Pedaling beats polarization in a huge, cross-Iowa bike ride

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — American politics are tense and polarized, and the Iowa causes are just six months away. But you wouldn’t have known that from the week-long RAGBRAI bike ride across Iowa this summer. About 50,000 riders took part in the 500-mile journey. And they mostly put politics and other divisions aside in pursuit of a common aim. That would be getting over the finish line. Many said it was a welcome change. Riders stopped to help each other. People in towns cheered them on and passed out water. One rider said the event showed that people from all different backgrounds who share a common interest can still get along.