RAGBRAI (acronym for Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) is an annual bike ride began, owned and operated by the Des Moines Register that attracts 20,000 riders and takes place over 7 days. It is a non-competitive bicycle ride that draws recreational riders from across the United States and overseas. Cyclists ride from a community on Iowa’s western border to a community on Iowa’s eastern border, stopping in towns across the state. The route is different each year and the average length averages 500 miles. Eight “host communities” are selected each year. At the beginning of the ride, riders traditionally dip the rear wheel of their bikes the Missouri River. At the end, the riders dip the front wheels in the Mississippi River. RAGBRAI follows three individual cyclists and one team as they endeavor to finish the 2009 ride.