Episode 294: Will Walker the Backwards Biker

Will Walker completed his first RAGBRAI in 2023 in a different way than any other cyclist who rode their bicycle across Iowa. Will rode the whole route backwards! And by backwards, we mean he positioned himself so that his bike moved forward but his body was facing backwards. He sat on the handlebars and pedaled this way all 500+ miles!! Many years ago, biking backwards started as a kind of a joke or challenge with his friends and quickly became a way of cycling that is now Will’s normal. All of his rides are pedaled backwards so when he heard about a 7 day ride across Iowa, he didn’t even know what RAGBRAI was but registered immediately with the intention to do all of it backwards. Will, who lives in Alaska, packed his bike and came to Iowa for the first time last July. He found out that the state is definitely not flat and he also found out what Iowa Nice means. With so many supportive and friendly people, RAGBRAI turned out to be an awesome experience for him. He will be back to ride again this year and will be launching Against the Odds Cycling, a line of Backwards Biker merchandise with the intention to give back to others. You can follow Will on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_willxwalker/ Have a topic for a future episode? Message us at [email protected]. www.ragbrai.com www.murphologypodcast.com RAGBRAI LI Registration is open! https://ragbrai.com/ragbrai-li-registration/ Photo credit to Will Walker’s Instagram page