By Carrie Moritz, Gazette
Garretson will be a large part of the Ride Across South Dakota (RASDAK) bike tour this summer. The route announcement was made this past weekend, and Volunteer Bicycle Tour Coordinator Kasey Abbott was excited to speak with the Gazette about the six-day event.
"We thought it would be the perfect spot to start and end the tour," he said, pointing out that the goal of RASDAK is to promote bicycle tourism. He noted the scenery and the three parks that Garretson is known for, with the most famous being Palisades State Park, was a huge draw for why they chose the community.
"We want to get people off I-90 and exploring the smaller towns," he added.
The Ride Across South Dakota is similar to the Tour de Kota, which was organized and sponsored by the Argus Leader starting in 2005.
"After Tour de Kota ended, we wanted something for cycle enthusiasts, and that's when RASDAK started," said Abbott.
RASDAK began in 2012, with 2022 being its 10-year anniversary. Last year was the first year they tried the loop format, and organizers enjoyed it thoroughly, as it reduced the amount of logistics. Prior to 2022, routes had traveled across the state, similar to RAGBRAI.
While RASDAK could be compared to the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, known as RAGBRAI, Abbott pointed out that the SD ride is much more intimate, with around 250-300 cyclists compared to the thousands that attend the Iowa ride.
Along with the week-long riders, Abbott expects there to be daily riders, companions, SAG drivers (relief drivers who help anyone in case of bike breakdown or injury), and mechanical support from Spoke-n-Sport arriving in Garretson on Saturday afternoon and evening. He expects approximately 20-25 different states to be represented, and for several cyclists from across South Dakota to visit Garretson for the first time.
"The average age of our attendees is 58-59," he said. And they aren't there just to party, a well-known aspect of RAGBRAI. "While we plan to have a good time, we view ourselves as a traveling fundraiser for the smaller communities along the route."
As the opening community, Garretson has a great opportunity to showcase its best features. Abbott said the attendees love community events such as a welcoming party, where residents can meet the cyclists and vice versa.
Cyclists, any companions, and volunteers will be arriving in Garretson on Saturday, June 1 in the afternoon, will be out of the community around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, and will return on Friday, June 6 between 10:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
Attendees will be encouraged to arrive early on Saturday so they can see everything the area has to offer, not just in Garretson, but in nearby Pipestone and Sioux Falls, as well.
Abbott hopes most folks will come and stay the night in Garretson. He believes approximately half of the attendees will opt to stay in the school gym, which will also be a storm shelter and shower area. Another 30-40% will opt to camp in a green area such as the green near the softball fields, and the rest he expects will find a hotel or RV campground nearby. He was excited about the prospect of both campgrounds in the Garretson area.
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