Airborne At Angry Dave's Wheels and Bikes

Chris Rogers and his family checking out the early action. A crowd gathered as the show went on. Chris said he was snagging a new BMX bike to relive his youth alongside his young son.

 

Dave Larson brought in the Southern BMX Stunt Show as entertainment for the grand opening of Angry Dave's on JFK in Park Hill a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, rainy weather limited the show a bit that day, but the boys came back to Dave's last Saturday and we were able to check out some of the action.

 

 

Southern Stunts rider John get a little sky time at Angry Dave's

Look out for that tree! Whew! OK, it wasn't as close as it looks.

 I'm usually in danger of hitting the bottom of trees on the MTB.

 

Spotting the landing.

 

 

Ted gave passing drivers on JFK Blvd. a good look.

 

 

 

 

 John delivered a lot of big air. All the guys were good, but altitude makes for good pics!

The show drew a crowd of enthusiastic spectators.

 

 

And here is the grand finale:

 

 

You can catch a full-blown version of the Southern BMX Stunt Show at Buzz-B-Q This Saturday, May 18.

Along The Trail:Wednesday Crits, Ride of Silence, and Dragon Boats

The weather has been good and there is more going on than I can keep up with. That is, if I want to ride every night instead of slaving over a hot keyboard, but I will try to hit a few high points.

From CARVE:

2013 Ronde van Burns Summer Criterium Series

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

 

OK, summer means it’s time for criterium racing in North Little Rock’s Burns Park. For the eleventh consecutive year, road cyclists will get a chance to race weekly on a flat course around the park’s soccer fields that is just under a mile long and free of traffic in the CARVE Ronde van Burns Criterium Series. Races are held May 15, 22 and 29, and June 5, 12 and 19.

Click the CARVE link above for more information.

 

Crits are fast, close, and spectator friendly. Ride on by on Wednesday nights to check out the races or enter.

 

Also Wednesday night: Ride of Silence

 

 From the BACA calendar:
Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas (BACA) and Arkansas Bicycle Club are sponsoring the annual National Ride of Silence to remember those who have been killed or injured while bicycling and to recognize that bicyclists have a right to be on the roads. This international event, held during National Bike Month, will take place on May 15, 2013, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Our ride will leave from the new CALS Children's Library on 4800 W. 10th St., Little Rock, just east of Jonesboro St. near the Little Rock Zoo. The riders go silently and slowly, about 12 mph, 2 abreast, and will go east on 12th Street, using the new bicycle lanes. The ride will go through the Children's Hospital grounds and end at the east Capitol steps for a short memorial and silence. Riders will return on their own the way they came, or using 7th St. Helmets are required and bicycle lights are needed. For more information on the Ride of Silence, see www.rideofsilen​ce.org. For more information, contact Judy Lansky at 225-5343 or Jim Britt at 912-1449.

Saturday, May 18: Dragon Boat Races At Burns Park Victory Lake

 

The Dragon boats were being unloaded Tuesday evening at Burns Park in preparation for racing on Saturday.

 

 

I think this will be a first for the area.

 

I don't know much about this event, but I gather that the race organizers work with a local sponsor, show up with the boats and everything they need for a Dragon Boat Festival, raise some money and move on to the next site. I assume the business model is similar to Gauntlet races, etc., but it looks pretty cool. I spoke to one of the folks at the boats on Wednesday and she promised food, music and dancers to entertain at the event.

 

Once you hear about dragon boat racing and become involved in this world of sport, community and fun, there is no turning back from it. There is much more to it than a great day on the water. There are different and interesting ways to experience the sport for both team members and spectators. Whether you’ve paddled in a festival or regatta, or you paddle regularly in a dragon boat, you feel connected to it. That’s the beauty of it – from the moment you pick up a paddle, you’ll love dragon boat racing!
Traditional Hong Kong style dragon boats are 46-feet long, with 10 seats and 20 people. A drum seat in front of the first two paddlers (seated beside each other) holds a drummer – you want the smallest, loudest, most rhythmic person you can find. A steerer guides the boat with the steering oar in back. These 22 people make up a dragon boat team. The stroke is unlike any other (the most similar is outrigger canoe) and taught in practice.
With origins dating back 2,300 years, dragon boat racing is the most fun, unique cultural event featuring adrenaline-pumping action. Teams race in authentic 46-foot long Hong Kong style dragon boats. They rave about the excitement, friendly competition and community spirit surrounding the sport. All ages, skill levels and physiques perfect their stroke and timing for the ultimate teamwork experience!



 

You may be able to see some boats on the water for practice or demonstration over the next couple of evenings. Drop by on your way to watch the crits.

 

 

 

May 12: Sunday Night BDB Closure

The Big Dam Bridge will be closed starting at 5:30 pm on Sunday, May 12 for the Illuminate the Cure race. Bridge opens for the lantern launch at 7:00 pm. Lanterns will be launched at dusk. For more information or to register for a lantern, visit the Susan G. Komen site.

Last Thursday saw a practice launch for the Illuminate The Cure event to be held Sunday, May 12 from the BDB.

750 lanterns will be launched at dusk on Sunday.

From The Committees: Working on Your Behalf

I try to make it a point to attend meetings of the various advocacy groups and bike related committees in Central Arkansas. I am on the North Little Rock Bike Friendly Community Committee (BFCC) and attend meetings of the LRBFCC and the Arkansas River Trail Task Force as an observer and "cyclist at large". I'm a BACA member and sometimes sit on on board meetings, as well.
I try not to be a pest and I actually do feel like I contribute a little value; if nothing else, I'm a bit of a common denominator and and can let one group know if another has already addressed an issue or developed information that is mutually beneficial. All of these groups have slightly different missions, but all are working toward the goal of enhancing cycling in Central Arkansas. Here's a short update on some things coming out of their activities:

BACA: The viability rating of Bike Advocacy of Central Arkansas has had its ups and downs over the last few years, but seems to be thriving under the current leadership of president Judy Lansky. Judy is an energetic recruiter and is not hesitant about pestering folks into cooperation.  At the recent general meeting, a new slate of officers was elected/drafted, to include:

Judy Lansky – President

Mason Ellis – Vice President

Diane Barton – Secretary

Bob Graham – Treasurer

Patrick Hays – At Large

Mikie and Cal Clift – At Large

(John Gillum and Chad Cragle will continue to serve another year)

These folks represent a range of backgrounds and interests within cycling and are set to help continue the progress that has been made over the last few years. Diane is serving as Secretary, so I'll have to weigh my words carefully should I choose at some point to criticise the minutes-of-the-meeting. Former North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays brings his extensive knowledge of central Arkansas government and a wealth of political savvy to the board. Pat is not sitting around in his retirement as he, along with Judy and Diane on the board, recently completed League of American Cyclists  instructor training (LCI).

The recent meeting featured a range of guest speakers including Jim McKenzie of Metroplan discussing the Broadway Bridge project and plans for the Highway 10 west corridor, Rob Stephens of the Arkansas River Trail Task Force on new signage standards for the ART System, Willa Williams of NLR Safe Routes To School on recent LCI training sponsored by the City of North Little Rock and other activities taking place north of the river.
 McKenzie has taken a very aggressive stance with the AHTD regarding accommodation, or lack thereof, of cycling and pedestrian needs as they move forward with the Broadway Bridge and with studies for reconstruction of highway 10 west of I-430. Of the AHTD, and I risk paraphrasing here, that he feels that they do a great job of planning and constructing high speed rural highways, but that they impose those same models on urban infrastructure to the detriment of cycling and walking opportunities.

ART Task Force
This committee met recently and among the business discussed was the approval of standards for signage throughout the ART system. The sign styles will include wayfinding signs with directional arrows and mileage to key features such as the BDB, mile markers, and route markers.

The example at the upper left is an old-style ART sign. The other three are examples of the new-style signs approved by the AHTD for use along highway portions of the Arkansas River Trail System.

ART Task Force members in a exercise to suggest sign placement on the River Trail System. Neil Curry AGFC Witt Stephens Nature Center, Jeremy Lewno, LR Bike-Ped Coordinator, Lynn Bell of Metroplan and John Light, LR Parks Trails Coordinator.

 

Gene Pfeifer, Rob Stephens, NLR Alderman Charlie Hight, Jacque Alexander of Backcountry Horsemen, and Lynn Warren of Ark. State Parks represent a diverse group of trail users and stakeholders.

Arkansas River Trail Website
The ART Task Force has been behind the development of an extensive website for the Arkansas River Trail System at http://arkansasrivertrail.org/  
In addition to a lot of information and maps on the trail itself, the site includes information concerning upcoming events, some of which may involve trail closures.

There will soon be a form for event planners to use when applying for use of portions of the trail for runs, rides, and other events. This will provide a single point of contact, as many activities overlap the jurisdictions of cities, parks departments, counties, the Corps of Engineers, etc, etc.

Bike Friendly Community Committees: Little Rock and North Little Rock

While the stated purpose of these groups is to advance the cities' goal toward gaining League of American Bicyclists Bike Friendly City designation (Little Rock) or going for a higher level (NLR bronze to silver), meeting the requirements for the designations requires real improvement. Both groups are doing good work in terms of shaping streets policies, gaining infrastructure, and educating folks on the benefits of cycling. As an example, NLR recently sponsored LCI training that resulted in 16 new League Certified Instructors. The new LCI's included a couple of NLR School District coaches who are an important component on efforts to bring bike education to the schools. On a recent Saturday morning, more than 50 kids, along with their parents, turned out at Crestwood Elementary to be fitted with new helmets and learn the basics of safe cycling from program coordinator Willa Williams and the newly minted instructors. That is exciting stuff! Educate the kids and educate the parents and soon we may have a whole new generation of cycling advocates.

Many of you are just interested in riding bikes and I'm cool with that, but the people who share their time on these committees, whether as volunteers or as part of their jobs, are the key to why cycling has such a large and growing presence in Central Arkansas. Projects like the River Trail don't happen overnight. They can take decades of hard work and persistence to become a reality, but the results can forever change the face of our community for the better.

 

Local Bad News: Stolen Bikes

Tim and Vanessa McKuen's bikes were stolen. Let's be on the lookout for them, including you Craig's list shoppers.

Vanessa's Bike

 

This is a stock photo of a Damocles in the red, white, black paint scheme.

 

Here's info from Vanessa:

It is just the most awful feeling to loose a bike. I hope you don't know it, but if you do, I'm sure you know what I mean. So, I don't have a pic of tim's bike but it is a Red, white and black Ridley Damocles with SRAM Red shifters, SRAM Force crank and derailleurs, Mavic K10 wheels, Oval bar, system and seatpost. Fizik saddle, Speedplay Zero pedals and Arundel carbon cages. My bike (photo attached is a black Civia Loring with bamboo fenders, Brooks saddle and a back rack. I actually have footage of the guys that stole them. They are pretty young and I doubt that they know much about bikes. They probably don't realize what nice stuff they have, but maybe they'll try to take them to a shop if they can't pawn them or don't just ride them or ditch them. Right after they stole the bikes, they rode over to Big Daddy's pawn shop on 12th street where they tried to pawn my camera, the only other thing they took. They were turned down, so they went on their way, but I got the footage from Big Daddy's security cameras. We filed a police report and I've given the police footage, but I don't get the sense that this is a high priority for LRPD.

Anyway, I so appreciate you guys getting the word out to the bike shop/riding communities. Please have anyone with info give me a call at 501-920-7735. Tim is in the midst of finals this week, so probably better to communicate with me.

Thanks again.

Vanessa

 

Grand Tour Time! Giro d'Italia Is Now

Many JBar Cycling readers follow the pro bike racing scene closely. For those of you who don't, let me reassure you that bike racing did not die with the demise of the legend of Lance; on the contrary, I think that racing is better than ever. Springtime in Europe is loaded up with one-day classics like Milan-San Remo, , Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Amstel Gold, and the big daddy of them, Paris-Roubaix. Through in a bunch of 3-day to week-long tours and we have had a hell of a lot of good racing.

If you want to watch the season-in-a-nutshell, I was introduced to a great resource recently (Thanks, Drew!) in the form of Cyclocosm. In addition to some podcast-style rants on various topics from host Cosmo Catalano, races are broken down in a succinct and often hilarious manner in his regular "How The Race Was Won" video features. Here is a sampling. I selected Paris-Roubaix for your viewing pleasure:




The spring racing season is behind us and now we enter the serious count-down to the 2013 Tour de France with the first of the 3-week Grand Tours, the Giro d'Italia which started Saturday, May 4.
The grand tours evolve over the years, and the last few Giros have been great for the tifosi (as the fanatical Italian fans are called), but not so good for the riders, with brutal climbs, impossibly technical and dangerous urban routes over streets built more for Roman sandals than for a speeding peloton.
Organizers have supposedly toned things down a bit after rider protests and snow-shortened routes in 2012, but the Giro d'Italia remains perhaps the most beautiful of the Grand Tours. In searching out television coverage, I came across an unfamiliar resource, the BEIN Sports network (channel 268 on Central Arkansas Comcast), which had live broadcasts and highlights of Stages 1 and 2 of the Giro. Interestingly, BEIN is owned and operated by Qatari Sports Investments, an affiliate of Al Jazeera Media Networks. While watching an Al Jazeera affiliate may be considered considered un-American by the folks at Fox (hell, I consider Fox News to be subversive, myself), I don't think that I've become any less patriotic over the last couple of days. I'll qualify that by confessing that I was rooting for a foreigner, Manx sprinter Mark Cavendish, in the first stage. I've always liked the brash sprinters, being a long-time Robbie McEwen fan before Cav blew onto the scene. Both have a banty rooster style of toughness, pocket-sized and absolutely fearless, though Cavendish does show his youth with a bit of a tender side that I never saw McEwen display.

I did not see any more Giro coverage scheduled for TV, but you can see almost any bike races live on cyclingfans if you can park in front of a computer. You can also often see recorded video of race finishes and key moves after the race is over. Fortunately, many of the most exciting summit finisher come on weekends. Once you get a feel for it, navigation on cyclingfans is fairly easy. Click on "live coverage" and select an English language link. DO NOT download any of the browser upgrades, etc. Just wait a couple of minutes and you can close out the annoying ads that park over the streaming video.

Little Rock to Memphis Ride Video

I've been meaning to post this video, which was shared by Bud Laumer. It documents a ride from Little Rock to Memphis and is worth a look. It is well-produced and quite entertaining.



Here's link to the route map:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2167500

Enjoy, and thanks go out to Bud for sharing!

Moving On and Moving Up

Rolling Like A Locomotive!
Just last week I was railing about the poor planning and slow progress at the site of the culvert cave-in at River Mountain Park, then I commented positively on the pace of the work once it got started. Well, all I can say is that you don't want to stand in the way of moving trains!
While park and trail users complained for months over the delays in repairing the access to Two Rivers Park and the River Trail at River Mountain Road, once the Little Rock and Western Railroad got involved, work proceeded at a remarkable pace. Last Sunday evening, this site was just a large excavation, busy with heavy equipment.

By Wednesday, the tracks were back in place and the finishing touches were being put on the fill over the new culvert. Trail user may make some noise, but railroads make money!

This view from the Two Rivers Bridge shows the discharge of the newly-placed culvert.

Work that was predicted to take nearly a month has been near-completed in just over a week. Now, if only the February weather would move on, park users and commuters could go back to springtime business as usual. I'm not sure of the timing for the road to be re-opened, but it would not surprise me if it was open as I write, given the rapid progress of the last few days.

 

Moving on up! We're 37th!
In most endeavors, finishing in 37th place would not garner an exclamation point, but considering that Arkansas was ranked 50th last year in "bike friendliness" by the League Of American Bicyclists, 37th ain't so bad. This year's report card is probably a more accurate reflection of where Arkansas stands than was last year's. Though there have not been a lot of real change as of yet, Governor Mike Beebe has become engaged, a statewide advocacy group is being formed, a consultant has been contracted and there is a much more progressive attitude showing at various state agencies.
 I believe that the 2012 application was completed with a "glass half empty" approach by our then AHTD bike-ped coordinator; the application was likely accurate, but most such applications posture to show things in the best possible light while ours seemed weighted a bit to point out shortcomings. That is not to be construed as implying that the application was purposely negative; just that the coordinator was perhaps holding Arkansas to an idealized standard and he saw plenty of room for improvements that were not being addressed.

National Bike Month

May is National Bike Month and there are numerous related events taking place locally. I'll try to cover some of them here, but feel free to pile on in the comments section if I miss an event.

Ditch-The-Keys Week: May13-17
and Bike-To-Work Day: May 17
Folks all over Central Arkansas will be leaving the car behind and walking, riding the bus or hopping on the bike as the "ditch the keys". Friday will mark Ride To Work Day as riders saddle up to ride to work. Many will be joining convoys of other riders and many local businesses will be offfering discounts, snacks and other amenities to cyclists. (Hint: The Capital Hotel will be my breakfast spot and I work at home!)
Follow this link for detailed information and to find a convoy rolling from your part of town!

Ride Of Silence: May 15
From the BACA calendar:
Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas (BACA) and Arkansas Bicycle Club are sponsoring the annual National Ride of Silence to remember those who have been killed or injured while bicycling and to recognize that bicyclists have a right to be on the roads. This international event, held during National Bike Month, will take place on May 15, 2013, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Our ride will leave from the new CALS Children's Library on 4800 W. 10th St., Little Rock, just east of Jonesboro St. near the Little Rock Zoo. The riders go silently and slowly, about 12 mph, 2 abreast, and will go east on 12th Street, using the new bicycle lanes. The ride will go through the Children's Hospital grounds and end at the east Capitol steps for a short memorial and silence. Riders will return on their own the way they came, or using 7th St. Helmets are required and bicycle lights are needed. For more information on the Ride of Silence, see www.rideofsilen​ce.org. For more information, contact Judy Lansky at 225-5343 or Jim Britt at 912-1449.

Bike Dash Scavenger Hunt: May 5

Join Bobby's Bike Hike and the Little Rock River Market for our 1st annual Bike Bash DASH! - bicycle scavenger hunt. We'll place clues around downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock and you'll use your bicycle to compete against teams (via a provided map) to find the clues. There will be two divisions so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy: a Competitive Division and a Family Division. Don't have a bike, no problem, you can rent one at Bobby's Bike Hike for a discounted rate.

Cyclofemme Central Arkansas Ride

When: Sun, May 12, 2pm – 4pm

Where: Two Rivers Park (map)

Description: Join us for a ladies ride celebrating women on two wheels and encouraging more women to Come Ride With Us. View the Facebook event here: https://www.fac​ebook.com/event​s/4339030066898​27/

 

Busy Sunday

After a mostly dreary weekend, this this past Sunday became the kind of beautiful spring afternoon that we have all been yearning for. The result was a very busy River Trail, particularly around the BDB.

Sunday evening crowds are often pretty sparce, but sunshine and mild temperatures brought out the crowds.

Ongoing work at River Mountain Park has limited access to Two Rivers Bridge, so parking was at a premium at the Big Dam Bridge. Even at 6:30PM, cars were parked along Rebsamen Park Road past Overlook Dr.

 

 

 

Credit where credit is due! I've been pretty hard on efforts to get this repair done, but contractors at the River Mountain Road culvert replacement project were still hard at work at 7:00PM on Sunday.

 

 

 

Ok, all boys like to watch big machines at work so I shot a little video with that in mind! Our younger nephews are no exception and I'll bet that Diane gets a link to Alex, Nicco, and Sam.

 

Along The Trail: Some Projects Are Going Better Than Others

River Mountain Road Access: Closed For Another Month

It has been over three months since a culvert collapsed under the road into the Two Rivers Bridge parking area from River Mountain Road. After an initial statement that it would take 6-8 months to fix, city officials gave a more realistic (we thought!) estimate of 6-8 weeks. Given that it was a culvert under a dead end road on city property, even that seemed like an extraordinarily long time, but it was explained that the line had to go under the adjacent rail line, so it was more extensive than just laying a pipe and patching the road. Then the RR decided that they did not need to take action. Weeks went by with no activity and then it was explained that a fiber optic line needed to be moved and that after that action, the contractor would have the work done in 7-10 days. The fiber optic line was moved a couple of weeks ago and the contractor finally went to work. In the meantime, trail users have been incensed by the delays and the lack of any accommodation to provide passage through the area as the site sat largely untouched.
Now comes the news that the railroad has decided that they, indeed, do have a problem and they will need to replace a culvert under the tracks. The result is that trail access will be compromised for another month, and that the user-blazed trail along the tracks will be blocked completely.

Cyclists and walker have regularly detoured around the construction zone, which has been newly-expanded this week as actual work began. My understanding is that this stretch of RR track will have to be removed as a new culvert is extended under it.

From my perspective, this project has been  poorly planned at best, but at least some work is now taking place, though the scale of the project has been expanded.

In The Meantime, Buddy Has Built A Mountain
Well, a hill, anyway. Work has progressed at a rapid pace on a plaza area being built by Pulaski County in Two Rivers Park.

I haven't seen the plans lately, but my understanding is that the plaza on this site will include benches, a sundial, and other decorative and practical amenities to provide an attractive gathering place for park visitors.  

A concrete finisher is skylighted on a recent afternoon.

 

North Little Rock Fishing Pier Looks Ready!

 

North Little Rock Parks and Rec continues to serve a wide range of trail users, as a fishing pier near the Burns Park Soccer Fields nears completion.

 

This kind of makes me want to wet a line or just sit in the sun and let the river flow by.

 

 

Hopefully, the River Mountain Road access problem can now be completed according to the revised schedule, but past performance does not give me much confidence. This is a key access point for cyclist coming from the neighborhoods of west Little Rock. The alternatives for riders are to ride several miles out to Pinnacle Valley Road and come in through Two Rivers Park or to risk a trip down Cantrell Road to get to Rebsamen Park Road, a route that even the most confident commuters would not dare to attempt.

 

 Of the three primary governmental entities involved in the River Trail in Central Arkansas, North Little Rock and Pulaski County simply seem to be able to get things done. Little Rock, in spite of having some really good people in key positions, just has a hell of a time getting a handle on the tasks at hand and, perhaps more vexing, they can't seem to provide realistic information. Granted, the River Mountain work is an unforeseen repair, but, unless I'm missing some key point, it is just not that big of a deal. When the I-40 bridge collapsed into the Arkansas River in 2002, traffic resumed in 2 months. I would have thought that we could get a culvert replaced in a similar timeframe.

 

Angry Dave's Bicycles:Open In Historic Park Hill

Central Arkansas has gained another bike shop as Dave Larson, a long-time presence on the Little-Rock area bike shop scene, has opened Angry Dave's Bicycles at 3515 JFK on Park Hill in North Little Rock.

Angry Dave's resides behind this attractive storefront on Park Hill 

 After a long stint at J&P Bikes in Sherwood and time with both Competitive Cyclist and Spokes, Dave is pursuing his dream to have a shop of his own. Many folks who don't know Dave by name have simply referred to him as "that tall guy" who worked on their bike. Some folks feel that bike shops can be a little snooty to the uninitiated shopper, but they shouldn't be put off by the "angry" part. I'm not sure how Dave picked up the nickname, but I've always found him to be a pretty mellow kind of guy in that bike wrench sort of way.

 "Angry Dave" Larson. Maybe it's like calling a fat guy "Slim".

 

 

Bike brands at Dave's will include top names like  Ridley, Intense, Marin, and Electra.

 

 

Electras should be popular in Park Hill.

 

 

Diane loses all sense of practicality every time she lays eyes on a pink Electra. So far, I've managed to convince her that her existing quiver of road bike, mountain bike, and commuter are enough, but I think it's only a matter of time before she goes for the cruiser.

 

 

When Diane and I dropped by last Saturday, Dave and his dad, Bruce, were still putting things in their place and cleaning up as they answered questions from customers.

 

In addition to the lines of quality road, mountain and cruiser bikes, Dave's seemed to have a good range of product for the BMX crowd. I don't know anything about that cycling discipline, but BMX has produced some of the better riders I know, especially mountain bikers. As for accessories, Dave has Giro helmets, Park tools, and Giordana looks to be the featured clothing line. I love high quality bibs and have had success with several brands, but, for me, Giordana seems to consistently fit and wear better than most other premium lines.

Dave tried to wave me off as I took a photo of his "messy" shop, but it looked pretty organized to me, in spite of a few empty boxes.

 

I grew up in Park Hill and we live there now, and both of my parents grew up within a couple of blocks of Angry' Dave's location, so I'm delighted to see a bike shop in what is very much my neighborhood. Though there are many very good bike shops in town, the Park Hill area was in a bit of a void that has now been filled. I hope that our growing cycling community will support its newest shop.

 

Here are details of this Saturday's grand opening from Dave's Facebook page:

 

ANGRY DAVE'S BICYCLES GRAND OPENING!!! April 27th!!!
Three BMX stunt shows, burgers and dogs, cold beverages, and LOTS of really cool bikes!!! Come see the newest shop in Central Arkansas!! 10-5 and shows at 12, 2, and 4 pm!!

 

 

Along The Trail: Dry Holes and Unfinished Business

Once again, the weather has tossed Central Arkansas riders a curve in the form of a day in the high 80's, followed by severe storms, followed by temperatures in the 30's on this Saturday morning. It's late April and we should be well past mornings in the 30's, but the day warmed quickly and riding conditions were perfect by midday!
On the sprinkling of nice days that we have had to date, the trail system has been busy with the usual uptick of occasional users mixing with the regular trail crowd. There is seldom any conflict among the folks who are frequently on the trail; however, when the weather gets good, it is accompanied by larger crowds, many of whom have no idea of the notion of trail etiquette. The result is a marked increase in the volume of dog feces littering the BDB, many unattended children allowed to run unfettered, and oblivious meandering walkers. There are many sub-categories within these groups but one of my favorites is " the backing photographer". You'll see them as they pose their subjects against the BDB or Two Rivers Bridge rail, with a sunset and Pinnacle Mountain serving as a fine backdrop for a photo. Then, they plug the viewfinder to their eye and start backing across the width of the bridge as they frame that perfect shot. Their concentration is often such that their hearing seems to be turned off, as they become deaf to warnings from approaching riders and runners. They then seem baffled when they return to reality and see that they have stopped traffic.
Comments of this nature are often followed by complaints about rude riders, etc, etc.
There are a'holes in every crowd, of course, but I'm speaking in general terms here, and there seem to be fewer rider-caused issues these days. It is likely a function of enhanced riding opportunities out west and peer pressure from within the riding community, but I just have not seen much in the way of bad behavior from the road rider crowd.

BE ALERT, BE POLITE, STAY RIGHT
I developed this little mantra as an easily remembered catch-all for trail behavior. It pretty much covers every situation and is something that kids can teach their parents.

River Mountain Road Drain Repairs

The equipment is in place, but the operators were AWOL when I stopped by on Wednesday. Reports indicate that they were at work on Saturday.

 

I contacted city officials a couple of weeks ago about the schedule for completion of repairs to the blown out drainage culvert that cuts off easy access to two Rivers park from River Mountain Road. I was informed that a fiber optic lines was to be moved and then repairs would take a week to 10-days. The fiber optic line was moved right on time and heavy equipment appeared on the site. I checked the area on Wednesday, but the machines sat unmoved. It's kind of amazing that within a matter of days  Exxon can get a high volume (high profit!) pipeline repaired in the midst of an environmental and human disaster in Mayflower while the City of LR still cannot seem to get a culvert repaired after 3 full months. The collapse of the culvert was reported here on January 15 and, at the time, it was predicted that repairs would take 6-8 weeks. That was deemed a ridiculously long time for a fairly simple project that has now dragged on for over 12 weeks, but it appears that the end is in sight.

 

Dry Holes: Water, water....I need...water

 

The water fountain near the BDB on the Little Rock side has been turned off for the last couple of weeks, as has a fountain on the trail near the Burns Park dog park. I contacted Jeff Caplinger in NLR and bike-ped coordinator Jeremy Lewno in Little Rock. Both promised to look into the problem. As of Saturday, the fountain at the BDB was on, but the NLR fixture remains dry.  Riders, runners, and walkers count on these places to refresh and resupply, increasingly so as the weather warms up.

 

Slackers

You will occasionally see slack-line walkers around parks and campsites. My understanding is that the activity grew out of the climbing community as a means of enhancing balance, showing off, and killing down time around base camps. Most of the lines I've seen are maybe 10 yards long. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that some guys had strung up the longest slack line that I have ever seen---100 yards long!! They were enthusiastic, but limited by their hardware; they just didn't have enough mechanical advantage to pull the line tight enough to mount and to keep it off the ground.

I encountered the guys on their second attempt at the 100-yard slack line. Additional blocks and pulleys allowed them to get the line taut enough, though the wind kept the webbing vibrating and bucking.

Success! I didn't stick around after the initial walk, nor did I accept the offer of giving it a try!

 

One of the many things that I enjoy about the trail system is that you never know what or who you will encounter, though it is almost always someone enjoying something that they love and are willing to explain or share.

 

 

 

 

 

Burns Park is Poppin' !! Well, Could be...

From Jeff Caplinger, NLR Parks:

I am inviting you (and you are welcome to invite others that may be interested) to a public meeting this Thursday, April 18 at 6:00 pm at the Laman Library to learn about the Remedial Investigation the US Army Corps of Engineers will be performing in Burns Park beginning this May.

 

As some of you may be aware (based on our signs at some of the trail heads), Burns Park was formerly part of Camp Robinson and Camp Pike.  The area was used as training grounds during World War I and World War II.  Some ordnance clearing was performed before the property became what is now Burns Park.  In recent years, several ordnance remnants have been found in the park prompting the Corps to perform this Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study of Burns Park and two other areas in central Arkansas.

 

Posted in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on April 14, 2013 ---

      The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will host an open house on Thursday, April 18, 2013, to discuss the planned activities to be conducted during the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study fieldwork scheduled for May of 2013 at the former Camp Robinson in Faulkner, and Pulaski Counties, Arkansas.

 

      The meeting will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Laman Public Library Lecture Hall, 2801 Orange Street, North Little Rock, Arkansas. The meeting will allow for the exchange of information between the Corps and the community regarding site activities. In addition, the Corps will continue to work with the landowners to obtain rights-of-entry for its upcoming investigation.

 

      Camp Robinson was established in 1942 to train infantry, artillery, and engineering combat troops for deployment and redeployment overseas during World War II. Following World War II, parts of the Camp were closed, limited ordnance clearances were performed, and the property was conveyed to the Army National Guard, the State of Arkansas, local municipalities, and private owners.

 

      Project-related documents are available for review at the Mayflower Public Library, 6 Ashmore Drive, Mayflower, AR 72106.

 

 

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me.

 

Jeff Caplinger, CPRP

Project Coordinator

North Little Rock Parks and Recreation

phone: 501-791-8540

fax: 501-791-8528

email: jcaplinger@nlr.ar.gov>

BACA Meeting, News,and Announcements

I'm gladly serving as a mouthpiece for BACA here.
 From Judy Lansky:

BACA General Meeting April 18, 6:30 P.M. US Pizza in Hillcrest, 2710 Kavanaugh. 

Want to promote bicycling in Central Arkansas? Support BACA and come to our meeting on April 18. We’ve been busy; come hear what is happening regarding bicycling. Our guest speaker, Jim McKenzie, Executive Director of Metroplan, will talk about the Broadway Bridge, the Imagine Central Arkansas survey and the proposed River Trail extension behind Dillard's among other issues. We will also have board elections for officers and two at-large board member positions. As always, there will be good food and good company. 

For more information on BACA, and how to join/donate, see www . bicycleadvocacy . com, and like us on Facebook. 
ATTEND LITTLE ROCK CITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING APRIL 16^TH TO ADVOCATE FOR COMPLETE STREETS:
Want to increase the opportunity for bicycling and pedestrian travel through better integration of land use and transportation? Urge the City of Little Rock to implement a complete streets policy, which recognizes the need for streets to be accessible to all potential users. At the City Board meeting on Tuesday, April 16 at 6:00 p.m., the City Board of Directors will consider a resolution of intent that the City adopt a complete streets policy. Please attend to show your desire to make the City of Little Rock a more livable community. For more information about complete streets, see http ://www . smartgrowthamerica . org/complete-streets.

BIKE LANES ON HIGHWAY 10

Bicyclists regularly use Highway 10 as a commuter route. We have the opportunity to make the route safe for bicyclists by requesting bike lanes as the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) considers improvements to Highway 10 from Pleasant Valley Road to Ferndale Cutoff Road at a public meeting on April 18 at Roberts Elementary School, 16601 La Marche Drive, Little Rock. The hearing begins at 4:00 p.m. Please take advantage of this opportunity to advocate for bike lanes on Highway 10. Stop by before the BACA meeting and fill out a comment card requesting bike lanes on Highway 10. If you are unable to attend the AHTD meeting, you will still have the opportunity to obtain a comment card from AHTD. We will have some cards at the BACA meeting on April 18 and they will be available on line after the meeting. More information on the public meeting can be found at: http ://www . bicycleadvocacy . com/news . html

BIKE LANES ON THE BROADWAY BRIDGE

BACA, and the Bicycle Friendly Community Committees of Little Rock and North Little Rock have joined forces to request the Mayors of the cities and the AHTD to put bike lanes on the new Broadway Bridge. Find more information and sign the petition here.

WARD MEETINGS

The City of Little Rock is holding public hearings in the various wards regarding expenditure of tax and bond moneys for street improvements. Some of the money will be spent on resurfacing streets in the different wards. Little Rock has already agreed to wide Pinnacle Valley Road from Cantrell to the railroad tracks as part of the resurfacing projects in Wards 4 and 5. For more information on the ward meetings and what you can do to promote the striping of bike lanes as the City moves forward with resurfacing, see http ://www . bikelr . com/ . 

WARNING SIGNS ON THE TRAIL IN FRONT OF THE EPISCOPAL COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

BACA sent a letter to Mayor Stodola requesting that the City put up warning signs on the hazardous portion of the River Trail from the Cantrell Viaduct to North Street alerting bicyclists to the dangers of the section (see www . bicycleadvocacy . com/close-the-gap . html). The City has agreed to place yellow signs stating: “Arkansas River Trail /Temporary Bike Route Ahead/Proceed with Caution.” Thank you Little Rock.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE ON 2013 BICYCLE PLAN UPDATE:
The update will be considered at the next City Council meeting, April 22, 6:30 p.m.–please attend the meeting to show your support for all North Little Rock has done for bicyclists.
View the proposed bicycle plan at: https://dl . dropboxusercontent . com/u/40132135/NLR%20Bicycle%20Plan%20and%20Map_2013 . pdf  

SOMA: 

For additional news about the development of bike lanes in SOMA, see http ://www . bicycleadvocacy . com/soma-district-bike-lanes . html

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Cyclofemme Ride - May 12, 2:00 p.m. Two Rivers Park:  http ://www . arkansasoutside . com/events/cyclofemme-ladies-ride/

Ride of Silence - May 15 (more details later)
Bike to Work Day - May 17 (more details later)

 

STAY INFORMED/VOLUNTEER

In addition to the BACA website, stay informed about bicycling in Central Arkansas at www . BikeLR . com and http ://nlrfit2live . org/.

We need volunteers for a number of projects including people who want to help (1) lead a Bike to Work Convoy, (2) design informational materials and brochures, (3) help recruit bicycle friendly businesses; (4) help organize community bicycle rides; (5) volunteer at events, (6) fundraising, and (7) any other way in which you would like to help promote and improve bicycling in Central Arkansas.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Hope to see you at the meeting on April 18. Please bring friends! Let’s work to make Central Arkansas bicycle friendly.

Judy Lansky

President, BACA