AMES, Iowa — For the first time since 2018, RAGBRAI will return to Ames as the third overnight stop for cyclists along the route across Iowa.
With RAGBRAI determined to host nearly 100,000 riders in the ride from Ames to Des Moines, the city has been asking residents for housing help. Numerous residents have opened up their homes to the thousands of cyclists who will arrive one week from today, thanks to their new housing web-portal.
"It’s been able to serve almost like a dating app where we can have Ames residents go on and see what riders are looking for," said Discover Ames CEO and President Kevin Bourke.
Whether it be a backyard, a driveway or even just a patch of grass on someone’s front yard, various types of accommodations have been made available to cyclists, free of charge.
Discover Ames, the city's tourism and marketing organization, has been preparing for the event’s return for months. They're expecting record numbers for the cycling event's 50th anniversary.
Bourke predicts that anywhere from 30 to 50 thousands cyclists will make the stop in Ames, with an even larger group expected to ride the route from July 26th. RAGBRAI is aiming to break a single-day world record for riders when the group from Ames to Des Moines on that day.
"With this being a record year for RAGBRAI, their anniversary, which we're so grateful to be apart of, it's hard to say how many we're gonna have," Bourke said.
Bourke also says that there has been more rider registrations than places to stay, but overall, the website has done really well for riders.
In addition to public housing, Ames is prepared to house over 27,000 people at their campgrounds, and others will spend the night with local churches or businesses.
Discover Ames is still hoping to get some riders placed for their overnight stay. If you live in Ames and have space to host a RAGBRAI rider, visit Discover Ames for a link to the housing form.