Tuesday Night's A Big Night

Down at the honky-tonk, Saturday night's the big night, but on the River Trail, Tuesday has evolved into the big night for group rides. The long-standing Fast Girls Slow Guys Tuesday/ Thursday rides have never really ramped up this year, after having been a reliable option for the last 4-5 years. Instead, there a two primary options available on Tuesdays. Tuesday Nitro is a race oriented ride that mostly sticks to the roads of the Burns Park loop. Anyone is welcome so long as you have the skills to operate safely in that environment. If you are unsure of your skills, start somewhere else. It's not an event, so nobody can tell you that you can't ride, but a sketchy rider will feel a cold shoulder, as nobody wants to fall victim to somebody who chooses to get in over their head. This is a "word-of-mouth" ride and not sanctioned by anyone. If you are up to it, I suspect you already know about it.
The Arkansas Cycling and Fitness group rides from the sub at around 6:30 and has evolved into a very nice, inclusive ride. There are usually three groups, casually designated A, B and C. You do not have to declare your intent, as natural selection determines where you'll be riding. While big groups on the trail portions of the ride can be intimidating to the uninitiated, the emphasis is on safety, both for the riders and for other trail users. The pace is restrained on the trail portions of the ride, but there are enough opportunities on the road for fast riders to stretch their legs.

Dan Lysk leading out the Tuesday night ACF ride.

With good leadership, group rides are a great way to improve fitness and hone bike  handling skills. The slogan of the Fast Girls was "Fast, Fun and Friendly", with a real focus on safety. The same philosophy seems to have found its way to the ACF ride. It is always rewarding to see new riders work their way up through the cycling pecking order as their fitness, skill, and confidence improves. I'd call both the ACF ride and certainly Nitro "performance oriented", but there are many other options for more casual riders under the auspices of such groups as the Arkansas Bicycle Club and the growing Melo Velos cycling club.