RAGBRAI Makes A Loop Through Mahaska County
Thousands of riders streamed their way through New Sharon on Thursday.
New Sharon, Iowa – July is typically filled with hot, humid weather filled with sunshine that burns itself into your memory.
This year, RAGBRAI rolled into Mahaska County, part of the 36.7 mile Karras loop which makes the day a 100-mile or century ride. Only a portion of the riders made the trek, but with the cooler weather and less than brutal sunshine many were encouraged to make that extra loop.
New Sharon Police Chief Kevin Lamberson was busy directing traffic near the city park along Highway 146. The stream of riders heading south into town could be seen well off into the distance.
“This is quite the experience,” said Lamberson. “This is the first time this has ever been through New Sharon.”
Lamberson agrees that the experience was a good one for the New Sharon community.
Watching the people entering the community was fun for many of those involved. On the law enforcement side of things, even with the help of the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office, helping riders navigate and remain safe while in the community proved to be a challenge.
“We are achieving it,” said Lamberson of the efforts to help riders make the most of the day.
Just a half a block away, Sam Hudson was there helping with the New Sharon United Methodist Church. She was busy assisting riders to get a cup of coffee or fill their water bottles as riders continued to stream into town.
Hudson said the group wanted to “just show hospitality, that New Sharon is a very hospitable town.”
Volunteers like Hudson were surprised at the turnout of riders. They were initially told to expect upwards of two-thousand riders. “Then everybody that comes through says a lot of people are doing it because of the weather.”
“The most fun thing is meeting people from all over,” added Hudson of her experience. “We’ve met people from Philadelphia, Albuquerque, New Mexico, one guy from Germany. It’s like, just crazy. They come to Iowa and ride RAGBRAI.”
