There are few greater joys as a cyclist than riding a quiet road surrounded by nature. In Iowa, that experience is easy to find: the state’s 50,000 square miles of farmland are rich in rolling, low-traffic roads, giving its nearly one million cyclists access to scenic routes alongside 2,000 miles of multi-use trails and a vast network of rural local, county, and state highways.
But a bill introduced to the Iowa State Legislature on January 28, 2026, by the House Public Safety Committee, threatens to put a stop to that.
Under the bill’s definitions, a “device” includes bicycles, electric personal mobility devices, and pedestrian conveyances such as wheelchairs, scooters, and skateboards
Because most rural roads carry posted speed limits well above 25 mph, the proposal would effectively prohibit bicycle access across large stretches of Iowa’s rural road network.
What’s more, the bill also aims to place limits on bike couriers, noting that, “While using a device, a person shall not carry a package, bundle, or article that prevents the person from keeping the person’s hands on the handlebars…at all times.”
“In our very humble opinion, this is the most anti-biking bill in the history of the Iowa Legislature,” said Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. “HSB 637 is disguised as a bike safety bill. But what it really does is, functionally and explicitly, ban biking on most of Iowa’s roadways.”
Beyond access concerns, cycling advocates point to the industry’s significant economic footprint across the state.
Fortunately, cyclists across Iowa can breathe a cautious sigh of relief, at least for now. The bill’s advance was paused last week with Public Safety Committee Chair Mike Vondran stating it “needs more work,” offering little detail beyond that.
