Day One of this years Ride Across South Dakota (RASDak) saw more than a hundred riders and their support vehicles come through Flandreau early Sunday.
The route for 2024 is a 416 mile Glacial Lakes of the Prairie tour. The loop the riders will be making started in Garretson, it will end there as well. Throughout the week, stops include Brookings, Milbank, Sisseton, Clark, and Arlington.
The ride had a break in Flandreau that day.
Riders from across the region, many from Iowa and Nebraska, told the Moody County Enterprise they were happy for the tail wind pushing them on the initial leg of the ride and the friends theyve made over the years riding along on two wheels have them coming back each year for more.
You meet new people and then you see people youve known for what seems like forever, said Barbara Johnson, of Kansas City, Missouri. She joined longtime friends from Jefferson City and Sioux City, Iowa, on the ride again this year.
I just retired, I do it to stay young, she added.
The RASDak is an annual bicycle ride to enjoy the scenery and hospitality of South Dakota. The route changes every year, but the focus is on showcasing the landscape and small town hospitality.
Proceeds from the ride support organizations that help make RASDak possible, including church/school/youth organizations. A $750 scholarship each year is given to one student at each overnight location.
