Bikers head out on Register’s ride

Rain, shine or hundred-degree heat, the annual bicycle ride across Iowa got underway Sunday. About ten thousand bike riders are expected to pedal from Sioux Center to Bellevue this week — a trek of 480 miles. The first overnight stop was in the town of Cherokee, where city administrator Bruce Bierma says the prepared to meet the bikers’ needs. Dozens of extra port-a-potties were lined up and a 200-acre campground was created. While the official predicted number of riders is ten thousand, Bierma says Cherokee planned for greater numbers. About half the riders are from Iowa, another quarter are from the Midwest, and the rest hail from virtually all 50 states, and nations around the world including Australia, Japan and South Africa.