IOWA, USA — From the day one tire dip in Sioux City, to the final celebration in Davenport, this year's 500-mile cycling journey across Iowa has come to an end.
The annual RAGBRAI event hosted a record number of riders this year for their 50th anniversary.
"This year is quite different with all of the people," said Adam Saltmarsh, a rider from Sauk Centre, Minn. "Love the people, glad everyone's coming out here, trying it for the first time, but this is like double the people I've ever seen."
Local 5 spoke to several cyclists throughout the week. When asked why they come back to Iowa for the ride year after year, many spoke about the people they meet along the way.
"The cool thing about it is, you meet some people on the roads, you meet some people at your campsites, the various bars..." one rider told Local 5. "It's just a big community, everyone here to ride bikes and have fun."
RAGBRAI riders face physical challenges every year, but extreme heat across central Iowa put their endurance to the test.
"Physically, it's been a challenge, between the mileage, the heat, and the elevation climbing," said Andy Sienkiewich, a rider from California.
Crowds were also a concern for some, as wait times for gear loading were longer than ever before.
As cyclists spent a night in Des Moines for the first time since 2013, event organizers prepared for those big crowds.
"We hosted, 30,000, 50,000, we have no idea what the real number is, just so many riders," said Trina Flack, a Catch Des Moines spokesperson and key organizer for the "Des Moines-aPalooza" event.
Transforming Des Moines' Water Works Park into a massive campground took months of preparation, but despite the uncertainty, Flack says their event was smooth-sailing.
"There were no major incidents, everyone made it in safely... we're hearing all good things from the community, both from a public safety perspective and an economic impact perspective," she said.
Despite extreme temperatures and massive crowds, riders from across the country told Local 5 they look forward to coming back and riding RAGBRAI again next year.