PERRY, Iowa, January 18, 2010 –  A sometimes-daring Iowa bicycling tradition happens again on Saturday, February 6, when the Perry Chamber of Commerce hosts the 33rd annual “BRR” — the Bike Ride to Rippey.

It’s actually a 23-mile round-trip between the two towns.  The ride starts at 10 a.m. in Perry, but there’s a full day of fun there and in Rippey, too.  The event is held regardless of the weather, and temperatures have ranged from 29 degrees below zero in 1996 to the upper 50s in 2009.  If it’s a tolerable day at all, you can bet there will be several thousand people taking part.

This year’s BRR theme is “Land of the FREEzing, Home of the BRRave.”  That is illustrated in a very funny drawing that bicycling cartoonist Brian Duffy of West Des Moines has done for BRR merchandise and promotional materials.

BRR does not use the Raccoon River Valley Trail, but Perry is one of the towns that will be on the new “North Loop” of the RRVT.  While BRR participants are in Perry, they’ll be able to see the North Loop coming diagonally through Perry, going right through the business district.  Downtown, you can also see the recently-renovated railroad depot, which will be a trail welcome center, as well as a new shelterhouse that has signs in it with health and exercise information, and bicycle lockers right behind it.

The RRVT Association will have its informational booth set up for BRR.  It will have information about the current trail, the North Loop project and the trails in Perry.   And we’ll have for sale RRVT Association memberships and trail passes, as well as tickets to the February 20 RRVT Association membership banquet.

For details of BRR, go to the Internet site of the Perry Chamber at www.perryia.org or to www.bikeiowa.com.  On the Bike Iowa site, you can register online for BRR.