Trail Closure (Kind of..); New AHTD Bike-Pedestrian Coordinator

AHTD construction project closes River Trail link

I hate when I'm beat to the punch by the mainstream press, but the AHTD project reported here in earlier posts is underway, resulting in the closure of the sidewalk trail link over the UP tracks east of Episcopal Collegiate School. It has been reported in the Dem-Gaz and discussed on the BACA Facebook page.
Reader Richard Bassett shared this:
River Trail Construction. The piece of the River Trail from Cross Street back across the railroad overpass to the part that drops down to the Episcopal School is closed. There was a bulldozer tearing out the sidewalk and part of the hill on the South side of Cantrell right before the overpass. They have a barricade across the ramp leading from Cross Street up to Cantrell.

It is unfortunate that nobody saw fit to announce the closure of the sketchy but important trail link prior to the commencement of construction, as it was far from being an unplanned emergency as caused by a landslide, meteor strike, or other unforeseen calamity. I'm not aware of a viable alternate route, leaving  riders with the prospect of crossing Cantrell  and/or either riding the traffic lanes or taking the sidewalk on the north side of the road. At most times of day during the week, the options are not good ones. This is the manifestation of poor communications between governmental entities and a disregard for cycling as transportation. I would expect it to be a topic of conversation at Wednesday evening's BACA meeting as well as at the Wednesday meeting of the  Little Rock Bike Friendly Community Committee.

New Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator at AHTD

From Bud Laumer, who is exiting the post:

Ms. Kim Sanders is your new Statewide Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator here at AHTD. 

I know that you will give her the same sort of support and encouragement that you gave me during my four years here in that role. 

Her contact information is here: http://www.walkinginfo.org/assistance/contacts.cfm#AR

Please replace my contact information with Kim’s. 

Kim is now your contact regarding issues related to cycling and walking in Arkansas.  

Thanks and take care,

Bud Laumer, AICP, LCI

After dropping Kim a note of introduction and explaining who I was and the purpose of my blog, while asking for some of her time to get introduced,she dropped me back a note saying,   "Sure, next time I see you on the trail, we'll talk."

 It then dawned on me that Kim is one of my long-time trail friends, though I've never known her last name. I'm sure she has told me, but sometimes, I'm just a slow learner, and , "Hey, Kim" always sufficed. Kim is an avid rider and a regular on the River Trail, usually in her trademark red kit. If you ride the trail frequently, upon meeting her, you'll say, "yeah, I see you all the time."  I see Kim as being "one of us" and I believe that she will be able to identify with those of us who rider for recreation, fitness, or transportation. I want to thank Bud for his efforts and welcome Kim aboard. With Governor Beebe apparently embracing bike friendliness on the state level, I hope to see more positive action from the AHTD.

A Longing For The Trail

This a deviation of my "Along The Trail" features. Much of my subject matter is inspired either by things that I observe or experience out on the bike. It also often comes from information that I obtain by attending the meetings of  various advocacy groups or from conversations with folks who are "in the know" be virtue of whatever their position may be. This time of year, committee meetings have conflicted with vacations or holidays and my long evening sweating out the miles on my bike have been replaced by a lot of reading and fidgeting as I wait out my 17 days in a cast. I fear that my fitness is fading faster than my tan lines and I am very anxious to be back on the bike a back in circulation!
 In the meantime, here are a few odds and ends:

BACA Meeting Wednesday, July 11
The bike will have to wait, but there is a BACA meeting Wednesday night at the Capital Hotel. The Capital has free valet parking and there will be a group of cyclists leaving the Clinton Library parking lot at 6:30 to ride to the meeting. Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola will be speaking. He will be addressing bike infrastructure plans for the city and I expect him to call for support for an upcoming vote to extend a property tax millage. This could serve as a vehicle to help finance the proposed River Bluff trail section behind Dillard's.

Real Estate Opportunity

If you have ambitions along the lines of real estate development and would prefer a location that is convenient to your favorite ride, this could be the deal for you!

The entire area was originally slated to be a planned community with a mix of multifamily and single family homes, but the grand plan has sputtered along with the real estate market and the economy as a whole. That said, the marina seems to be on "go" and the apartments are leasing, so I do expect this very desirable location to be put to use.
 If one of you guys buys this, I expect parking consideration and I expect JMar to buy me a beer. And, no, I will not post general listings for all of my other realtor friends.

Still no recent word on the Diamond Bear Brew Pub planned for the nearby city-owned lots.


Tale of the Rabid Raccoon and Packin' Mommas

Several weeks ago while riding in through Two Rivers Park, our small group encountered a man wielding a large stick as he, along with his wife and dog, skirted on the opposite side of the trail from a very out-of-sorts raccoon. It was broad daylight and the raccoon was dragging its hindquarters and rubbing his head on the ground as he eyed the steady stream of passers by. Our immediate conclusion was that the 'coon was rabid and, though it was seemingly too ill to make any vicious attacks, we took the precaution of warning approaching walkers of his presence. One pair of young ladies, walking rosy-cheeked girls in a twin stroller, calmly responded to our advisory by saying, "We're OK. We're packin'". She reached into her diaper bag, pulled out her dainty little handgun case and slipped it under her arm, smiled and said, "Not looking for trouble, but, you know..."
On one hand, I was comforted that these girls could take care of themselves, on the other hand, it's a little disturbing.....
Don't get me wrong, I come from a long line of gun enthusiasts, though I do not compelled to carry heat.

I was later told by the Game and Fish biologist I eventually made contact with that the raccoon likely suffered from distemper.

Le Tour

warning: stage 6 spoiler below

I'm sidelined with my right hand encased in a club-like brace/bandage arrangement. I'm pretty well stuck inside due to the fact that I can't get this thing wet and it is currently 104f outside, making immediate perspiration likely. I'm off the pain meds and back to work, but that just seems to make me miss my outdoor recreation hours as compared to the sleepy fog of my first couple of days post-surgery. The one redeeming thing about my situation is that I can while away a few hours watching the Tour de France. On one hand, this Tour promised some wide open competition, with Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans as the not-so-overwhelming favorites, with folks like Giro winner Ryder Hesjedal, Levi Leipheimer, Tommy Danielson, Frank Schleck and a handful of others being mentioned as "possibles".  Somewhat like last year, the opening week has been full of carnage. Friday's stage was expected to be an inconsequential lead-up to the first day in the mountains on Saturday. Instead, a massive pile-up took Hesjedal, Danielson and Schleck out of contention, with Danielson and several others out of the race with injuries.   My  man Mark Cavendish got an early stage win, only to suffer from crashes and lack of a lead-out train as his rival Andre Greipel took stages 4 and 5. Cav was out of the sprint today, but young phenom Peter Sagan took advantage of Greipel's lead out to beat him at the line. Exciting stuff.

I can't type worth a damn right now, so I'll invite your Tour comments.

Happy Independence Day!

Well, not so independent for me. I'm plenty happy but I find myself to be quite dependent following surgery on Monday to repair a detached ligament on my right thumb. The injury is rightfully called "skier's thumb", as it occurred as I did a face plant in the snow with outstretched hands, my ski pole adding leverage to extend my thumb beyond its natural range of motion. As with most injuries that don't show any visible signs of trauma, I kept thinking that it would heal itself, but reality set in and it was off to see the hand specialist. The MRI told the tale and surgery was scheduled. Given the possibility of pins and grafted tendons, I was glad to be told that the surgeon was able to reattach the ligament without having to go to the junkyard for spare parts.

I'm not sure what I thought when Dr. Moore told me my hand would be bandaged for 2 1/2 weeks, but this cast-like arrangement met or exceeded my expectations!  

Last year's crash excepted, I've considered myself to have been pretty fortunate in avoiding injuries over the years, so I can't whine too much about this, though it makes typing excruciatingly slow (note to self: don't use big words like excruciatingly ) and will keep me off of the bike for a few weeks. Since I can only hold one utensil at a time, and cannot do complicated tasks like operate a pepper mill, I am pretty dependent on Diane for care and feeding. I made sure that I was all caught up on my chores before surgery, so I'm not much of a burden, yet, though I'm sure I'll be a pain in the ass from time to time. I can't get my bandages wet, so any perspiration inducing activities are out. I don't deal well with inactivity, but I'm sure that within a few short weeks, I'll be trying to work my way back from a plump and pasty state.

Another Star-Spangled Success: State Criterium Championships

Sunday was the date of the CARVE-sponsored Dr. Feelgood Star-Spangled Classic/ State Criterium Championships and, like last year the day was forecast to be a scorcher. Knowing that shade is at a premium, I headed to downtown North Little Rock at about 6:30 AM with my Wal-Mart pop-up shade shelter, a couple of lawn chairs, and a cooler loaded with a case of bottled water and a few choice Colorado IPAs. I set up along Riverfront Drive, not far from the finish line and strategically close to the PCI-sponsored super grill, manned by Andy Hight, the solar power station and the industrial fan to which it supplied juice, and to the kiddie pools. I took advantage of all of the amenities except for the pools which, though freshly filled with a fire hose from a nearby hydrant, looked pretty funky.
After setting up, I joined a small group for a ride out to Pinnacle State Park Visitor's. We got back as a small field of junior men was finishing up.

The organizers and sponsors did a great job and it looked like a big bike race. In addition to the team and store tents, Subaru had cars on display, podium girls and swag. Folks from the MS150 were set up recruiting riders for their event, the officials were well-equipped, the PA was good, there was plenty of food and beverage on hand, and the racing was fast!!

The junior men's 15-18 field was not too deep, but these guys fought it out to the end.

Ah, yes, a young man's fancy turns to bike racing....

The young guys were a motivated bunch and the Subaru podium girls helped put a smile on the winner's face. Oh, yeah, and he got a medal!

The races started at 8:00 AM with the younger Jr. Men and Jr. Women, followed by a full slate of men's and women's classifications, with the Cat IV men scheduled to go off at 4:30PM. The simple fact that there were racers to fill the many categories was a tribute to the success of the summer criterium series that culminated in this event. There was a good, enthusiastic crowd on hand, though I will admit to be among those who faded mid-afternoon and retreated to the AC. The racers held up remarkably well, most having been racing all summer, though the heat seemed to be taking its toll on the legs as the day wore on.

 Master 30-45. As expected, CARVE was well-represented, along with BMC, Snapple, and local shop teams from Arkansas Cycling and Fitness and Spokes.

Eventual winner Bob Fegtly led out this prime sprint in the Cat V men's group. 

 The Cat V podium.

 Though they could have used some more riders to share to work, there are some really strong cyclists among the women.

Though the water was a little discolored, the kiddie pools did not go unused.

The officials sorted out some close finishes as MC Scott Penrod kept the action moving along.

 The folks at CARVE have been doing a fantastic job of bringing racing to Central Arkansas, including the Crosswinds Classic road race and the recent State Championship Time Trials, attracting teams and riders from throughout the region. Along the way, these events are raising money for causes like CARTI and Teen Challenge. It says a lot about our cycling scene when  the community pulls together to support events like this one, and it put cycling in a very favorable light as we work to gain acceptance with the public at large.  

 I'll try get a link posted to the results when I can, and my friend Joe Jacobs is sure to have a more detailed report and a few thousand photos posted over at Arkansas Outside.

VeloGames Tour de France Fantasy League

Get on board and pick your Tour de France team on Velogames. I've formed a JBar Cycling Mini-league. It's fun, it's free, and my team will kick your team's ass! Or not. I'll buy the league winner a couple of beers.

Follow the link, read the rules and pick your team; then, it is GAME ON!!


http://www.velogames.com/tdf/index.php

League Name: JBarCycling Tour Team
League Code: 29202829

Star Spangled Criterium: Arkansas State Crit Championships

With a burn ban on and fireworks not a possibility for many areas for Independence Day, shuffle on down by the river on Sunday for the Dr. Feelgood Star-Spangled Criterium Championships! There will be fireworks on the race course as riders from around the state battle in out in a spectator-friendly venue.
Here's the press release, followed by the event flyer;

The fireworks start early this year as bicycle racing comes to North Little Rock’s Riverfront Drive during CARVE’s Star Spangled Classic and State Criterium Championship on Sunday, July 1. Racers from all over the state and region will compete for cash prizes and the coveted state champion’s jersey in a variety of classes. Spectators will get a chance to see the action up close as cyclists speed through multiple laps over the flat, one-mile-long course. Racing begins at 8 a.m. Come on out to enjoy a day of fun and spectacular racing. Proceeds to benefit CARTI & Teen Challenge.

 

 

  Last year's SS Crits saw big crowds and great racing, so come on out and support local bike racing. Thanks to Michael Mattox and CARVE for providing this information and for sponsoring this and other cycling events in Central Arkansas! We're on a roll!

Yep, Sure Has Been Hot Out There....

....spit, kick dirt, then complain about the gub'ment. That's typical conversation these days as Arkansas is experiencing record heat for this early in the summer. It can be tough on folks, but most dedicated riders, who regularly who spend time outdoors, acclimate pretty well and are able to continue on with their routine, That said, I could have sworn on Sunday afternoon that it felt like it was 100 degrees. It was actually only 99, so I guess I'm getting soft.

Extremely hot days like last Monday, when the temperature had dropped to 102 by my ride time, tend to thin the traffic along the River Trail, but the heat doesn't have to be a show stopper for fit, prepared cyclists.

Stay hydrated, but just water will not get it done for long efforts!

This is  basic information to outdoor athletes operating in extreme heat, but we simply have got to maintain proper hydration and electrolyte, mainly sodium, intake to perform and to simply survive in relative comfort.  Every year, it seems that many of us have to learn the hard lessons that come with dehydration or failure to replenish electrolytes. Heat exhaustion or heat stroke are extreme conditions, but for cyclists, the punishment is usually just poor performance, excruciating cramps, and a really shitty ride home. I feel like most riders know this stuff, but while visiting with a friend this week, who happens to be an accomplished ultra-distance runner, she mentioned that she was just realizing that plain water was not enough to get her by on long runs in hot weather. She must be doing something right, as she has completed a number of 100 mile-plus events in extreme conditions, but she was just starting to get more methodical about it. Never having had any formal coaching, I'll call her a "native talent" who just loves to run, but her experience is not the norm. Most folks really have to pay attention to the details of hydration and nutrition to perform at that level.

I'm a numbers guy and several years ago I set about calculating my sodium needs, because I also sweat like the proverbial pig and knew that I needed to replace more than water. Here is a little information from the Power Bar website:

Sodium and water are required in appropriate ratios based on an athlete’s sweat rate. It is recommended that an athlete determine their sweat rate in various conditions (link to Sweat Rate Calculator) and consume sodium based on the amount of fluid they require. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people who are active for more than one hour consume 500–700 mg of sodium for every 32 oz (~1L) of water they consume. However, there are some who recommend 500–1,000 mg of sodium per 32 oz of water, or per one hour of intense exercise.

Experimental data has demonstrated that sweat rate and sodium loss is highly individual, ranging from 460–1840 mg/L of sweat. This can be further influenced by numerous other factors including genetics, fitness, acclimatization, and weather conditions. As such, both the sweat rate and the amount of sodium per oz (or liter) of sweat is highly individual. Athletes must experiment in training to find the right balance that works for their body and exercise conditions. 

 I will typically drink a bottle of sports drink to every 1 or 2 bottles of water in the summer, and can easily got through 2 bottles an hour when it is really hot. A 24oz bottle of Gatorade mixed to the label proportions from powder contains 300 mg of sodium. While that amount allows the body to readily absorb the drink, it is far short of the amount of sodium needed to replace what I sweat out over the course of a long ride. To compensate, I add salt and salt substitute (potassium chloride) to my Gatorade and sometimes carry along Enduralyte supplements. We've been conditioned to avoid salt, but for active folks in hot weather, unless you have a blood pressure problem, you are unlikely to overdo it if you eat a normal healthy diet.

Experiment to find out what works for you, and even then it's possible to get into trouble. Last Saturday, I failed to mix up my standard drink load, but felt like I was still OK for a moderate 60 mile ride on a humid, but not extremely hot morning. I was at less than peak form on the ride, but felt OK until reality set in as cramps fired off in both of my legs as I headed over the BDB about 10 miles from home. A gracious friend gave me a bottle of GatorAde that I gulped between spasms and then I stopped at the Argenta Market to simply grabbed salt from the lunch counter and lick it out of my hand. Not real appealing to the diners perhaps, but the cramps soon subsided and I made the last climb home, but my experience shows how quickly a ride can go from good to very bad while operating in extreme conditions.

Enjoy the ride, but be careful and pay attention to what your body is telling you!

A Note To Readers: I'm still here!

A couple of folks, due to recent inactivity, have asked Mrs JBar if I was laying off the blog. Absolutely not, says I. That's how rumors get started. My paying job has been particularly busy and we took some time off for our usual Colorado vacation. Between work, travel, and riding there simply have not been enough hours in the day to do much writing. I'm about to have some extended time off of the bike as I'm having some repair work done on an injured hand (no, not a bike wreck. I don't ski worth a damn.), so I should be regaling with tales of some sort as I rehab. The Tour de France starts Saturday, so that should provide fodder for commentary.

Arkansas River Trail Survey

The Arkansas River Trail Task Force has enlisted UALR to conduct a user survey for the Arkansas River Trail. The survey takes about 10 minutes and has various questions regarding trail users’ opinions and concerns for the Arkansas River Trail. This survey’s data will be used to help our task force address users’ concerns and formulate a strategy to improve the trail. We are especially interested in cycling clubs and out of town visitors. All data collected is confidential and NO emails will be kept on file. UALR will tabulate the results in house.

You may have received an invitation to participate from other sources, so please complete just one survey.

Click here to participate. The user pass code for the  JBarCycling group is 1200

Pinnacle Valley

The Big Picture and Sharing The Love

The recent agreement laying out 88 miles of Arkansas River Trial System may be optimistically seen as a turning point toward the ultimate creation of a statewide network of bike trails and designated routes; at least that's how I'm going to choose to view it. There is obviously a lot of work to be done in terms of overcoming fiscal and engineering barriers and changing the mindset of government agencies and the public, but every monumental endeavor requires an idea, a plan, and a good foundation. The ARTS concept is a big step in the right direction. I regularly heap praise on NLR Mayor Pat Hays and Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines for their leadership and resolve in the building of the River Trail and its associated bridges, so now I feel compelled to throw a little love at folks like Rob Stephens, who chairs the ART Task Force, and Marsha Guffey and Jim McKenzie of Metroplan for their roles.  These are not people you'll see riding every afternoon along the river, but they see the value of alternative transportation as a means of enhancing the health and quality of life of our citizenry and as an attractive engine for economic development.

Mark and Mike seem to be getting on board.

That would be Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe. I have been somewhat critical of what I considered to be half-hearted efforts on the part of Little Rock to fulfill long-made promises on a number of issues, but I'm becoming cautiously optimistic that Mayor Stodola and his staff have stiffened their resolve to get some things done. I sat in on a meeting of the LR Bike Friendly Community Committee, chaired by Ed Levy, recently and was pleased to see his honor,  the mayor, present. Assistant City Manager Bryan normally represents the mayor's office and, while Bryan is a sincere and genuinely nice guy, the nature of the arrangement often leads to questions and requests being passed on until the next monthly meeting as Bryan seeks answers or confirmation of information. Now, I see that Mayor Stodola will be speaking at the July 11 BACA meeting at the Capital Hotel to discuss the city's opportunities to incorporate cycling and alternative transportation into future plans. Funding from the recently passed sales tax and the possibility of the renewal of an existing property tax millage, along with community support, will be the key to these plans coming to pass.
On the state level, it appears that Arkansas's recent ranking of 50th among states in terms of bike friendliness by the League of America Bicyclists has created some impetus from the governor's office to change things. Nobody wants to finish DFL, and Arkansas's dismal ranking was mostly the result of having virtually no statewide policy position on cycling. I've heard from several souces that Governor Beebe got his staff together and has initiated discussions that will hopefully change that. This could include changes in driver's license training manuals, enforcement policy and road construction planning among other things. The simple fact that cycling is on the radar at the state level is an improvement.


A More Focused View: Getting Along With the Neighbors and Location Specific Behavior 

Pinnacle Valley Road

The opening of Two Rivers Bridge has allowed droves of cyclists to easily access already popular road rides in western Pulaski County to the Pinnacle State Park and Wye Mountain areas. The resulting bike traffic has been readily accepted by some area residents, not so much by others. I had heard that residents of Pinnacle Valley Road had started a petition drive to ban cyclists from the road between County Farm Road and Maumelle Park and the rumor was confirmed on a recent Saturday as our small group of riders awaited a group member who had flatted on exiting Two Rivers Park. As we waited off the road at the corner of County Farm Road and Pinnacle Valley, a gentleman pulled up and rolled down his window to shout, "I signed a petition to make you people ride on that bike path and get off the road". Unfortunately, the well-intentioned 'bike path' constructed by the county, limited by right-of-way and drainage requirements, is little more that a sidewalk and cannot be ridden safely at normal road bike speeds due to driveway crossings and various zigs and zags around trees and other obstacles. This is especially true when it is shared with local residents who are using it for walking or jogging. It is important that we as cyclists be sensitive to the fact that these folks live out there. It is also a matter of looking out for our own safety. Please be polite and move to the right and stay single file as traffic approaches. This is simply good manners and is required by law in many cases.

Near Pinnacle State Park Visitor's Center: Danger Lurks

Related to the traffic on Pinnacle Valley Road, another area that represents a hazard to both cyclists and to motorists sharing the road is the hill just east of the Pinnacle Mountain State Park Visitor's Center. While most of PV Road is relatively flat and straight, making for good sight distance, the approach to this hill is troublesome.

Cycling super-model Chuck Richesin demonstrates the limited sight distance when approaching the crest of the hill east of the Pinnacle S.P. Visitor's Center.

Motorists overtaking cyclists at this location have three choices as I see it. They can:

1) Patiently slow down until they and the cyclist are over the crest of the hill so that they can see far enough to safely pass. I believe the speed limit here is 35MPH, so they may lose upwards of 20 seconds if they wait behind a 10 MPH cyclist for the full 1/2 mile distance of the climb.

2)  Take their chances entering the oncoming traffic lane in order to give the cyclist the 3-foot safe passing distance as required by state law.

or

3) Blast by the cyclist dangerously close at their normal driving speed of 45-50 MPH

Obviously, #1 is the most desirable, though least likely, option in my experience, with variations of #2 and #3 being the most popular.

I think that Pulaski County plans to ultimately have bike lanes along this stretch of road and even a bit of shoulder on this short section would be a good thing, but for now we have to work with what we've got.

Another factor that makes riding to the right on this narrow stretch of road important is the possibility that passing car will encounter cyclists traveling in the opposite direction as occurred during this demonstration. I've also noticed riders stopped at the crest of this hill waiting for slower buddies. That's fine until a car comes along and is forced into unseen oncoming traffic; especially if that oncoming traffic is me!

Afternoon sun further complicates the scene for westbound drivers. Keep in mind that if you don't ride single file to allow cars to pass, you are forcing them further into the oncoming traffic lane which may be occupied by unseen cyclists. Drivers focused on passing riders may not notice riders coming in the opposite direction, like the rider in this shot.

Except for the afternoon sun factor, the situation is the same for eastbound traffic.

I'm not just writing this to be preachy, though I do seem to love my little sermonettes, but Pinnacle Valley is a regular route for me and I've observed these situations time after time. The one that irks me is when I encounter a group of 3-4 cyclists riding two or more abreast seemingly oblivious to the fact that a couple of cars are stacked up behind them. On more than one occasion, the cars have blown around them into my lane at a high rate of speed, not even recognizing a lone rider as oncoming traffic.

Let's be good neighbors and safe riders by being aware of the situations that exist out on the road, whether they be political or structure related. See you on the road.

Break Time

Hey, folks, I'm going to take a bit of a break. I'll lob a post or two, but we're going to take a little down time, so things will likely be a little slow here at JBar Cycling over the next couple of weeks. The day job has been intense and I always feel compelled to keep up the blog, so I'm looking forward to a little decompression and feel the need to step away from the keyboards!
Back at you soon!
JBar