Pork Belly Update-The Route and PBV Shuttles

January 28, 2025

Dear Friends,

Unless you've been sequestered in some remote place for a couple days, you probably know that the Route Is Out, and it's north, short, and flat. With our friends from Southwest Iowa Nature Trails, we had side-by-side booths at Saturday's Bike Expo and two tables at the exciting Route Announcement Party that evening, staged in a beautiful new venue!

Together, we and our crew had a blast on Saturday, and this update is filled with our photos and these topics:

The 2025 RAGBRAI Route and Daily Mileage!
Availability of PBV Services Now
MAIN TOPIC: The Details and Prices of All PBV RAGBRAI Shuttles!
Our Photos of Saturday, January 25th, in Des Moines and Waukee!

The 2025 Route!

The second shortest and sixth flattest

RAGBRAI in 52 years!

406 miles total

10,478 Feet of Climb (FOC)

July 19th, Saturday, Gather in Orange City

July 26th, Saturday, Finish in Guttenberg

Daily Mileage below, in a

Screenshot from The Pork Belly Mobile App!

Thoughts on this route...

For the first half of the week, we're within shouting distance of Minnesota. It's north, all right!
With the exception of the Cedar Falls/Waterloo metro area, this is another small-town RAGBRAI! Our Ride Director continues to include small communities, 5000 or 6000 in population, some even smaller. Guttenberg is home to 1808 souls. It warms our hearts to know that these little places will be blessed with the economic boost of RAGBRAI rolling through in July!
We have already renewed acquaintance with some of our old friends in these overnight towns!
Short days--wow! With three days under 50 miles, we will be scrambling to get our work done before you arrive in camp!
A final day of 61 miles into Guttenberg is doable, and NEW THIS YEAR, we're adjusting our post-RAGBRAI shuttle departure times--see below. Steady-on-the-bike gets you to us in plenty of time for a shower and your shuttle departure!
Note to our E/W Shuttle Riders... we are already getting questions about long-term parking in Guttenberg. Those Guttenberg volunteers are just getting started on their planning. If you're on our mailing list, we will alert you when you can sign up for long-term parking in the end town--possibly in April or early May.

BELOW: The wide Mississippi River at Guttenberg, Iowa, RAGBRAI's 2025 end town.

Did You Miss Our Invitation Letter?

For descriptions of our Weeklong Support and Optional Rental Tent Service, please CLICK HERE.

PBV Availability

We had a flurry of activity before and after the route was announced. Here's where we stand now...

We have rental tents remaining--and those tents that are unpaid are not secured. (Unless you make payment, you don't have a reservation.)
We have PLENTY of capacity on our Weeklong Support.
Our shuttles are wide open.
If you really want a Friday departure (1:00 and 3:00) on our E/W Shuttle from end to start town, select the shuttle and use the drop-down menu to choose your Friday departure. Everything is available now, but those Friday seats are popular. And you'll help us know how many coaches we may need on Friday.
Happy, Happy, Happy! We have space on everything, and for now, we can say YES to all who inquire!

ABOVE and BELOW: Brenda (and Sean, not pictured), and Brock and Chelsea all signed up for our support at our Expo Booth!

Dave Kennedy helped them! Welcome, guys!

Add Shuttles to Your Existing Registration

Duplicate registrations are the bain of our existence--yours and ours! So let's sort it out from the get-go!

If you have an existing 2025 PBV Registration, please LOGIN with your username and password, then click Edit to add your shuttle/s. Do not invent a new username/password and create a duplicate registration for yourself or your group.
After you have successfully added shuttles to your existing registration, click "Make Payment" and bring your deposit up to 10% of the new total. Some folks prefer to pay in full.
If you don't yet have a 2025 PBV Registration, then DO come up with login credentials, create your only 2025 account, and select any services, including shuttles. Please make the minimum 10% payment to secure your services.
If you've forgotten your credentials or if you're having trouble, write to us, please. We'll get back to you ASAP and maybe get on the phone together to add the shuttles you need.

Just don't start making up new login credentials, okay? Cuz if you create more than one registration and if you make payments on both, you'll be needlessly confused about your LOGINs and recording information later in the season. Our team will have to consolidate your duplicates into one registration. Let's avoid this!

And now, our main topic...

PBV RAGBRAI SHUTTLES:

Everything You Need to Know.

Pork Belly Ventures RAGBRAI shuttles are described here, with details and departure times.

Remember, please...

MAKE SURE YOUR AIR AND GROUND TRAVEL

ARE ALIGNED!

Some of you are ready to buy airline tickets. Please bear in mind our shuttle departure times as you make your airline reservations. Problems arise from arriving too late or departing too early for your ground transportation. People have bought non-refundable tickets into airports we do not serve. Read carefully, please, and connect your travel dots!

BIKE TRANSPORT INCLUDED

All shuttle prices include your seat on a comfortable, air-conditioned motor coach, and transport of your baggage and a bicycle. We plan for one bike per person on our shuttles, and the shuttle price is the same, whether or not you want us to transport a bike (some folks will ship a bike to Iowa or rent a bike in Iowa).

BIKE TYPES

There is no extra charge to transport a tandem, recumbent, trike, or virtually any type of bike. Obviously, if your bike is way out of the norm in terms of size or shape, let us know.

Pork Belly Ventures will collect your bike type and other information later in the season.

ON SENDING BIKES WITH FRIENDS

If you are using one PBV shuttle and sending your bike with a friend on a different PBV shuttle, we must know about it in advance (no extra charge).

If you are not using one of our shuttles, and your friend is bringing your bike with him/her on a shuttle instead, then we must know about it in advance, and we charge $75 per extra bike.

Please write to Kay@pkbelly.com if you will have extra bikes on the E/W Shuttle from end town to start town prior to RAGBRAI. Give her the type of bike and name of the owner of the extra bike.

Three PBV Shuttles Prior to RAGBRAI

We offer three shuttles to the start town before RAGBRAI:

from our side-by-side Omaha airport hotels,
from the end town on the east side of Iowa
from a NEW Des Moines airport hotel parking lot--be sure to note the change in our Des Moines airport hotel in 2025.

First,

Omaha Airport to Orange City,

the start town

$109 per person
About 2 hours on the coach
Ten departures at intervals throughout Saturday, 7/19, approximately 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This is our most popular airport shuttle, on the west side of the state, the nearest major (international) airport to the start of RAGBRAI virtually every year. On Saturday, July 19, our motor coaches will depart at intervals throughout the day, beginning at about 8:00 am, with the last coach departing for Orange City at 4:00 pm. All coaches will depart from the north parking lot of the Candlewood Suites hotel at the Omaha airport.

Summary: Omaha is a great jumping-off point for people who fly to Iowa or drive in from points west, south, or northwest. We return to Omaha after RAGBRAI (see Return to Omaha below). The Omaha International Airport is served by most domestic carriers.

OMAHA SIDE-BY-SIDE AIRPORT HOTELS: We have blocks of rooms at both Candlewood Suites and Best Western Plus before and after RAGBRAI (Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 26). Call the local numbers below, and mention Pork Belly Ventures to access our room blocks. Inexpensive long-term parking in the hotel parking lots is available to those who ARRANGE this option with the hotel. There is also nearby airport parking for $6 or so per day.

Candlewood Suites Hotel: 402-342-2500

Best Western Plus Hotel: 402-505-4900

Our room rate is around $142 per room before tax. Some room types may be a few dollars more. We always promote courtesy in general. Do be nice when you call the local numbers of the hotels.

Word to the wise... Arrive in Omaha early. Saturday in Orange City is your orientation day, a great part of the RAGBRAI experience. You don't want to arrive in the late afternoon (last shuttle arrives at 6:30 or so), check in, do your chores, and miss the huge Bike Expo and start-town festivities. Many veterans have learned this lesson and will arrive in Omaha on Friday afternoon or evening.

WARNING: Are you familiar with air travel issues, friends? With increasing frequency, airlines can delay or cancel flights and lose luggage. Every year, five or six Pork Belly Ventures riders will be affected by these issues. Last year, we had a global issue on Friday and Saturday before RAGBRAI, affecting dozens of Omaha-bound riders. By flying into Omaha on Friday, you can avoid a very rough beginning of your vacation.

For Saturday arrivers (if you cannot arrive on Friday), the earlier you plan to fly into Omaha, the more likely you'll be able to pivot to Plan B in case of a delayed flight or lost luggage. When you plan to arrive at 3:15 for our last coach at 4:00 p.m., a delayed flight severely limits your Plan B options and eliminates our ability to help.

Second,

Our East/West Shuttle,

end town to start town,

Guttenberg to Orange City

$210 per person
We will allow 5.5 or even 6 hours across Iowa from the end town to the start town. We're on smaller highways, not an interstate.
Usually two departure times on Friday afternoon, 7/18--at 1:00 and 3:00 PM
Three morning departure times on Saturday morning, 7/19--at 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 AM
When you sign up for this shuttle, see the drop-down menu that allows you to select your preferred departure time.

If you plan to use our East/West Shuttle, give some thought to whether you'd like to travel across the state on Friday afternoon (extra night of camping in Orange City) or on Saturday morning (only one night of camping in Orange City). Those who shuttle on Friday will get settled in our Orange City campsite on Friday night, will check in for Weeklong Support on Friday night, and will have more time to spend at the huge RAGBRAI Bike Expo on Saturday.

We do not yet know the location or price of long-term parking in Guttenberg, but we will let you know all the details as soon as we can.

Summary: The East/West Shuttle is a great option for those who drive to Iowa from points east, south, or north and who want to park their vehicles at the end of the ride. Our shuttle carries you to the ride start, and you'll spend your week pedaling back to your car.

Third,

Des Moines Airport Hotel to Orange City,

the start town

$159 per person
4+ hours on the coach this year
Saturday morning, 7/19, 8:00 bike loading, 9:15 departure

PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW DES MOINES AIRPORT HOTEL.

On Saturday morning, 7/19, our coach and bike truck will stage at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot of the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn on Fleur Drive. We will load bikes and baggage, board the coach, and depart at about 9:15. We are likely to have two or three coaches this year.

Summary: Des Moines' international airport on the southern edge of Des Moines is served by many domestic carriers, and it's a good jumping-off point for many Iowans and for those who find it convenient to fly or drive into Des Moines. It could be great for those who drive up from the Kansas City area. Des Moines is not near the beginning or the end of RAGBRAI. It's toward the center of the state. The Des Moines shuttles are generally longer and more expensive than other shuttles. Remember that of the airports we serve, Omaha is closest to the start and Quad Cities is closest to the end.

NEW DES MOINES AIRPORT HOTEL: We have blocks of rooms reserved before and after RAGBRAI at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn on Fleur Drive. To get a room in our block, call (515) 287-2400 and mention Pork Belly Ventures for a reservation. The hotel may allow you to leave a vehicle in their lot for the week (subject to availability), and you DO need to spend at least one night at the hotel for this parking option. If you don’t plan a stay at the hotel, seek parking at another airport facility.

Airports PBV Does Not Serve Before RAGBRAI:

We and our crew can only operate in three places--listed above. Sioux City gets only a few flights per day. It's not practical for us serve the airport in Sioux Falls, SD.

Three PBV Shuttles After RAGBRAI

We will offer three shuttles from the end town after RAGBRAI, all on the afternoon of Saturday, July 26:

to the Quad Cities International Airport (Moline, IL) on the east side of Iowa
to our side-by-side Omaha airport hotels,
to our Des Moines airport hotel parking lot

NOTE: Pork Belly Ventures does not make stops along the way to drop off riders going to different destinations. We also do not return to long-term parking in the start town.

First,

End town to nearest International Airport, Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Illinois (MLI)

$99 per person
Two+ hours on the coach, barring traffic congestion, which can happen in a RAGBRAI end-town, especially a little river town like Guttenberg
61 miles and some hills to cycle on the last day of RAGBRAI
Register separately for the early option at 1:00 PM--limited availability
Register separately for the 2:30 Quad Cities departure, with greater capacity.
In other words, pay attention to our shuttle registrations and choose the right QC shuttle departure time.

***UNDERSTAND, PLEASE, THAT THERE CAN BE LENGTHY TRAFFIC DELAYS added onto your normal 2, 2.5 hour travel time. We cannot make the coaches go faster in congested traffic. Take the pressure off yourself by booking your return flight on Sunday.

The cycling route on the final day of RAGBRAI is 61 miles (subject to change) and it's the hilliest day on the route.

***Our shuttle will carry you directly from our staging area in Guttenberg to the Departures area of the Quad Cities International Airport. From there, you may go to car rentals, you may catch a free shuttle to any number of airport hotels, or you may go directly to the gates to catch your flight.

We don't have relationships with any particular hotels on the east side of Iowa. But you will have no trouble reserving a room in advance near this airport. Simply google hotels near MLI.

Summary: Quad Cities is the nearest international airport to Guttenberg. (See airport we do not serve, below.) Some folks who fly into Omaha on the west prefer to fly out of the Quad Cities on the east side of Iowa.

[Note: we don't shuttle from the Quad Cities airport before RAGBRAI.]

Second,

From end town returning to Omaha International Airport Hotels

$214 per person
Approximately 5.5 to 6 hours, barring traffic congestion, which would not be unusual in a RAGBRAI end town.
61 cycling miles with hills on the last day of RAGBRAI
NEW: Several coaches, ONE DEPARTURE TIME at 3:00 PM on Saturday, 7/26

The cycling route on the final day of RAGBRAI is 61 miles with hills (subject to change). Our shuttle will carry you directly from our staging area in Guttenberg to our side-by-side Omaha airport hotels.

NEW in 2025: On Saturday, July 26, ALL OMAHA COACHES will depart Guttenberg at 3:00 PM. That's it. No staggered departures this year. We'll try to stage all coaches 30 minutes early, so that we can depart on time.

Third,

From end town returning to Des Moines International Airport Hotel

$154 per person
Approximately 3.5 to 4 hours on the coach, barring traffic congestion, which can happen in a RAGBRAI end-town.
61 cycling miles with hills on the last day of RAGBRAI
Three or more coaches departing at 3:15 PM, Saturday, 7/26.

The cycling route on the final day of RAGBRAI is 61 miles (subject to change) with hills. On Saturday, July 26, these coaches will depart together at 3:15 PM and return our passengers to the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn on Fleur Drive.

Subject to availability, the hotel may be able to offer you weeklong parking in the hotel lot--check with them. A free shuttle can take you to the airport on Sunday morning.

Hotel Stays: We have blocks of rooms reserved before and after RAGBRAI at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn on Fleur Drive. To take advantage of our block, call 515-287-2400 and mention Pork Belly Ventures for a reservation.

Airports PBV Does Not Serve After RAGBRAI:

We and our crew are limited to operating three post-RAGBRAI shuttles--listed above. All things considered, we have chosen Quad Cities over the airports in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque.

Midweek Shuttle Options

with Departure Times

Some folks can't go Whole Hog this year, and here are your options for going Half Hog, what we call a Partial-Week Rider. You can ride the first several days or last several days of RAGBRAI -- with Pork Belly Ventures or some other way.

1) You can ride the first three days and jump out on Tuesday afternoon at Forest City, or 2) you can jump in on Tuesday at Forest City and ride the last four days. And finally, at the end of Day 4 in Iowa Falls, 3) you can exit RAGBRAI in the late afternoon, after riding Sunday to Wednesday.

Des Moines Airport Hotel: On Tuesday afternoon/evening, 7/22, Pork Belly Ventures has a block of rooms reserved at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn on Fleur Drive. To take advantage of our block, call (515) 287-2400 and mention Pork Belly Ventures for a reservation.

Tuesday Exit Shuttle,

Forest City to Des Moines Airport Hotel

(for those riding Sunday to Tuesday)

Tuesday, 7/22: 74 cycling miles

Exit Shuttle departs Forest City campsite at 5:00 p.m.

$131 per person, including bike transport

You may choose among our shuttles to the start town, but if you're parking a car, you should park in Des Moines at or near our designated airport hotel and use our shuttle to the start ($159). Our partial-week support is $90 per day, and three days is $270. To depart from our Tuesday overnight town of Forest City on 7/22, you may take our Tuesday exit shuttle at about 5:00 p.m., arriving at our designated Des Moines airport hotel at about 7:15 p.m. The exit shuttle is $131 per person, bike and baggage included.

Hotel and long-term parking info above, with our Des Moines Shuttle information.

Wednesday Exit Shuttle

from Winterset to Des Moines Airport Hotel

(for those riding Sunday to Wednesday)

Wednesday, 7/23: 68 cycling miles

Exit Shuttle departs Iowa Falls campsite at 4:30 p.m.

$115 per person, including bike transport

You may choose among our shuttles to the start town, but if you're parking a car, you should park in Des Moines at or near our designated airport hotel and use our shuttle to the start ($159). Our partial-week support is $90 per day, and four days is $360. To depart from our Wednesday overnight town of Iowa Falls on 7/23, you may take our Wednesday exit shuttle at about 4:30 p.m., arriving at our designated Des Moines airport hotel at about 6:00 p.m. The exit shuttle is $115 per person, bike and baggage included.

Hotel and long-term parking info above, with our Des Moines Shuttle information.

Tuesday Enter Shuttle

Des Moines Airport Hotel to Forest City Campsite

(for those riding Wednesday through Saturday)

Tuesday, 7/22

Enter Shuttle departs Des Moines airport hotel at 2:30 p.m.

$130 per person, including bike transport

To enter RAGBRAI on Tuesday afternoon, 7/22, you can take our shuttle from our designated Des Moines airport hotel to the overnight town of Forest City, departing the hotel parking lot at about 2:30 p.m. and arriving in camp at about 4:45 p.m. This Midweek Enter shuttle is $130, including the transport of bike and baggage. Our partial-week support is $90 per day, and four days is $360. You may choose among our shuttles at week’s end, but if you parked a vehicle in Des Moines, you would use our shuttle from Guttenberg to the Holiday Inn at the Des Moines airport ($154).

On Tuesday, July 22, around 2:00, our coach will be available to board in the parking lot of our designated Des Moines airport hotel, the Holiday Inn. From there, we will depart for our Tuesday night campsite in Forest City, where Partial-Week Riders may check in right away at our front desk (or set off to find your charter). You may spend four days with us, pedaling into Guttenberg on Saturday, the 26th. From here, you can use our Guttenberg/Des Moines Shuttle to return you to the Des Moines airport hotel by early evening. (In fact, you can use any of our post-RAGBRAI shuttles--to Quad Cities, Omaha, or Des Moines.)

Partial-Week Options:

Shuttles for PBV Riders or any RAGBRAI Rider

PBV Partial-Week Support is $90 per day, and it can only be used for consecutive days. We can't have people jumping in and out during the week.

Whether or not you are with PBV during the week, you can use the midweek transportation options described above. Select the Tuesday Exit Shuttle, the Wednesday Exit Shuttle, or Tuesday Enter Shuttle on your PBV online application.

If any RAGBRAI rider needs to exit RAGBRAI midweek, you can come to the PBV campsite (find our front desk) on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon and sign up for the shuttle to a Des Moines airport hotel parking lot. From there, you can check in for the night, arrange to fly, or rent a car.

Des Moines Hotel and Parking

for Partial-Week Riders

On Tuesday and Wednesday, July 22 and 23, we have reserved a block of rooms at the Des Moines airport Holiday Inn on Fleur Drive. To take advantage of our block, call 515-287-2400 and mention Pork Belly Ventures for a reservation. It may be possible to use an inexpensive parking option at the hotel, Park and Fly, depending on availability. Other inexpensive airport parking is available in the airport area. The hotel offers a free shuttle to the Des Moines airport just down the road.

That's all on our shuttles.

Any RAGBRAI rider can login and reserve a PBV Shuttle

with a 10% deposit.

If you wish to add shuttles (or any service) to your existing application, be sure to do the following:

--LOGIN with your current credentials

--write to us if you have trouble

--MAKE A PAYMENT so that all services

are secured with a 10% deposit.

A Big Congratulations to

Southwest Iowa Nature Trails,

and Especially Becca!

You may know our fondness for the Wabash Trace, the nature trail in our backyard. It's our mental health plan, and we can't imagine life without it. Our friend and PBV crew member, Becca Castle Laughlin is the executive director of Southwest Iowa Nature Trails--the event planner, fundraiser, grant writer, and project planner for our 64-miles of trail. And Becca and SWINT were honored last weekend by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. We want to add our own heartfelt congratulations AND to express our gratitude for everything Becca contributes to our Southwest Iowa communities.

BELOW: Bill Danforth of Shenandoah, Lisa Hein with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Becca Castle Laughlin and her son Solon, and Mark Ackleson, former director of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. We're proud of our friends!

Thank you for tuning in! Now that we know our gorgeous route, our RAGBRAI planning begins in earnest, and we'll be on your screens again soon. Until then, we remain...

Your friends,

Tammy and Pete

P.S. Here's Our PBV Scrapbook

from Saturday's Expo and Saturday Night's

RAGBRAI Route Announcement Partay!

ABOVE: With this kind of help (Wes, Kim, Karen and more!), it didn't take long to set up our booth.

Wes, Dave, and George remembered everything!

(Pete has a wing in a sling--shoulder surgery.)

BELOW: Our fellow charter operator Ron Oman stopped by--he's pictured with our own Dave Kennedy!

ABOVE: Pattie and Jeanette flew in from Georgia for this fun day! They said it wasn't that much different from their weather at home!

BELOW: Heather stopped by--she loves RAGBRAI! Ashley visits with an Expo attendant. Pete chats with Dan McKay of Knoxville, long-time RAGBRAI supporter. Big crowd behind Wes only got bigger during the day!