88.9 miles, 4218 ft of climb

Iowa map, Des Moines to Tama-Toledo routeIowa map closeup, Des Moines to Tama-Toledo route

The longest day with the most climbing. It was to be “the decider”, “the Queen Stage” if it were a race. Luckily an overcast sky made the high 90s survivable.

Me standing in next to my tour bike on a dirt drive.
Leaving the Des Moines Airbnb – The jersey wasn’t for me but the “just in case” bike shorts, that usually aren’t my thing, worked out for a long distance. Good morning, Mr. Puffy!
A crowd of cyclist extending into the distance on a downhill then crossing the picture to the right.
Mitchellville (pop 2514), some getting off, some getting on.
A crowd of cyclists walking their bikes through a brick late 19th century downtown of two story storefronts.
Colfax (pop 2252)
Me and Nitys with late 19th century town square buildings behind.
Newton (pop 15, 667), town square lunch stop. A local teen was juggling off camera to our left.
Numerous cyclists with a white wood two story church in the fore and grain elevator in the background.
Kellogg (pop 606). Check out the solar e-assist recumbent trike!
A tree to the left frames a road of cyclists with open fields in the distance
Highway 224 (Kellogg to Grinnell) Seeing the pics now I notice I didn’t take any shots of the truly big hills. I think I was too busy being offended by having to go right back down, followed by going right back up, followed by… I’m looking at you, internal combustion engine.
small gathering of cyclists talking and drinking beer with fields extending in the distance.
Beer Stop on F27. Finally had a mid ride beer. Most tent stops had a line that snaked around the property with a tail end you had to go looking for. The water line was often two people deep. Look at that merciful overcast.
Cyclicts riding past a four story brown brick early 20th Century former Masonic Lodge among other downtown buildings
Grinnell (pop 9564), downtown. The Masonic Temple was completed in 1918. A recumbent biker chills out in the middle.
Louis Sulllivan's "Jewel Box Bank", a brown brick corner lot box with roofline brown terra cotta Sullivanesque crenulation and a grand limestone organic design entryway and occulus.
Merchants’ National Bank (Louis Sullivan, 1914). I was looking forward to this right here since learning of the route. Out front I talked to a local woman who had been born in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Inside, the docent and I had a 10 minute mutually sustaining Louis Sullivan love-fest.
Half of my face with a creme limestone two story storefont a flat block with a green and white tile entry sign Grinnell, Iowa.
Nice building & sign. Bikes to You is one of the many bike operators who offer week long support for riders.
A cyclist sitting in the grass, bike leaning on a tree left, watches others ride into the slowly upward sloping distance.
Last breather before Tama-Toledo

Day 1 – Sioux City to Storm Lake (72.2 miles, 3592 ft of climb)

Day 2 – Storm Lake to Carroll (57.3 miles, 1778 ft of climb)

Day 3 – Carroll to Ames (86.1 miles, 1564 ft of climb)

Day 4 – Ames to Des Moines (54.5 miles, 1242 ft of climb)

…

Day 6 – Tama-Toledo to Coralville (80.6 miles, 2881 ft of climb)

Day 7 – Coralville to Davenport (71.2 miles, 1892 ft of climb)

Contact CBA for custom guided rides through Chicago’s neighborhoods and for gift certificates for the cyclists in your life. Also, have a look at The Map, where you can plan your own ride, run, or walk around Chicago.