Local man to trek across Iowa — on bicycle

Jay Kretzmeier will be making a 418-mile trek on his  bicycle across Iowa starting this weekend. He is already packed for the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa — this will be the 42nd annual ride sponsored by the Des Moines Register newspaper.
“It’s the premiere, largest riding event in the world,” Kretzmeier, 61, said. “It will be a week long ride and there will be over 10,000 riders.”
Kretzmeier learned of the event in 2006 after several years of riding his bike enthusiastically. This will be the third time that he takes part in the ride.
“It’s extraordinary,” Kretzmeier said. “I mean where else can you have what is rumored at times to be 15,000 people gathered in one spot to ride. This year it’s 418 miles total, so over seven days it’s averaging over 60 miles a day. It’s unique because of its safety; because of numbers, we’re riding on highways.”
The Des Moines Register provides semi-trailers to carry the riders’ gear while they ride. Not all riders receive this benefit. A lottery is held to see which riders receive the perk. Kretzmeier did not opt to chance it. Instead, he hired someone to transport his gear.
Kretzmeier said such entrepreneurs provide other services.
“They provide a big circus tent so at the end of the day you have shade, also chairs and drinks. They also provide portable generators and electric strips so you can charge your phone and lights and those kind of things,” he said.
“They also shuttle you back across the state,” at race’s end, Kretzmeier said. “It always goes from west to east, so they provide a bus shuttle all the way across on the way back.”
Of the seven days, Day 3 is the longest at 79.7 miles. On this day is an option to hit the century mark, 100 miles even, a lifetime goal for most bicyclists, Kretzmeier said. About half way through that day’s ride is the option to take Karras Loop to reach the 100-mile mark.
Kretzmeier said he has never hit the 100-mile mark in one day’s ride.
“At the end of the day, I might consider doing it if things are going well,” Kretzmeier said. “If it’s windy and been a long day, at my age, I don’t mind saying I’ve never done a century.”
After all, he will be riding 418 miles over one week.