GLENWOOD, Iowa, July 24, 2011 — The Raccoon River Valley Trail had excellent exposure among the thousands of participants on RAGBRAI — the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.  The RRVT Association was among dozens of bicycle shops, businesses and other vendors which paid to be a part of the annual “RAGBRAI Expo” that is held on the Saturday that cyclists are gathering for the start of the big ride across the state.

“We had our RRVT display booth set up among the bike shops, so there was tremendous traffic all afternoon and evening,” said Carla Offenburger, of Cooper, president of the RRVT Association.  “We had three board members there — Jim Miller, Chuck Offenburger and myself — and we were busy from noon to 9 p.m.  It’s hard to know how many riders we talked to — hundreds for sure, maybe more than a thousand.”

The cyclists seemed very interested in learning that the RRVT is already one of the longest paved recreational trails in the U.S. and is adding 33 more miles of paved trail, with that addition being completed during 2012.  There were lots of questions about all the amenities available along the trail, and our proximity to other trails in metro Des Moines and elsewhere in Iowa.

Board members handed out free refrigerator magnets, which had just been made, telling people the basics of what the trail is and where it is located, and how most easily to access more information.

“Besides having our booth there and talking to all those people, our participation in the Expo also gave us an ad and story in the RAGBRAI Handbook that all 10,000-plus RAGBRAI participants receive,” Carla Offenburger said.  “We know people will be reading and referring to that handbook for years to come.   Taking part in the Expo turned out to be a fantastic opportunity for those of us who promote the RRVT.  We were the only recreational trail represented there, and we were able to put all kinds of information in the hands of people who are very inclined to return and ride the RRVT.  And we made sure we were giving them enthusiastic invitations to come back and try it.”

Below here are four photos from the day.

Carla Offenburger, of Cooper, RRVT Association president, is shown here visiting with RAGBRAI riders who had congregated in Glenwood on July 23 for the start of the big ride across Iowa. The trail association was one of the participating organizations and companies in the “RAGBRAI Expo,” and board members talked to hundreds of cyclists about returning to experience the RRVT in the future.

Jim Miller (right), of rural Waukee, a member of the board of the RRVT Association, is shown here talking with a RAGBRAI participant. About 10 of the cyclists purchased the new RRVT jerseys, designed by cartoonist Brian Duffy, one of which Miller is wearing.

Here are the refrigerator magnets that RRVT Association board members handed out to hundreds of RAGBRAI riders so that they’ll know where to find information about the trail in the future. They’re available for association members and others in the future, too.

The RRVT display included our new canopy, maps, photos and other information, and we were located among the bicycle shops and other vendors that were set up at the RAGBRAI Expo. The event ran Saturday afternoon and evening outside Glenwood High School, which was the hub of the main RAGBRAI campground in the southwest Iowa town.