Episode 319: Behind the Scenes with the RAGBRAI Staff

·38 min·3 clips

Ann recalls John Karras holding hands with Saudi Arabian riders, showing RAGBRAI's unexpected worldwide reach.

The episode begins with hosts Murph and AP discussing their recent activities, including the Great Iowa Fall Ride and winning the Iowa Podcast Award for best limited series. They transition to introducing a special roundtable episode featuring the RAGBRAI staff. Each staff member introduces themselves and their role, such as Matt as ride director, Corey as graphic designer, and Erica managing registration. The discussion covers how RAGBRAI is organized year-round, with Matt explaining the route selection process and hinting at the upcoming announcement. Corey talks about designing the annual logo, and Erica details merchandise collaboration. Kara and Laura discuss managing expos and town partnerships. Staff share personal RAGBRAI memories, like Ann's story about John Karras meeting a Saudi Arabian team and Erica reconnecting with Canadian riders after 11 years. The episode emphasizes the team's effort to build community and the event's non-cookie-cutter nature. Murph and AP wrap up by thanking the staff and teasing future episodes.

As heard by us

A warm, practical look at the roads, people, and design choices taking shape around RAGBRAI.

RAGBRAI comes through as a year-round operation, not just a week on bikes. The episode stays with the behind-the-scenes work: route planning with the Iowa Department of Transportation, the route reveal still waiting until the end of January, and the way each year's logo grows…

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Why you'd press play

You get Iowa route hints, a not-quite-revealed logo, and the crew thinking ahead while RAGBRAI season keeps moving.

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