News : Hawi-Iowan team leaves Vinton for RAGBRAI with veterans, rookies

Cassie Peterson, Kim Hanneman and Meryl Gahagan are riding RAGBRAI for the first time this year.

Jeff Peterson loads bicicyl front tires as his group prepares to leave Saturday morning.

Jeff Peteson has ridden this yellow bike across Iowa and the Rocky Mountains.

Jeff Peterson's driveway was filled Saturday morning with vehicles and bikes and camping gear as he and his friends and family prepared to leave for RAGBRAI.

They left of Sioux City at around 10 a.m. this morning, and will begin the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa tomorrow.

The team includes Jeff, his daughter Cassie, and several friends and relatives. Vinton-Shellsburg High School Principal Kirk Johnson and Assistant Principal Ryan Davis are also in the group.

Johnson and Davis are first-time RAGBRAI riders. Peterson and his relatives have been doing RAGBRAI for many years. Peterson also rode last year in the Rocky Mountain ride in Colorado.

Cassie Peterson is a first-time rider as well. She has two friends, Kim Hanneman and Meryl Mahagan, who are also making their first RAGBRAI ride.

Peterson's team is called the Hawai-Iowans. They plan to meet some other Vinton residents when the ride reaches Charles City