There's less than a week until thousands of bicyclists start the trek across Iowa for RAGBRAI.
The overnight stops have been gearing up for the event since they were announced in January.
And now the last few checks are being done along the route.
10,000 bicyclists make the trip across Iowa each year.
And it's a tradition for a lot of those cyclists.
But there's always first timers out there.
Clinton's Ride Right Committee held a bike rodeo for young kids.
And a lot of those lessons apply to every rider.
"It just seems like it grows every year that I've been there," says Clinton Ride Right Char Dan Howard.
He's ridden seven RAGBRAI's now. And he says it's an adventure ever year.
"No matter where you ride the road conditions aren't always made for bicycles, so you just got to be looking ahead all the time."
That's why his area Ride Right Committee is teaching these youngsters bicycle safety lessons. Skills like weaving properly, changing lanes safely, and wearing a properly fitted helmet.
"Can you open your mouth for me Brian?" says Clinton bike Sergeant Joe Raaymakers.
Helmet technique is the same for kids and adults. It should be snug,
"The straps of the helmet should go around the ear, with the clasp just below the earlobes and clip so they can just open their mouth."
And it shouldn't be too far forward or back. Because a helmet doesn't help if its not worn correctly.
"85 percent of all injuries on a bicycle are just simply from falling off and getting injured."
And falls will happen. Either from a cycling mistake or a bike malfunction. The owner of Clinton's Bicycle Station repair shop says flat tires are the most common problem.
"Tires want to be kept inflated anytime the inflation pressure drops, if you hit a tube you can pinch the tube between the tire and the rim and cause a flat," says Chad Jensen.
Tires are often overlooked in a basic maintenance check. With cyclists focusing on brakes and chains.
"Top off the tires every morning, all tires lose pressure, on their own, for no reason, there's nothing anybody can do to stop it, if I could figure out a way I would probably be a really rich guy."
Proper maintenance and safety skills will benefit any rider. But Howard says the toughest skill to learn, is not taking shortcuts as the finish line approaches.
"The last day or two you start getting tired, a lot of miles, that last stretch from Anamosa to Clinton is a long route, lot of hills and you're going to be tired but you still got to be thinking about safety as you're riding," says Howard.
