The father and son from Duluth, Minnesota, already have biked across the entire country.
They rode a tandem e-bike together from Oregon to New York, taking about 65 days to cover 4,000 miles. They’ve also biked from South Dakota to their home state, a solid 700 miles.
Now they’re on RAGBRAI, spending seven days traveling more than 400 miles from the Missouri River valley to the Mississippi.
Biking isn’t just a way for John Wood to spend time with his son, Peter. It’s also how he helps him be an active participant in the world.
Peter, 21, has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects body movement and muscle coordination.
“Peter is totally dependent on us for his experiences in the world,” his father, 72, said of himself and his wife. “He can’t get in a car, he can’t walk. It’s the parents, or those that love him, that are going to get him out into the world.”
There was no question who he was riding for during I Ride 4 Day, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, on the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
John Wood chronicles the sweet mundanities of each bike trip on his Instagram account, where he notes what they ate (lots of Dairy Queen chicken strips); who they met (people incredulous at the length of their bike rides); and moments that stood out to him (having Taylor Swift’s album “Red” on repeat for seven hours).
So why take on RAGBRAI?
“Why not?” said Wood. “I know he inspires others by his smile, the fact that he is even on a bicycle, and his ability to keep on going no matter how hard it is.”
The view of the world from a RAGBRAI trail
So far, RAGBRAI in the heat and humidity of an Iowa summer has been a lot harder than Wood anticipated, but it’s also been filled with happy surprises.
He and Peter have been claimed by several RAGBRAI teams ― like Team Waldo ― as evidenced by their bounty of wristbands and beer coozies. Wood also has been blown away by the food in Iowa. He watched a friend devour an Iowa chop from Mr. Pork Chop barehanded.
But the biggest thing he’ll take away is the fact that he and Peter became a part of one giant fellowship with people who are chasing a shared adventure.
And he’s especially glad that Peter has been so welcomed. They even ran into the Iowa Adaptive Sport Cycling Team, who were eager to learn about Peter’s story.
Peter’s not the kind of person you would think of on a bike because of his disabilities, his dad said. That’s why he sees him as an ambassador of sorts. The very fact that Peter can be seen enjoying his time biking across the state means that people can be aware of “another face of humanity,” he said.
He recalled when they were on the verge of finishing their U.S. tour, and rode across the perpetually busy George Washington Bridge that connects New York to New Jersey. As the Manhattan skyline rose above the horizon, Wood started tearing up at the significance of their journey. They shared a long hug together.
On the bridge, they ran into a woman named Maria, who happened to have a nephew who also has cerebral palsy. During their conversation, Peter’s story brought her to tears.
“The way he enters the world, it’s actually really beautiful,” Wood said, “Because he meets people at a level that most of us have outgrown.”
As the duo continues their Iowa ride, Wood is glad to have been a part of the “cross section of America” that is RAGBRAI. It’s a testament to the human connections that unify people.
But beyond any larger themes or meanings or assumptions, he and Peter just like to have fun together. RAGBRAI happens to be the adventure they chose.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Father and son share a precious adventure on RAGBRAI’s I Ride 4 Day
Reporting by Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
