Monticello to host first ever Iowa’s Ride

The inaugural Iowa’s Ride announced its overnight towns for 2020, and the City of Monticello will be the first to host. 

Iowa’s Ride, a bike ride across the State of Iowa from east to west takes place July 12-18, 2020. The ride will kickoff in Dubuque on Sunday, July 12, and spend its first night in Monticello before heading west. The overnight towns will include: 

• Monticello 

• Vinton 

• Eldora 

• Clarion 

• Emmetsburg 

• Sheldon 

• Rock Rapids 

“Iowa’s Ride was created to offer people an opportunity to ride on a weeklong bike tour that visits the smaller communities of Iowa,” offered TJ Juskiesicz, director of Iowa’s Ride. He added it’s also about making a difference in the communities they visit. 

Smaller communities for sure! While Iowa’s Ride starts in Dubuque, a city with a population of over 58,000, the smallest town to host, Rock Rapids, has a population of only 2,500. Monticello, with a population of 3,700, sits in the middle of the pack. The largest town, Sheldon, maintains a population of slightly over 5,100. 

Monticello City Administrator Doug Herman said it was Iowa’s Ride who approached the community as a possible overnight host. 

“They visited the town and thought it was a good fit for their mission,” said Herman. “It’s a great fit geographically, too.” 

Herman and Mayor Brian Wolken have met with several groups and organizations in Monticello, and received positive support for the event. Following the downtown assessments in late October, many people were vocal in that they wanted to see more events and festivals in Monticelllo. Iowa’s Ride speaks to just that. 

With the ride coming to town on a Sunday, Herman said there would be an influx of people in Monticello. 

“We want to get businesses involved and have them open on a Sunday and all work together on this,” urged Herman. “We want to create a downtown festival environment for people to explore.” 

Juskiesicz said Iowa’s Ride plans to maintain a ridership maxed out at just 5,000 “to make the event manageable and comfortable.” 

In terms of how the overnight towns were chosen, Juskiesicz said they knew they needed enough green space for camping and a nice downtown that riders could enjoy. The plan is to house the riders and support vehicles/ people at the campground at the fairgrounds. 

“That will be the landing spot,” Herman said. “The fair agreed to host them, and it’s more income for the fair.” 

Visitors will also be staying at Cobblestone Inn & Suites in Monticello, as well as local residences. 

“People can make their own arrangements,” offered Herman. 

“We were looking for charming communities,” he said. “We also wanted to bring the ride to a community that could get excited about a smaller event like Iowa’s Ride, so it was a good fit for the town, as well as the ride.” 

Herman said this small-scale, statewide bike ride is returning to the roots of Iowa. 

“With these small towns, you can showcase the businesses and non-profits, and help them make some money,” he said. 

Monticello should plan to see riders entering the community early afternoon on July 12 up until about 6 p.m. when the route closes for the evening. Juskiesicz said riders would want to experience what the community has to offer from the local aspect. 

“We want to keep it local, so eating at Monticello restaurants or buying food from a local non-profit,” he suggested. “It is important to keep the funds in Monticello.” 

An Iowa’s Ride committee is quickly forming in Monticello, made up of city officials and community leaders. Herman said there would be plenty of opportunities for people to volunteer and benefit from the event. 

“They’ll spend some money and hopefully come back,” Herman said. “For one day, the amount of revenue created could be the best day of the month for some. It’s more exposure for Monticello.” 

Herman said while an exact route into Monticello from Dubuque has not been shared, it’s the second-shortest day of the ride at 48 miles. 

“There are less stops between Dubuque and Monticello, so people should arrive sooner and spend more time and money here,” he said. 

Iowa’s Ride is all about hosting a safe and enjoyable ride across Iowa. 

“And connect the riders with the communities, businesses, and non-profits,” added Juskiesicz, “leaving some goodwill where we visit. 

“We look forward to hosting the inaugural ride and having our first overnight be in Monticello,” concluded Juskiesicz. 

For more details on Iowa’s Ride, visit https://iowasride. com/.