Today is a remarkable one for the White Pole Road and several Guthrie County area towns as thousands of bicyclists make their way through on the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.

The day starts in Atlantic, and riders will eventually arrive in Adair and then pedal through Casey, Menlo, Stuart, Dexter, and Earlham before the overnight stop of Winterset. Stuart is the “meeting town” which means all of the support vehicles will be setting up at Karl Chevrolet with a shuttle vehicle transporting people to and from downtown as needed. Vendors and entertainment will be at Lawbaugh Park and downtown on 2nd Street. Vehicle traffic will also be rerouted off of White Pole Road west of town on Victory Trail and Adair Street, and east on south Madison Street.

Stuart Chamber of Commerce President Kristy Lonsdale says storm shelters are identified in case of a severe thunderstorm or tornado, “We’ll have The Saints Center, the First Congregational Church, the Stuart Elementary, the Stuart Herald basement here, Varley Law Office, City Hall, the fire station, the high school, American Legion, the Depot, the car wash, Karl Chevrolet – the express service lane – will be open as a storm shelter, and Country Kitchen, so we’re well covered in case we would have bad weather.”

Bicyclists could be expected in Stuart as early as 8 a.m. today, and RAGBRAI officials and law enforcement will be forcing the vendors to shut down at 3:30 p.m. so the ride can move on to the next town. The Raccoon Valley Radio Big Red Radio will also be broadcasting live from Stuart during RAGBRAI. For more information on Stuart’s plans, visit here.