General Company Wide Updates

• Click Here for general company wide updates.

RAGBRAI Transportation Service Specific Updates for the 2019 Season

5/9/19

• Our mechanic will be set up directly at the pre-event bicycle drop-off at the main transportation staging point in Chicago to make sure your bike is in peak mechanical condition for the week of RAGBRAI. He will also be selling last minute parts and accessories there as well as at the main transportation staging point on Saturday morning. He will not perform any type of mechanical inspection or repairs on your bike on Saturday morning though, in order to assure a timely departure from Chicago. Click Here for more information.

5/6/19

• The comparative cost of week long parking in Keokuk has been updated. Click Here for more information.

5/1/19

• Now that the RAGBRAI lottery results have been announced, your RAGBRAI rider number is required for all new registrations.

2/27/19

• Sadly, the Live Grit triathlon shop went out of business and we are no longer able to use them as our main transportation staging point or bike shop in Chicago.
  • We are extremely excited to announce that our new main transportation staging point will now be the Goose Island Brewery and in Chicago! Goose Island is close enough to the previous transportation staging point that we are still able to use many of the same facilities and services in Chicago.
    • We will still be offering a free pre-event bicycle drop off service! Click Here for more information.
    • We will still use the same supported hotel in Chicago and pick up and drop off bicycles directly there. Click Here for more information.
    • We will still use the same parking garage in Chicago because of its fantastic rates, but it is now too far from the main transportation staging point to quickly, easily, or safely transport both your bicycle and baggage there yourself. As a result, we will now pick up and drop off bicycles directly at the parking garage. Click Here for more information.
  • Goose Island is still easily amenable to the CTA L Green and Pink line trains but is now further from the downtown Metra train stations. If you will be travelling using Metra, it may be significantly easier and faster to travel from the Metra train station to the main transportation staging point using a CTA L train or taxicab instead of walking the entire way with your bike and/or baggage. We also strongly recommend dropping off your bike before the event as part of our Pre-Event Bicycle Drop Off to make your commute even easier.
    • Click Here for more information about walking and travelling using a CTA L train of taxicab from the Metra Train Stations to the Main Transportation Staging Point.
    • Click Here for more information our Pre-Event Bicycle Drop Off.
  • We will only be providing routes to the Chicago hotel for the long distance public transportation carriers (Amtrak, Greyhound, and Megabus) because you should not plan on arriving/departing on a long distance public transportation carrier immediately before or after the event.
  • If you are planning on shipping your boxed bike to or from Chicago you will no longer be able to pick it or drop it off yourself directly at our transportation staging point. We will probably need to do it for you. If you will not be able to pick up and/or drop off your bike we will need to do it for you. Must pay us to pick up/drop off bike from bike shop. Must sign up for.

2/26/19

• Registration for Bubba's Pampered Pedalers charter service during the week is now open! Click Here for more information!

2/4/19

• Additional information added about shipping your boxed bicycle.
• Recommendations added about travelling to and from Chicago by means of long distance public transportation (airlines, trains, busses, etc.) Click Here for more information.

1/28/19

• Registration for our 2019 RAGBRAI Transportation Service is now open! Click Here to register!
  The prices for our RAGBRAI transportation service have been announced! Click Here for more information.
• Based on strong customer feedback, RAGBRAI now allows us to drop off and pick up baggage at Pork Belly Ventures camping location!
  • We can drop off your baggage directly at Pork Belly Ventures camping location in the RAGBRAI starting town and pick up your baggage directly at Pork Belly Ventures camping location in the stopping town before the RAGBRAI ending town on Saturday morning. We will NOT pick up any baggage from Pork Belly Ventures camping location in the RAGBRAI ending town. Click Here for more information about baggage pickup in the previous RAGBRAI stopping town.
• Bubba's Pampered Pedalers will no longer be delivering any baggage to us in the RAGBRAI ending town. Instead, you must drop off your baggage with us at our baggage pick up location in the previous stopping town on Saturday morning at Bubba’s Pampered Pedalers camping location. Click Here for more information about baggage pickup in the previous RAGBRAI stopping town.
• The .pdf file of the cue sheet and map of the route from the RAGBRAI ending location and dip site to our transportation staging point in the RAGBRAI ending town will be posted on the bicycleillinois.com home page and our RAGBRAI transportation service home page for you to download onto your smartphone in case your paper copy gets lost or destroyed during the week of RAGBRAI.
• We will determine the order in which we load bicycles in Chicago depending on what makes the most sense based on where our drop off locations in the RAGBRAI starting town end up being.
• We will now give you two separate color coded identification tags to put on your bicycle that indicate where your bicycle should be dropped off in the RAGBRAI starting town and after the end in Chicago. We will not require you to put identification tags on your baggage or yourself. We will load all baggage going to the same drop off location as one group in separate bus compartments so that we can quickly and easily unload them together. We will also have signs posted on each coach bus baggage compartment door so you know the appropriate place to stow your baggage and these signs will also be color coded to match the color of the identification tags on your bicycle. Click Here for more information.

1/27/19

• RAGBRAI route announced! Starting, Overnight, and Ending Town History updated. Click Here for more information.
• We have updated the comparative rates to driving yourself. Click Here for more information.

10/23/18

• Web site updated with 2019 dates and information.
  • Our transportation service from Chicago to the start of RAGBRAI will occur on Sat. July 20th, 2019.
  • Our transportation service from the end of RAGBRAI to Chicago will occur on Sat. July 27th, 2019.
• Information about the specific locations in the starting and ending towns updated to general information. The RAGBRAI starting and ending towns will inform us of these specific locations around May 1st and we will develop the specific routes and provide more information about them after this time.
• WE NO LONGER ISSUE ANY REFUNDS AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON. If you do not participate and would like a refund you MUST purchase an individual travel insurance plan, which will reimburse you according to the plan coverage. Click Here for more information about our refund policy.

Major Previous RAGBRAI Transportation Service Specific Updates

Arrival In and Departure From Chicago

• Our bike shop and main transportation staging point in Chicago have both changed to the Live Grit triathlon store which is still within walking or biking distance of all local and long distance public transportation options in Chicago. Click Here for more information.
  • The parking garage is now only 0.5 miles from the main transportation staging point and you can easily walk or bike between them. Accordingly, we will no longer need to come over to there to pick up participants on our way out of Chicago or stop there firstto drop off participants after the end of RAGBRAI.
    • If you will be parking your car in Chicago during the week of RAGBRAI, you will now need to walk back to the main transportation staging point after parking your car there and should NOT stay there and wait for us to pick you up on our way to the start of RAGBRAI.
    • After the end of RAGBRAI, you will need to walk over to the parking garage from the main transportation staging point, pick up your car, and drive back over to the the main transportation staging point to pick up your bicycle and baggage.
  • If you are planning on having your bike boxed and shipped to and/or from Chicago you will be able to pick it up and/or drop it off directly at the bike shop yourself since it now also our main transportation staging point. As a result we will no longer need to offer bicycle shipment pick up and delivery service in Chicago.
  • Travel times from all train stations in Chicago to the main transportation staging point have been updated. Click Here for more information.
    • Including the travel time from the train station to our main transportation staging point, the Rock Island District (RI) and Metra Electric District (ME) from 93rd St. and Blue Island (not University Park) trains now also arrive significantly later than our check in time. If you will be arriving on one of these train lines we can still accommodate you, but you must inform us you will be doing so when you register so that we will expecting you to arrive late. If you do not specifically inform us that you will be arriving on one of these Metra trains we will not wait for you.
  • Because the Chicago hotel is too far from the main transportation staging point to quickly, easily, or safely transport both your bike and baggage between them yourself we will have an additional transportation staging point directly at the hotel if you DO NOT have your own car or alternate means of transportation.
    • Before the start of RAGBRAI we will pick up your bicycle and baggage directly at the hotel at 6:30 am Saturday morning. You will still need to transport yourself to the main transportation staging point after we pick up your bicycle and baggage. Click Here for more information.
    • After the end of RAGBRAI our first stop in Chicago will be at the Chicago hotel where we will drop off all participants who are staying there as well as their bikes and baggage. Accordingly, we will be staging up and loading the bicycles and baggage of participants departing at the Chicago hotel last to be able to unload them first in Chicago. Click Here for more information.
  • A quick grab and go type breakfast will now be available only a block away from the main transportation staging point! Click Here for more information.
• We will be offering a free pre-event bicycle drop off service in Chicago on the Thursday and Friday before the start of RAGBRAI! Click Here for more information.
• Parking in Chicago
  • The daily cost for parking in Chicago has increased to $20.00 per weekday. it is still $10.00 per weekend day.
  • If you are planning on parking your car in Chicago long term you should purchase your parking reservation online before you arrive. Doing this is actually less expensive than the posted rates at the garage and significantly helps assure a timely departure from Chicago. Click Here for more information.
• The Metra Electric District (MED) trains to 93rd St. and Blue Island are now departing downtown after our latest possible arrival time in Chicago after the end of RAGBRAI. You will not need to make alternate transportation arrangements if you were planning on taking these trains.
• Routes added from all Metra train stations to the main transportation staging point by either walking and/or using the CTA L trains. Click Here for more information.
• We will load the bikes and baggage of people parking their car in Chicago first to allow them plenty of time to drive over to the parking garage and walk back. This will also free up room on the street as they move their cars.

Bicycle and Baggage Transportation

• We will now use different colored identification tags to quickly and easily identify and properly stage and load bikes and baggage to be delivered to the different drop off locations at the start of RAGBRAI and in Chicago after the end of RAGBRAI. Bicycle Illinois specific identification tags must be attached to your bicycle to be transported, but people themselves and their baggage do not need an identification tag. Click Here for more information.
• Not including carry on items, the size of each participant's baggage must be limited to 5 square feet so all baggage can fit in the baggage compartments underneath the coach bus. Click Here for more information.

Charter Service During the Week of RAGBRAI

• We have partnered with Bubba's Pampered Pedalers to provide charter services during the week. Click Here for more information.
• Bubba's Pampered Pedalers now offers a less expensive "Mini-PAMPERING" option. Click Here for more information and Click Here to download the registration form for Bubba's Pampered Pedalers charter service.

Travel Times

• The duration of our mid-route stop and lunch from Chicago to the start of RAGBRAI has increased to one hour from 45 minutes. Click Here for more information.
• All actual and estimated travel times have been updated based on previous experience. Click Here for more information. Click Here for more information about the travel time from Chicago to the start of RAGBRAI. Click Here for more information about the travel time from the end of RAGBRAI to Chicago.

Arrival at the RAGBRAI Starting Town

• We will now have three drop off locations at the start of RAGBRAI, either at our transportation staging point (close to the RAGBRAI main campground) or at Bubba's Pamered Pedalers or Pork Belly Ventures camping location.
  • We can still drop you off at Bubba's Pamered Pedalers or Pork Belly Ventures camping location if it is closer to your final destination in the RAGBRAI starting town even if you will not be using their charter services during the week.
  • You must let us know which location you want us to drop you off at so that we can properly load bikes and baggage in Chicago. If you register for our transportation service before these locations have been determined and don't know which location you want use, we will follow up with you after they are determined. Click Here for more information.
  • We will no longer need to provide a route for you to follow from our transportation staging point to the Bubba's Pampered Pedalers camping location at the start of RAGBRAI.
• We will no longer indicate our route to our transportation staging point in the RAGBRAI ending town by using painted road markings designated with "BI" directly on the road. You will need to rely on our paper cue sheet(s) and map and/or the downloaded GPS routes instead.

Departure from the RAGBRAI Ending Town

• We will now have baggage pick up locations at the RAGBRAI baggage truck and also at Bubba's Pampered Pedalers and or Pork Belly Ventures camping location in the stopping town before the ending town on the Saturday morning at the end of RAGBRAI. Depending on your personal plans it may be much, much easier for you to deliver your baggage to us at one of those locations rather than transporting it yourself in the ending town, particularly if our transportation staging point is significantly far away from the RAGBRAI main baggage drop off, Bubba’s Pampered Pedalers, and/or Pork Belly Ventures. Click Here for more information.
• We will arrive in the RAGBRAI ending town as early as possible so you have secure, dry place to leave your bicycle and baggage to prevent us from rushing to quickly load everyone's bicycles and baggage all at the same time. We will inform you of our planned arrival time in the ending town after May 1st.
• Based on overwhelming preference, our first stop in Chicago after the end of RAGBRAI will now be at the main transportation staging point since this is where the majority of participants will depart from. After we have unloaded all participants and their bicycles and baggage at the Chicago hotel we will proceed over to the Chicago hotel. Click Here for more information.

Other Event Services

• Our policies regarding one way transportation have changed. Click Here for more information.
• Our capacity has increased to 56 passengers per coach bus.
• We have listed our prices from previous years for reference so you can get an estimate of what our prices will be for the current year before the RAGBRAI starting and ending towns are announced and plan your budget. Click Here for more information.