Your thoughts and comments on how you like to ride in Iowa?
Open-Ended Response
Any way that is less likely to get me killed.
Cycling is more to me than recreation, commuting, or exercise. It improves my overall health and mental well-being. Any excuse I can hop on a bike for, I’m all for it!
I do not call myself a cyclist; I am a person who, when possible, rides a bike to get around town.
I enjoy riding on the Old Creamery Nature Trail and hope to see this trail connected to others in the future.
More intercity trails. Repave elderly trays.
I favor trails. Paved trails (asphalt is the smoothest ride) that connect for long loops are much appreciated. The Cedar Valley Nature Trail and the Grant Wood Trail are wonderful. I don’t use it enough, but the Sac & Fox trail is excellent – I don’t have the right kind of bike.
terrific scenery, although roads could be in better repair. Riding in Wisconsin is far better
Like if had more trails for safety reasons
I like to ride to work, around ISU for getting between places on campus, and for exercise all around Ames/Boone/Cambridge/Slater/other local roads.
I prefer paved trails either urban or rural.
Trails are awesome, if they would stop closing them. Love the nice Polk Country back roads. Getting in shape for RAGBRAI.
Iowa is a wonderful state to ride in. I love the many organized rides as well as a trail system that makes it user friendly.
The roads feel more and more dangerous over the last few years. Drivers overall seem to be more hostile to cyclists, espcially in areas where they feel like they lost a lane for stupid bikers who should be on the trail/get on the sidewalk/grow up and get a car/etc. Some of the recent infrastructure changes have also contributed to the perception of decreased safety despite their explicit intent to do the opposite. I refer to the colored concrete sidewalks on Ingersoll, coming soon to the Waveland area. That style of infrastructure is not beneficial in a city like Des Moines. Every single time I’ve been down that stretch – in a car or on a bike, I have seen pedestrians blithely strolling right down the middle of the “bike path.” As a cyclist, I still take the lane in the street where I can travel at a speed that would be considered unsafe on the special-colored sidewalk (generally 17-22mph), and I have a little room to evade obstacles/people/pets as needed. I can also turn left, which is a common event while commuting. I like to ride safely and efficiently for work or errands, and also for leisure. There’s no reason to dilly-dally. The only way to shorten those miles is to ride a little faster!
Keep growing the trail system in Iowa.
I like a dedicated bike lane on the road
I love the scenery, roads and the overall fitness that I have achieved from riding.
Riding allows me to go outside and enjoy nature and exercise. The exercise helps me control my diabetes.
I try to ride on hard paths parallel to highway for safety. Johnson Co. has too many deaths and accidents with cars hitting bicycles.
I love to be able to commute by bike, but there are not enough direct routes/paths/sidewalks. It adds an extra mile from driving to safely ride my bike to work.
normally have stayed on county paved road until I purchased a gravel bike. Now I stick to gravel roads.
I would like to see more trails or bike lanes on hard surface county roads connected to the main trails. I live eight miles from high trestle and 12 mi from Chichaqua trail and also 8 miles from HOI trail
Bring on the trails! The more that connect the better.
I love to trail ride but there aren’t many around where I live so I try during the summer to drive to one at least once a week. The rest of the time I love my lonely local county blacktops. Best way to view Iowa!
Minimal traffic e but scerney, find trails to boring and critters dodging out to make you crash
I’d like to ride with others when I can
I love it. We have a nice bike bath system in Ames, and the surrounding county roads are very suitable for recreational riding. The Neal Smith Trail is my favorite ride – it provides a great variety of natural surroundings and trail features. Most of my rides are solo. Iowa drivers are very considerate and aware. I’ve done eight full RAGBRAI rides over the years (all including century rides), and loved every one. Climbing Potter Hill near Dubuque was especially memorable. I’ve also led Scouts on the Cycling merit badge at least a dozen years. At age 78, I still enjoy my 1975 Raleigh Gran Sport (bought it new from Michael’s), and hope to continue for many more years. Life is good.
Open, little-traveled roads to ride 50, 100-160 plus miles.
Safely is how I like to ride. I have lights and a mirror and feel all bikes should have these items.
I would love more single track trails made by professional trail builders who really know how to deliver an experience! You get what you pay for. For some reason, Coralville pays professional trail builders but Iowa City does not? I don’t get it! Thanks for listening! Iowa City can be a mtn bike destination!
wish i was younger
I like riding on trails mainly due to safety. Ware blessed with a great variety of trail riding especially in Central Iowa.
Transportation around town and to and from work.
I love all of the new trails popping up :-)
I strongly support maintenance and growth of bike trails & bike lanes. I am 84 but rejoice to see all ages using trails and (to a lessor extent) bike lanes.
any way and any day is a GREAT way or day to ride in Iowa!
I would definitely like stricter laws for motorists in bike accidents and better driver education re: sharing the road. We need to complete a trail between Mount Vernon-Cedar Rapids – this is a glaring deficiency currently in our trail system.
Would prefer to ride more paved trails if they were available. Traffic always is a concern.
I love that there are trails more trails than I thought.. I just wish I was retired and I can ride all over IOWA…..
I enjoy the trails because of the nature feeling while riding. The city streets has been an issue with traffic not wanting to yield or move over.
I feel fortunate that we have the trail system we have which continues to grow. I am also grateful for the work being done to help with city/town riding.
Training for RAGBRAI. Would like to be able to county roads like in the past.
I appreciate bike paths or wide sidewalks when I can find them. I also enjoy recreational trail riding.
I like the trail system because it keeps me away from cell-phone distracted drivers. I ride 2,000+ miles each year and accept for RAGBRAI miles, they are pretty much all on the trail system.
I really like the trails but have some concern about local streets because drivers seem to be too distracted and are not looking for bikes!
Central Iowa has done a lot of work to make cycling more accessible and safer for our communities. I’ve enjoyed watching the transformation over the last decade and look forward to seeing more changes in the near future.
Trails when they are available, too many inattentive drivers.
My wife and I are in our upper 60s. We are occasional recreational riders. We enjoy riding on the rails to trails routes. Either paved trails or hard packed limestone. When we were younger we had road bikes and would do weekend road trips on county blacktops, but feel that is no longer safe due to increased traffic, speed and disrespect for cyclists.
Not confident riding in the city during the winter unless it’s an unusually warm weekend day (concerned about darkness/visibility, snow and ice affecting stability, generally being cold.) We love the trail system around central Iowa, but I’m not sure where/how I can find a digital copy of the trail maps, or what businesses different trails lead to. I’m intrigued by the recent bike developments along Ingersoll in Des Moines, but still freaked out by high traffic areas – would be interested if there was a city streets-riding safety workshop ever offered.
Enjoy the different trails and pass through communities
I like to ride on trails as much as possible. I don’t feel country roadway riding is safe so the more trails available the better. Happy that that the Woodward to Perry trail is in development.
Living in downtown Des Moines, I love just to ride around the city for errands and social activities. Also being connected to the trail system, I also appreciate biking to places I wouldn’t normally visit.
Since I started riding approximately 8 years ago, one of the things I have come to enjoy are the trails in Iowa.
We need more paved trails and buffered bike lanes. The painted stripes and always ignored green turn boxes are totally insufficient for an Iowa City’s bike infrastructure.
I like to ride away from the general public/urban areas, with as much nature (trees, greenery etc) as possible
Solely on connected asphalted trails.
We’ve met riders across the country who comment on how much they enjoy the hundreds of miles of connected trails in the Des Moines area. I support continued expansion of the trail system, and the local economies that come with it.
Increase trails and bike lanes, educate drivers on cycling safety
I’ve rode to the beginning of ragbrai from Iowa City since 2012. Driver attention to other vehicles has been a problem even when i have multiple warning. Passing laws that protect the rider or providing a 4′-6′ stip along all paved road would promote safer riding/driver interaction.
I love the local trails here and around Des Moines. Wish we could connect from Easter Lake to Carlisle Summerset Trail!
I be been commuting racing and training in Iowa for over 30 years I love riding all over the state wherever I’m able to ride
Like being able to get the family to area businesses safely and get some exercise at the same time.
One reason we moved to Des Moines from Indianola was because of the bike trails.
Enjoy seeing different views on multiple trails.
I like to ride short routes during the week and on the weekends I like to explore things a little more, wether that’s hitting gravel roads or visiting new restaurants and breweries
I would ride more but at 81 the weather is too cold. When it gets warm then it will be 2-3 times a week
Exercise to stay fit. I don’t like to exercise but I do like to ride a bicycle. Local errands are faster on a bike. RAGBRAI is the reward.
I ride to work year round, as well as mountain bike on the singletrack trails and ride road bike on the trails.
Decent trails, love underground crossing north liberty and coralville have added so no waiting on traffic. County roads don’t feel safe with quality poor and car speed
I’ve done RAGBRAI for the past 2 years, and will again in 2023.
prefer to ride in safe circumstances where other bikers are following the rules of the road and am more visible to traffic. i will also say i encounter enough people biking in town who utterly disregard road rules that i would like to see more enforcement of the laws for the protection of bikers who take the rules to heart
Enjoy group rides, building friendships and getting exercise is fun. Also try to ride to work as much as i can, saves on gas and i can park my bike right in my office!
I am actually moving to Iowa later this year in part because of the biking infrastructure in the Iowa Great Lakes area.
In Des Moines, we are very fortunate. Wish our legislature was as concerned as our city council
I live in Cedar Rapids which has some designated bike lanes on some streets. Parking cars in the bike lane should be prohibited and enforced by towing because parking in the bike lane forces bikers back into the traffic lane and also because the bike lane is too narrow to contain an auto so the traffic lane is also partially obstructed.
Wish it were safer; Share the road!
Prefer trails so I don’t have to deal with car traffic. I’d like to see more bicycle friendly roads!
I like the new trails.
I prefer trails
it gets a little better every year. keep up the good work
I don’t feel safe at intersections.
RAGBRAI! 20+ years and counting….
Build more trails!
I’d like to see roads designed for more than just cars.
Had a traumatic head injury June 6 21. Not much riding last year. Balance much better so far this year. Have to be more aware of road and street closures. Not too safe when drivers don’t look for anyone else besides themselves. Paying too much attention on their phones.
Loved the single track scene around the quad cities area.
I prefer trails, high trestle trail or Sauk river trail
I think Iowa has one of the best trail systems for biking anywhere. I thoroughly enjoy the ability to ride just about anywhere when I want to.
I will no longer ride country roads with no designated bike lane. I broke my humerus when attempting to leave the gravel shoulder to the pavement.
I like to ride on our trails for fun and exercise
Mainly ride trails as they are safe. Sometimes I ride with a group on quiet paved roads.
Love all the trails being developed
I like to stay in shape year-round so I can go on RAGBRAI every year and have it actually be fun rather than painful.
I usually train for Ragbrai May – July. Ride Ragbrai in July. In August do alot off leasure rides. September I ride for Children’s Cancer with Great Cycle Challenge.
More connecting trails would be nice so I don’t always need to ride to a trailhead.
I like to ride as much as possible and Trails are where I do most riding.
I don’t mind riding on rural roads but worry about cars that don’t give room. Trails aren’t really designed for all out riding or hills.
Love that there’s so many trails and places along them to see.
Hopefully less drivers on their phones, but…..
On trails where I feel safer
35 years ago I wouldn’t hesitate to jump on my bike alone & ride 25 miles on a blacktop. Not anymore. To many distracted drivers.
We like to ride in a variety of places in Iowa. We enjoy all the different bike trails throughout the state as well as roads with a good paved shoulder.
Every day on the bike is a good day.
I love to ride on trails when I am alone or have a companion. But I prefer to get on my bike and not drive to a trail, so I sometimes have to get my bike “fix” in by riding around town.
On trails as much as possible.
We have so many trails so many opportunities to meet new people connect with a lot of businesses along the trails in G beauty of natural landscapes along the way
Trails and paved roads with minimal traffic is an Iowa mainstay.
Greatly appreciate the bike paths of central Iowa
Trails county highway and roads
I love to ride for exercise or just to get out and ride for confort.
I used to ride rural pavement, but I quit because I value my life.
Increase number of dedicated concrete, paved, and gravel trails
Dedicated bike trails are best, shared trails are fun, co-mingled with auto traffic on streets NOT GOOD! Too dangerous for me, I will avoid that at all costs.
In central Iowa, we have an excellent trail system, I can get to almost any town or city on trails. It would nice to have trails or bike lanes which connect all the major cities in the state.
Ragbrai and bike trails
Love the trails and riding with friends.
I’d feel less likely to need the dog tag ID’s I wear if drivers would just put down their phones and drive like responsible grownups. And slowed the heck down.
Safely in marked road sides and trails would be ideal!
As much as I can!
I’m not an Iowa resident, so my riding in Iowa is almost 100% recreational. Sometimes it is the reason for being in Iowa (RAGBRAI), sometimes an opportunity arises to ride with friends when I am in Iowa for other reasons.
I like biking to events in the metro area
Love trails.
I prefer paved trails where ever they are available but ride a lot of streets in lieu of such trails.
Ride Iowa trails in central Iowa, Des Moines area.
We enjoy going to Cedar Rapids and Des Moines to ride bikes, due to the connecting trails. We live in Dubuque County and there are not many trails at all. I feel if this area would add trails between towns are more around dubuque would bring tourism to the area.
The roads R too dangerous even with bike lanes
I love to keep fit by riding. I do RAGBRAI so have to train for that. I train alone.
I ride gravel with front and rear lights— enjoy scenery and light traffic. I enjoy bike trails regularly ride from IC to CR— no cars, smooth surface, great destinations on the trail system
I like to low traffic roads and trails.I still ride at a decent pace
Rail trails are the best!!!!!
I used to ride my bike(s) daily–year round. I no longer feel safe on streets due to too many inconsiderate and inattentive drivers. I likewise no longer feel particularly safe on DSM area trails due to loitering, grafiti, and signs of trash/questionable activity. What can be done to improve these situations so I can again return to riding regularly?
I used to ride the county roads 4-6 times a week. As more people drive “unattentively”, I search for trails and shorter rides.
The paved roads with wide shoulders are my preferred. Then trails- trails should be multi-use- so it would be great if lea gravel and similar are paved/blacktop or paved pea gravel
Enjoy touring among Iowa’s smaller communities
Road shoulders are too narrow to safely ride outside for most of the riding I want to do.
Too many cars all Speeding. Used to pedal in the country. Now often use bike trails because of the traffic.
Love all the trails we have in Iowa!
I love to ride trails that have fun and interesting stop-off points for camaraderie, food and beverages.
I like to ride either alone or with one or two other people. I observe what’s going on around me and watch the seasons change.
We do enjoy trail riding but mostly we love the open road. Trails will never replace road cycling for us. We also enjoy riding RAGBRAI.
Getting out of a car and on to a bike teaches geography.
Anytime I can incorporate trails into my ride i will go out of my way to avoid traffic.
bike paths
Trail system is one of best in USA. Car drivers are not bike friendly in this state vs. Others.
The trails are great; just wish they were a little more direct sometimes.
Seasonal rider. Enjoy both social and solo rides. I stay off roads/streets as much as possible due to lax laws for drivers. Got my spouse and e-bike last year so we can ride together more often.
I would like more trails throughout CR to make it more Bike friendly like Iowa City.
Wish the western part of the state had more trail systems like the metro area of Des Moines has.
Love to ride county black tops!
Thank you for your efforts to keep the bike trails an area of focus and continual expansion. The bike trails are my best, safest, and most convenient option.
Keep building those trails
Weather permitting, I try to let my car rest and ride my bike for errands and exercise in town (Ames). I like to get out of town and ride trails when I can, sometimes weekly, sometimes less often.
I like the trails in Iowa
We love the rail trail system in Iowa and surrounding states. Great trails in Iowa!! We also love Ragbrai!!
Would like to see more strict enforcement of motor vehicles. I see drivers violating traffic laws the vast majority of the time (speeding, reckless driving, failure to signal, tailgating, texting while driving, etc.) All of these actions put bicyclists and other drivers at risk. And yet the majority of the time the politicians only solution is to put more requirements on the bicyclists.
As much on trails as possible. I don’t trust or like drivers in the Des Moines Metro.
Love the hard surface trails in Iowa!
Lots of great trails, but would love even more connected trails to ride across the State on trails.
I love des moines for the bike trails. I only ride on trails but I’ll go a few blocks on streets to get to the trail if I have to. I love doing short rides on the trails and want to do longer multi day trail rides
I don’t have much for trails in rural Iowa without traveling a distance
I’m a dress BRIGHT, make LOUD NOISE, defensive rider. I always have a flag, I have multiple visual indicator (very bright) and I ware a DOT safety vest. Still one IDDIOT in the past 6 months has attempted to “clip me” fortunately my LOUD 130+ dB horn got his attention.
I’m a vehicular cyclist, so I always take my lane. It should be taught to any cyclists that they should be in the left tire path so that they’re in front of a driver, where their attention is mostly at.
Iowa- especially central Iowa – is a great place to live and ride bikes. Great trails, great culture, great events- incredible community.
I’m comfortable riding in the street on designated bikeways compared to a sidepath. Trails and separated bikeways would be preferred.
I like Organize. Bike rides in Iowa.
prefer country roads with wide shoulder for safety
I love Gravel because it seems like the safest most available option. I would live to have more mountain biking options available, but it is so limited locally. Driving 45-60 minutes for a bike ride isn’t feasible most of the time. I love that we have so many trail options, but I really want variety in surface and locations that I ride.
I love to ride until someone is hurt or killed by a distracted driver. The penalties NEED to be higher for killing an innocent biker. That said, bikers need to take responsibility for riding safely
Some areas are way better than others. It’s an after thought in our community. I wish it was better. Or that drivers weren’t so awful here. They don’t see pedestrians or cyclists.
I ride in all kinds of weather every day for 2200 days in a row but I like summer heat best..
Trails only. Streets and highways are unsafe with distracted drivers. Been riding for over 60 years.
I am riding county roads less and less unless with a large group due to safety concerns especially distracted drivers and road rage drivers
Love the trails
iowa has some great trails to ride. one of my favorites is the raccoon river valley trail.
Most grateful for our amazing multi-use trail system in central Iowa.
Quad Cities … Lots of great river front trails.
Please keep pushing for every street and road project to have a trail component. I winter in Iowa instead of the south for fall and spring recreational trail riding.
Have an injury that is not letting me ride. Hoping it gets better, i prefer the trails Iowa has.
I wish roads were safer to ride on bikes. I feel safe on gravel in small group. Our trail system is amazing and I want it to grow.
Love the trail systems…..keep adding!
The more off-road trails…the better.
I utilize infrastructure built for bicycles when available, but often it is not there where I want to go. Better infrastructure would make an environment in which more riders would feel safe riding and then therefore increase ridership.
I live in beaverdale in Des Moines. I get on the Neal Smith trail a lot. This is getting to be really sketchy. There are homeless camps all over. There was a woman driving her car on the trail. She was going back to a homeless camp. This all needs to get cleaned up!!! Not sure why water works park can stop the homeless camps but Des Moines can’t do anything to stop it?
I really enjoy the options in Iowa with trail and roads (hard surface and gravel). We really like to ride to different spots to meet with others on the trails.
Safety is my biggest concern that’s why I like trails. Would like to see more bits and pieces of the trails link up in Cedar Rapids
Good trails and we try to go some place different each year for a big vacation ride. The lakes and Sioux Falls are great for nw Iowa.
protected trails thru the countryside
I rode the rural highways for 40 years, but not anymore due to distracted driving
My daily rides (early morning before family obligations) are from my house so having places to ride close is important to me. That said, I will ride just about anywhere. We have some great gravel hills in Boone county which I love. Sometimes my family loads up and rides in Ames or the HTT. It would be awesome to have a connector trail between Boone and the HTT which has been discussed but I understand how large of a project that is. Just a dream for me :) I would love to have more MTB trails close. There are a few but I’m also well aware that there are others within a relatively short drive.
It’s not safe to ride on any street or road in Iowa. There are only lucky riders.
I am only comfortable on roads with bike lanes/paved shoulders.
I prefer trail riding over road riding because I do not feel safe biking on roads in Iowa, even where there are bike lanes.
Like to ride trails
I do RAGBRAI, it’s the best ride ever!
Everywhere all the time.
I really like the paved trails that are away from traffic
MORE TRAILS
I love the paved trails, when they aren’t under construction. Or closed due to construction nearby. I hate where bike paths intersect with roundabouts. There is no safe way to navigate a roundabout on a bicycle other than to just wait. And wait. And wait.
My last 3 homes have been on or near a paved bike trail. I typically ride alone. I avoid city streets except for short trips to neighborhood stores. I don’t think that laws in place have strong enough penalties to make riding on the streets safe.
I enjoy the local trails around Des Moines metro. 150 to 200 miles a week
We live near bike trail but have put bike in carrier to get there. Would ride more often Otherwise. Like the scenery on country trail.
Side streets are OK but trails are the safest and best.
I prefer paved trails separate from streets and highways. Safety is the factor. I appreciate the places where the bike trail goes underneath the streets and highways.
Would like more paved trails vs. county roads
One of the things I like about riding our trails is that you can actually go somewhere.
We need more state/corporate-sponsored trails in Eastern Iowa. More bike trails would bring more tourism to the state.
I like to ride local blacktop roads around our county.
I feel like there are lots of places to ride in Iowa,. But I am getting a lot more nervous about riding on the roads so I am using a lot more trails!!
I ride for exercise, enjoyment, and socialization. I would like to see more local business’ be open to cyclists stopping in for food/drink. We are a great group of people.
I would prefer to ride on more roads but simply do not trust drivers. I only take a road if necessary to get to a trail or food/water destination.
I live in a city with a variety of bike trails. I avoid riding on the street due to fears of drivers not following the rules of the road and being injured/killed.
We need more help bein safe on the road. It doesn’t matter how safe you think you are, people flat out don’t care for your safety.
More singletrack!!!
The Rails-to-Trails system around Des Moines keeps us living in and riding. If it were not as developed as it is, we would consider moving elsewhere in the country.
I used to like to ride road bike. Now I’m deathly scared of getting hit by a distracted driver…
I have ridden RAGBRAI the last 6 years in row.
Doing a great job with trails in Iowa. It’s great to see more new ones but let’s keep the old ones in good shape also.
Seasonal! But love it. Especially on the trails.
Wish we had more trails near us…it just kills me to drive 15 miles to ride on our ‘local’ trail.
I ride the trails for safety. Even with bike accommodations like rumble strips, painted lines, etc. I do not feel safe due to proliferation of distracted driving, road rage against bikers, and in some situations poor road conditions. Glad Iowa has such a commitment to an excellent trail network.
mOre local trails than I can ride in a day!
I love riding in Iowa. Most trails are well maintained, and I like the connectivity to places downtown.
I love the trails and would like to see more of them connected.
I have only road trails in Iowa.
I just wish there was dedicated, protected bike lanes in Iowa City (among other cities of course). My wife would be more open to commute by bike if there was a safe route for her to use.
from one bar to another quickly
With the wind at my back and joy in my heart!
Need to be able to ride safely and have motor vehicles be aware and respectful of bicyclists rights.
Iowa is very bicycle friendly and their trail systems are excellent!
I would ride my bike to a lot more places if some weren’t so “land-locked” by car-only infrastructure…4 lanes with curbs, no shoulders, no sidewalks, no trails, no bike lanes etc…I still ride them sometimes, and feel like I’m taking my life in my own hands and being irresponsible each time.
Avoid roundabouts. Weather sucks
Riding is my ‘me’ time… its my happy place. I prefer to ride 20+ miles at a crack so long paved trails or paved county roads are what I look for. A coffee shop along the way is a bonus!
If all Iowa trails could be well maintained like RRVT it would be worth paying the state a yearly fee for riding all trails to help pay for upkeep and maintenance.
Need better signage/maps
Trails make biking safer and more accessible to the public.
I ride fewer roads because of distracted riders. Ten years ago i was less concerned about poor driving skills on county roads. Rail -to-trail rides are nice but I don’t get the feel of being part of the countryside as much.
I don’t ride very often because my city (Dubuque) is not bike-friendly
Could be safer for commuters in Iowa City.
I do indoor spinning during the late fall and winter months, 3 x/week. May-September, I bike nearly every day of a week and sometimes every day.
I am a Path and Pavement rider
I like to ride on trails!!!
Appreciate the great trails we have in Central Iowa. Also the improvements that the city of DSM is making for bike-ability. Would like to see more trail connectors across the state, and improvements to make roads more friendly for biking.
Iowa’s county roads are great! But becoming reluctant to ride on them, because of drivers using their cellphones while on the roads
Love riding my bikes! Let’s keep on the slow journey of progress toward safer riding!
Hi-viz and blinking lights
Safely with cars passing in other lane like they do for cars.
more and enforced laws that keep bicyclists safe on roadways.
I like long distance rides. I favor trail. Roads with a with a wide shoulder for bike lane are good as well.
love the trail system….but my experience on roads was sometimes very frustrating as some drivers are very dangerous to bikers.
Enjoy trails for urban & natural environments.
I go to Fairfield to ride their trail , no other trails near Bloomfield Iowa.
Prefer trails to roads for safety reasons.
I’m a pretty “fair weather” rider. I try to use the bike to get to work as much as I can, but the weather is sometimes a deterrent. Same goes for soft trail riding.
County roads and highway, bc I live on a state highway. Ride from town to town, I stop and get a snack or water and circle around back home. I live in the country.
I prefer trails so don’t have to deal with traffic on the highway.
Most concerned with safety from drivers.
RAGBRAI
I treasure and support the continuing development of the trails in Iowa.
The Des Moines metro area has phenomenal trails with attractions (breweries, restaurants, etc.) along the way.
To many cars pass closer than they should. Cars should yield to bikes and pedestrians in crosswalks.
Iowa is a really outstanding place to ride trails, low-traffic roads and gravel.
Quiet scenic nearby trails
I love tiding trails that connect to other towns to see what each town offers and stopping in for a beer is always a plus.
Biking is my favorite exercise and I love how its getting easier and easier to avoid street in Iowa while riding.
Greene Cty has miles of great roads. The raccoon trail herndon to waukee is my favorite. Sauk is my daily ride.
I love riding on lightly traveled roads in the rolling back hills of Iowa. Bike trails with no cars at all are my second favorite. If there were more trails, that might be my favorite, but I do enjoy the beautiful vistas out in the countryside. Trails tend to be railroad grades with few hills. I enjoy the hills.
I used to ride with friends on highways on weekends, but all the hit and runs has made me switch to mostly gravel road riding. I wish there was more single track in central Iowa. I live in Newton and have to drive to 30 miles to Red Rock trails near Pella or 40 miles to Des Moines for single track.
Every day on my bike is a good day!
Iowans are blessed to have an abundance of trails to choose from. the city I live in has a wonderful trail within 3 blocks of our house. ride down the street and do a 40 mile round trip. life as it was meant to be lived!
Safely
I like trails, especially trails that don’t run along major roads/highways. Trails that connect communities, have places to stop for rest/refreshment, have variety in terrain, and that loop, so you don’t have to take the same route. I also like trails that are next to camping/lodging.
Iowa has many great trails to ride.
Regarding trails – there are some tough areas on the central Iowa trail system that could use work — they’re unsafe, ie cracks. (Cumming to martensdale, Herndon to Yale) Could the coalition highlight these to push the counties to fix them?
Primarily ride for exercise, but also ride at least twice a week 30-45 miles for lunch/dinner.
I really enjoy the trails and county roads. Most people on the county roads respect you and move over and give you room. Would love to see more share the road on some of my local county roads.
Recently had knee surgery so have not been able to ride as much as I like to but hope to be back soon. Would like to see trails connected so we could do large loops as Phil riding on the road has become very unsafe
avoid paved roads and gravel roads unless on an organized ride—NOT SAFE IN IOWA!
Like to ride when it’s warm,however i Ride year round,got to stay in shape.
Prefer continuous paved trails like RRVT and Trestle. We are lucky to have the quality trail system we have in Central Iowa.
I would love to do more trail rides, but I have to haul my bike and drive to get to any! I enjoy riding the highways but I’m terrified of being hit by a car.
Appreciate the extensive trail system in central Iowa & the streets that have bike lanes.
I thoroughly enjoy gravel riding, running errands by bicycle here in Iowa City and riding single track, particularly the Woodpecker Trail in Coralville and the flow trails at Creekside.
As much as possible, i like to ride in lanes physically separated from car traffic, as iowa drivers are not attentive to cyclists
Iowa has a large biking community which is awesome!
I ride in the Baccoon. Hope to do Ragbrai soon
Our trails are amazing. We enjoy traveling to other parts of the state to ride their trails.
I like to ride in small groups on trails or two lane highways with low traffic. The trails have a lot of character, and provide a long uninterrupted ride.
Beautiful trails.
Love the trails, always up for more!
I feel so privileged to live where I do with the access to our trails. Thank you Iowa
I like to try trails around the state, I prefer more suburban or rural trails for the scenery
It’s good fun and a great way of getting exercise
Like to ride with friends
Love the trails but have been hit by a car twice when riding on the streets, so prefer trails.
I feel safer on trails. Iowa drivers are not as courteous to cyclists. Gravel riding has also been a fairly safe option with less traffic.
Des Moines in particular has a fantastic paved trail system. More communities should emulate this if they can find the money to do so.
I actually ride roads and paved trails
Love loop trails
Safe connections between trails, streets and single track are needed to compliment our existing transportation structure.
safely…wish we’d follow Madison wisc area, bike lanes in town and out……..or at least good shoulders. Thx!
It’s great for the most part
I ride only in warm to hot weather. I ride wearing ear buds listening to music. I ride to my destination, turn around, and return home. Rest, relax, socialize when I’m done riding.
I love riding my bike! I wish it was safer on Iowa Streets.
More trails
I like to ride with friends on paved county roads with low traffic patterns. Like to use trails on cold, windy days and exceptionally hot days.
Bike touring on trails, RAGBRAI
Hard surface dedicated trails are awesome. Protected bike lanes are great, but usually end up being unprotected bike lanes, which are not awesome.
I like to ride right.
I love the Bacoon ride and Ragbrai. My sisters live in Iowa so it is always a great place to ride trails
I love the trails, I just wish we had more. Ragbrai keeps me riding!!!!
Thanks for ssking
I wish more trails would join together to give me more options.
Ragbrai is the largest and best, well organized bicycle tour in America! I also love Iowa’s trails such as Wabash, High Trestle, and Three Rivers trails. Shout out to all the local breweries and pubs that provide an open, fun, and inclusive space for the cycling communities across the state.
Trails are inconsistent within the city, makes it difficult to stay safe.
When I first started biking I rode the paved county roads. I loved doing that – there was a challenge in doing the hills, seeing the country side, etc. It was easy to get on my bike and ride. I didn’t have to load up my bike and drive someplace to ride. Now I ride mainly bike trails. Vehicle drivers are distracted and some don’t appreciate sharing the road the road with bicyclists. It seems different to drive someplace to ride a bike. Trails aren’t as challenging, but they are safer. Some state parks provide a challenge and drivers drive slower and are aware of people, kids and bikes. I would ride more often if I didn’t have to drive someplace to ride — that just takes more time and I’d like to just do a quick 10-12 mile ride on the paved county roads from my home.
I prefer to stay away from traffic, trails or less traveled country roads. Places where you can hear nature and enjoy the ride.
I live in the Okoboji lakes region. We have great trails for safe riding and commuting and I also like to ride the gravel roads in Dickinson County.
Drivers are not taught that bikes are allowed to share the road. Cities do a poor job of cleaning debris from streets that are could be good routes.
I’m in Johnson County, and we do well here with recreational paths but not so great with commuting routes in our corridor.
Bike trails and running errands.
Thank goodness for the extensive trail system where I live. I wouldn’t ride much as city streets in my area are certainly not designed for anything other than cars.
Enjoy the variety of routes, road conditions and mixed terrain. Good number of organized tours. Great along the Mississippi River.
The more trails we have the better!
Would be great to see more connected trail systems in the state. Someday I would like to ride from CR to DSM on Trails.
Used to commute from Ankeny to downtown DSM on the Neal Smith trail which was a great way to start the day. Office relocated so now just ride couple of times a week on the trails including High Trestle, Bondurant to Baxter and Raccoon River trail. Like all the trails especially when there isn’t construction on them!
Need stronger penalties for drivers who hit cyclists who are obeying the laws as they ride.
I most enjoy trail loops.
We need more paved/hard surface trails.
Des Moines has a great network of trails. Some need some TLC for pavement. Iowa is great for gravel riding. Road group rides and get a bit scary at times with motorists.
I prefer paved trails. I don’t trust drivers to not hit me when I am on city streets. I feel lucky that Iowa has such a nice variety of places to ride.
Clear enjoyment and exercise
Want to ride the roads more but too dangerous!
I mostly ride for exercise. I’d ride more for errands, etc., but many roads in DSM and the metro don’t feel friendly to cyclists — especially two and four-lane roads with no paved shoulder.
I’m done riding in Iowa after new policies enacted by the state that harms LGBTQ people.
I’d like to experience more connectivity between neighborhoods and bike racks facilities in major intersections and public buildings. Also, it would be great if there are more emergency service button/posts in addition to safety markers along regional trails.
Every year-starting May through RAGBRAI, I ride my bike to work every Monday-Friday. My commute is a mix of trail, road, and sidewalk. In addition to these commutes, I will do long training rides on the trails throughout the corridor. I prefer leaved bike trails over roads, as I know far too many riders killed by distracted drivers. I wish I could believe that riding in the roads were safer than the trails/sidewalks. My rides are also weather dependent. I don’t have the tolerance for heavy rain or snow.
In safe zones
I prefer paved trails but will ride shoulder if well maintained. Like to visit smaller towns.
I would ride on our county roads, but the traffic in our area is not cycle friendly. I also own a recumbent trike and so I take up more space on the side of the road. I wish more trails were connected.
I love the trail system in the Des Moines area and the plans to continue to connect them as it’s the safest way to enjoy a ride.
i spend winter in TX (Nov 1 to mid May), mid May through October in IA. my answer for frequency was based on summer and fall riding.
Only ride paved trails. Iowa needs a law mandating a stand off bike trail with ALL NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
Mostly on trails with an occasional ride on safe roads.
It is great to ride in Iowa, within 15 minutes I can be out in the countryside for a ride. It is awesome!!
the roads are getting harder to ride – traffic and speeds going up and courtesy is going down; would love broader shoulders/designated roadway bike lanes
Diverse scenery and terrain.
RAGBRAI and Baccoon give me incentive to put miles in. I ride trails in Decorah and county roads in SW Clarinda once a month. Roads are a bit risky. In both places it is easier to walk uptown than bike ride.
Need more trails and wide shoulders – it is too dangerous on the roads.
I used to ride on the open roads. they are too dangerous, so I ride trails as much as possible to get around. Iowa law has shown us that killing bikers is legal.
We actually ride 3-4 times a week in warm weather, but zero times per week in cold weather!
I like being able to ride my bike where I want when I want while respecting the fact that some roads, especially state highways and other roads where cars and trucks have little room to negotiate bicyclists, are dangerous and should be avoided.
The longer I ride the less likely I am to ride on a highway. Not only is it boring it is dangerous. There is more gravel than anything else and it is safer. And they often link my beloved “B” roads.
would be great if county road projects in future included increased width bike lanes on at least some of them so that there were more that were particularly bike-safe.
Safely
