Opportunity Knocks: Little Rock Gran Fondo Volunteers

The Little Rock Gran Fondo rolls on May 31 and promises to be a unique experience for riders, with premium swag, plush rest stops, and a finisher's experience that includes Pop on Main. Pop on Main, as you may recall, will feature 5 of Little Rock's best chefs serving up fine dining from individual "pop-up" restaurants on Main Street, accompanied by some choice beverages.
For non-riders or for riders who are not up for the 70+ mile course or for whom the entry fee would not fit a budget crowded with items like shoes for the kids and rent, here is a golden opportunity!
Steve Shepherd, USAC official type guy, needs some help out on the course.  He's calling them volunteers, but there is a certain mercenary aspect to the role, as volunteers will receive a $35.00 ticket to Pop on Main and a very cool Fondo T-shirt!

Here is Steve's call-out:

Below are the positions that I need covered for the LR Gran Fondo.  The riders will leave the 2nd and Main starting area at 8 AM.  The route will run in a counter-clockwise direction through southern Pulaski County and northern Saline County.  Exact start times can be estimated depending on which location someone volunteers for.  But I don't think that anyone will spend more than 2.5 to 3 hours at their post.

 

I'm also going to get volunteers to put up direction signs at intersections between the start area and their monitored intersection. 

Wrightsville Rest Stop

Park Bikes, Help with food & drinks

Place sign at Hwy 365 & Harper (Right)

Place sign at Benny Barnes Road (north end of Tree Farm run) & Hwy 365 - (Right)

Place Sign across from Rest Stop on Hwy 365 (Left)

Traffic Monitoring at Arch Street & Pratt Road

Place sign at Ironton & Pratt (Right)

Place sign at Pratt & Arch/Hwy 367 (Left)

Traffic Monitoring at E. Sardis & Arch Street/Hwy 367

Place sign at E. Sardis & Arch Street/Hwy 367 (Straight)

Place sign at Hwy 367/Arch & Eastend (Right)

Place sign at Eastend & Springlake (Right)

Place sign at Springlake & Woodson lateral (Left)

Volunteers at Highway 365 & Pratt/145th

Place sign at Woodson lateral & Highway 365 (Left)

Place sign at Hwy 365 & Pratt/145th (Left)

Volunteers at Pratt/145th & Matson Road (entry to Tree Farm)

Place sign at Pratt/145th & Matson Road (Right)

Unlock gates at beginning and end of Matson Tree Farm

Traffic Monitoring at Fourche Pike & Frazier Pike

Place sign at Harper & Frazier Pike (Left)

Place sign at Frazier & Thibault (Right)

Place sign at the 90 degree left on Frazier Pike (Left)

Place sign at Frazier/Sloane & mauney (Right)

Place sign at Mauney & Lindsey (Left)

Traffic Monitoring at Roosevelt & Airport (Temple)

Place sign at Roosevelt & Airport/Temple (Straight)

Place sign at traffic circle on 9th/Temple (Right)

Place sign at Temple & 6h (Right)

I would also like to get 2 motorcycles for general support of the riders.  It may be that one carries a mechanic with spare tubes and a minimum number of tools.  I may also get one to take a photographer to various areas to get action shots. 

 

All volunteers will get a ticket to the Pop on Main Food Festival ($35 value) and a LR Gran Fondo T-shirt. 

Steve Shepherd

Stephen Shepherd [ssheph@sbcglobal.net]

 

Home: 501.225.6077
Cell:  501.258.6077

So, for the small effort of placing a couple of signs and 2 to 3 hours of waving to your friends and loved ones riding by, or riding a moto just like the cool cats of the Tour de France, you will earn not only the T-shirt and some great food and beverages, but the respect and admiration of your peers! This is an amazing opportunity!
Get on board NOW to be a part of the one and only first Little Rock Gran Fondo.

Stuff That Works: Garneau Super Prestige Gloves

Like many cyclists, I'm particular about my gear. Years of winter kayaking made me appreciate the value of bulletproof equipment to help keep me safe and warm, and that mentality carries over to my choice of cycling equipment. Function and fit are a must and, of course, a little style gets points, too. I had many years of cold, wet days in the boat to refine my collection of gear to allow me to really enjoy winter runs while encased in my Gore-tex dry suit, sport-specific fleece top, tights, pogies for hands, and warm booties. Even though cold weather, cold water boating is a more extreme exposure experience due to that water factor, in some ways it is easier to dress for the boat. Even if the air temp rises 25 degrees over the course of a trip, you're still in cold water, so the conditions you have to prepare for don't change much.
As I entered the world of winter road riding, I was clueless as to how to gear up. After a few years of collecting gear, I've got a pretty well-rounded quiver of clothes and accessories for every occasion, but I'm always on the lookout for something better than what I've got. One weak link has been winter gloves. My most comfortable ones aren't very warm. Liners help and add versatility, but are a small hassle. My warmest gloves are fine when it's really cold, but as the temperature or my work load rises, they start feeling damp and creepy. Last year, while milling around in Spokes, I started trying on gloves. I also have really wide hands, so I'm always on the lookout for the perfect glove. I decided to try a pair of Louis Garneau Super Prestige Gloves.

The Garneau specs says these are good to 14 degrees. I can't testify to that, but they're good for a very broad range of temperatures due to the fold-away lobster claw shells.

These gloves are pretty warm while in the five-finger mode, but they convert to lobster mode by way of an easily deployed shell that folds into a pocket on the back of the glove. The shell is not really noticeable while tucked away, but provides a real increase in performance while allowing fingers to couple up and snuggle. The split design makes for easy shifting and braking and the fingers are easily exposed for more delicate tasks like unwrapping a bar.

You can also leave your forefinger and middle finger out for dexterity and for communicating with rude drivers while leaving your pinkie and third finger warmly tucked away.

The gloves cost about 45 bucks. Bike gear is expensive enough when you are sure of what you're buying and we've all experienced the frustration of buying something, only to relegate it to the back of the drawer after a few disappointing uses. On the other hand, cost is forgotten soon enough when a piece of gear serves you well over the years. That's stuff that works.