If you think riding a bike across Iowa with thousands of others sounds tiring, imagine the preparation. Oh, the details!

With that in mind, the Quad-City Bicycle Club hosted its sixth annual “RAGBRAI for Rookies” seminar Saturday at Davenport’s Fairmount Street branch library. The (Des Moines) Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa will be July 19-25. Almost 100 people showed up to learn about that preparation: why registration is important, how to handle the elements, and what to pack.

Fourbicycle clubmembers, all RAGBRAI veterans,gave summaries of what to expect and what to do.

Thespeakers urged potential riders to sign up with the bicycle club for better organization and logistics assistance, including a specific campsite each night. The club's four or five motorcoaches will carry riders to western Iowa where the ride begins and then haul riders' gear to the each overnight town.

Ken Urban said that paying the fee for formal registration provides automatic insurance for the ride. Anotherperk thatregisteredparticipantsqualifyfor isuse ofthe four porta-potties the club has at each overnight stop, so riders can avoid long lines elsewhere.