The Iowa Bike Expo began in 2013 in the hallway of the newly remodeled Vets Auditorium. The first Expo attracted 65 booths and more than 1,000 attendees. The event was managed by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and took place between the Iowa Bicycle Summit and the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party.
In 2016, an up-and-coming Maddie Poppe played the main stage at the Iowa Bike Expo after performing on RAGBRAI earlier that summer. Poppe went on to win American Idol in 2018.
In 2014, the Expo moved downstairs to HyVee Hall A with an entire expo space as one of the first events in HyVee Hall at the Iowa Events Center. In 2017, the Expo moved to HyVee Hall C, adding more vendors and a frequently requested demo track.
