Team, this experience will be remembered as one of the best
experiences of their youth. Successfully completing RAGBRAI® is a great accomplishment for most adults.
For the Dream Team participants, it’s even more special as it represents learning the value of preparation
and achieving a stretch goal early in life.