A Short History of RAGBRAI

83-year-old Clarence Picard (right) was one of 114 riders to complete the first RAGBRAI in 1973.

RAGBRAI, which the Des Moines Register touts as "the longest, largest and oldest bicycle touring event in the world," began as an attempt by a couple of newspaper guys to generate some human interest-type feature stories during what was apparently a slow news summer in Iowa.

With only six weeks of advance notice, "The Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride" drew a surprisingly robust turnout of about 300. Among the 114 participants who completed the route that year was 83-year-old Clarence Picard, who rode a used ladies Schwinn and wore a long-sleeved shirt, trousers, woolen long underwear and a silver pith helmet.

The reading and riding public was captivated, the next year's ride drew 2,700, and a classic event was born. Here are a few more historical tidbits:

•By 1975, it had become customary for the ride to begin at the Missouri River and end at the Mississippi River. At the beginning of the week riders would dip their back wheels in the Missouri and at the end of the week dip their front wheels into the Mississippi. This custom has not been rigidly adhered to in recent years, however.

•July 27, 1981 may have been the worst weather day in RAGBRAI history as temperatures plunged to the 40s, the wind howled, and a drenching rain discouraged most riders from completing the route that day. According to the Register's account, "Farmers and townspeople pitched in to haul riders into Lake City in cattle trucks, campers, pickup trucks, etc. The campgrounds in Lake City were under water so residents came to the rescue and put the riders up in homes and garages, and even on the newly refinished gym floor at the high school."

•The 1999 ride may have been the hottest on record. On July 30 it was so hot that the stuff used to patch cracks in the road reportedly turned into liquid. Riders said their tires made splashing sounds as they went through it. A county engineer said the pavement temperatures had to be at least 120 degrees to do that.

•The 2004 ride was relatively uneventful, except for a sudden deluge that caught many riders just as they were travelling the only dirt road on the route. Many riders turned large trash bags into makeshift rain slickers and residents offered garden hoses and other means to help unclog bicycle drivetrains suddenly caked in mud.