Bicyclists will invade Ames’ streets Tuesday and officials advise that drivers be prepared for delays and detours.

According to the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau Web site, officials expect riders to begin to arrive in Ames at around 9 a.m. Riders will travel through the west side of Ames via Ontario Street until turning south onto Stange Road.

The north end of Hyland Avenue, from Ross Road to Ontario Street, will be closed for much of the day.

The route through campus will take riders west on Osborn Drive, south on Morrill Road, and across the section of Union Drive that encompasses Lake LaVerne.

Riders will then take Welch Road to Welch Avenue, leading them to the campgrounds at the ISU Towers.

Rob Bowers, ISU Police deputy chief, said the gated entrances at both ends of Osborn Drive will be blocked by cement barricades Tuesday.

Traffic and parking will be prohibited along the route through campus from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Officials say to expect delays across the city, but especially along Ontario Street, Stange Road and at the intersection of Lincoln Way and Welch Avenue.

Several CyRide routes will be altered in order to accommodate the event’s stop in Ames.

The commuter lots and transportation hub will be closed through Wednesday. Commuters can park in C and D lots, north of Jack Trice Stadium and east of the usual parking spaces.

For more information on CyRide’s route changes, call the information hotline at 292-1100.

Crowds associated with football games are much more predictable, Bowers said, given that they flood the city much more regularly. Ragbrai, on the other hand, last rode through Ames 25 years ago.

And from town to town, Bowers said riders’ attitudes at the end of a leg can vary widely depending on the difficulty of the day’s route and weather conditions, leaving officials with little idea as to where and how the crowds will spend their time once they’re in the city.

Bowers said Ames is a different city from Jefferson, where the route riders stayed Monday night. Cedar Falls, where 2007’s Ragbrai stayed the night, would be more comparable to Ames, Bowers said.

Regardless of how their stay unfolds, Bowers said he hoped citizens of Ames would take advantage of historic event and get out and have fun.

Officials expect riders will leave town between 5 and 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. Riders will make their way from their campgrounds to South 16th Street, where they will ride east to South Dayton Avenue and north to Lincoln Way. For more information on Ragbrai’s visit to Ames, visit www.amesragbrai.com.