A bicyclist died on a windy Saturday afternoon when a tractor pulling two loaded corn bins struck him on a rural road just outside of Ames.

The man, who wasn’t immediately identified, was dead when emergency officials arrived.

Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald said the man was riding with a group of other bicyclists northbound on 580th Avenue, also known as county road R70. Less than a mile south of U.S. Highway 30, the tractor, also traveling northbound, passed the bicycles. How the collision happened from that point wasn’t clear, Fitzgerald said.

“We’re still piecing together exactly what happened,” he said.

The victim was the only bicyclist involved in the accident, Fitzgerald said. The rest of the group — which included family members and others — saw the accident take place, as did another driver.

Fitzgerald said he was confident investigators would be able to determine more definitively the cause of the accident. He said he wasn’t sure what role, if any, winds that gusted to nearly 40 mph Saturday played in the accident.

The man’s bicycle was almost completely unharmed by the wreck, which happened just before 3 p.m. Only the chain mechanism seemed damaged on the red, white and blue bicycle.

Fitzgerald said it was important for everybody using roads to be extra cautious during this time of year. Tractors, in particular, have many blind spots that could make it difficult for their operators to see other road users.

“You’re going to have slow-moving vehicles out on the roadway,” he said. “It’s fall harvest season.”