With RAGBRAI a little over a month away, Iowa City is nearly ready to welcome thousands of cyclists to town.

The Register’s annual bike extravaganza will head to Iowa City on July 27. This is the first time in more than 40 years that the city has been chosen as a stop on the statewide event, and it will join Onawa, Denison, Jefferson, Ames, Newton, Sigourney, and Davenport as stops on this year’s ride.

Nick Pfeiffer, the director of marketing and communication for the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Iowa City is “ready to show how it’s changed in the past 42 years.”

Pfeiffer said the main difference between 1976 — the last time Iowa City was a stop on the route — and today is technology, adding “now riders have all of the information on their smartphones, and Iowa City has the ability to offer broadband for riders.”

“We have 30-something people on the planning committee [for the event], and the RAGBRAI organization as a whole is well-organized,” he said. “They’ve provided a lot of guidance. It’s just a lot of planning that began in February, and we’ve been able to formulate plans for electrical outlets, Port-a-Johns, and even ice for bikers. It’s really just months and months of planning ahead.”

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Despite all the planning, Pfeiffer said, there are elements to the event that are outside his control, such as construction on the Pedestrian Mall and the policing of the open-container policy. He did add, however, he is confident in construction crews and local law enforcement.

“We’re used to larger crowds in town, and we’re used to having a lot of people in town,” he said. “It’s a different animal with so many people on bikes, though, so a lot of what we’re preparing for are shuttles and making sure people are aware of the construction.”

Aside from the logistical components of RAGBRAI, Iowa City business owners are preparing for the event as well. Bill Nusser, the owner of Hands Jewelers, 109 E. Washington St., said that although not everyone who is biking the route is likely to come in and buy jewelry, the Hands team is preparing for the event.

“Iowa City is a place where [large events] happen all the time,” Nusser said. “We make sure our windows are appropriate for whatever is going on, whether it’s wrestling or RAGBRAI. You never know who’s going to stop in and look around.”

Jan Weissmiller, the co-owner of Prairie Lights, 15 S. Dubuque St., said the bookstore and café are preparing for bikers and guests alike.

“Right inside the store, we’re going to have all of our books about bikes on display,” she said. “We’re also going to have a book signing by Dr. Oscar Beasley, who has been riding his bike every day for more than 40 years.”