This is a great training ride. A 77 mile ride that has some fantastic training hills. If you decide to take a little bit of a detour from the listed GPX file, you have PLENTY of options.
Ankeny is roughly the halfway point and has great food options. If you're wanting a full meal, right off the trail you can stop at The Chicken Coop located on the South East corner of Oralabor and State St. The GPX route also takes you past The District in Ankeny, which has a lot of great options.
If you take a little detour to Uptown area, you can stop at Trailside Tap or Yankee Clipper for food. You can also swing by Firetrucker Brewery or Uptown Garage for a drink or two before finishing the journey.
Be sure to stop at "The Oasis" along the trail on your way, just to break the ride up. There is a public restroom and water fountain at The Oasis. Firetrucker to The Oasis is 7 miles, and the stretch from there to Nite Hawk is 6 miles. That 13 mile stretch is a long boring ride with very few curves and turns.
From Nite Hawk, make the 7 mile ride to Flat Tire Lounge in Madrid.
Next, on to Whistlin' Donkey! One of the most beautiful rides in Iowa is an easy 6 mile stretch that goes over the High Trestle Bridge.
One of the most picturesque rides in the Des Moines area.
Download the GPX if you'd like a map to use. On your phone, use a GPX app like Ride With GPS, Strava, or GPX Viewer. Whatever your preference is, you should be able to load this GPX file to it.
Comments