If you’ve ever biked the Wabash Trace Trail on a Thursday evening, odds are you’ve stumbled upon the Mineola Taco Ride. It is said to have been inspired by the camaraderie of Iowa’s beloved RAGBRAI – the seven day bike ride from the Missouri to the Mississippi Rivers.
Friends Greg Losh, Dave Karlson and others started the weekly taco ride in the 1990s as a way to meet new friends. While the Wabash trail is 63-miles of converted railroad track, the taco ride is a more manageable 10-mile trip each way.
It started with a handful of cyclists pedaling from Council Bluffs nearly 14-miles to Silver Creek Saloon in Silver City, Iowa where they filled up on tacos and beer before heading back. After the saloon closed, the riders selected Tobey Jack’s Mineola Steakhouse as its new destination. The shorter distance is said to have attracted more riders.
The scenic ride starts through lightly forested farm country with the Loess Hills in the distance. The mostly flat trail is composed of crushed limestone and is beneath a tree canopy that helps keep riders cool in the summer. About six miles into the trip, there’s an opportunity to stop at a picnic area nicknamed Margaritaville for drinks and conversation. Tobey Jack’s has fully embraced the riders and continues the tradition of serving cheap tacos (as well as other food), margaritas, beer and live music.
The fun begins after the trail dries out in April or May and continues through the end of October. Riders typically meet at the Iowa West Foundation Trailhead Park between 4 and 6 and depart the steakhouse between 7:30 and 9. Most riders have headlights attached to their bicycles for the return ride at night – a helmet is strongly encouraged.
The ride attracts hundreds and sometimes upwards of a thousand people during the peak season with a mixture of beginners and experienced riders. Along with being one of the oldest continuous weekly rides in the country, it’s been credited with bringing awareness to the trail and economic activity to the small towns along the route.
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