Throwback Thursday--The Latest Word In Sports Nutrition: SPAMé Gel Dec. 6, 2012

In seeking an article for throwback Thursday, I ran across this gem. Much credit goes to Jason Warren for introducing Spam to the conversation. I've got to admit that this article gave me a chuckle. Laughing at one's own humor may be a fault but I couldn't help it.
This is also perhaps the only post in which I included original art. Likely a good thing given my limited talents.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

The Latest Word In Sports Nutrition: SPAMé Gel

If you spend many long hours on the road bike in the company of like-minded friends, then you know that conversations can take some unusual turns. Much like the conversations shared on monotonous 20-hour drives with my paddling buddies, riders  end up hashing out the same old political questions, sharing some of their deepest secrets, and telling all of their most tasteless jokes. You know, the ones that are not fit for mixed company or, really, any company for that matter, but, you still laugh your ass off and vow to yourself that you're going to remember it.
It's kind of an unwritten rule that the secrets are forgotten at the end of the ride and that the bad jokes are stashed away only to be shared under some similar circumstances in the future; however, these hours can also be times of revelation and creativity! Jason Warren and I recently shared such a Eureka! moment. Well, maybe it wasn't quite the lightning strike kind of Eureka! moment. It came upon us like the rolling thunder before a spring storm, or perhaps like the sound of the approaching Waste Management truck in the moments before the inevitable crash of the dumpster being emptied below your hotel room window at 6:00AM.
In this case, we were considering the possibilities of melding a popular food item into the over-crowded and over-priced realm of sports nutrition. Let's face facts-- most of us have very little real understanding of long-chain amino acids and the like, but we spend big bucks to support marketing schemes that promise results based on sketchy science and flavored sugar. Let's get real. Get real with SPAMé!

SPAMé Gel: The é gives it an air of sophistication that goes beyond any real science!

The result of our revelation promises to be a popular breakthrough as we shatter the paradigm of sucrose, fructose, and maltodextrin blends by packaging a gelatinous energy food derived from genuine miscellaneous meat products, juiced with caffiene and naturally  high in sodium.
We promise results with  SPAMé! Look for it in your favorite local bike shop or convenience store soon.

Coming soon from the same folks that will bring you SPAMé: Gravy Blocks

Note to Jason: consider name change to Gravée Blocks

NOTE TO READERS:
Facebook group posts--I'm still kind of a Facebook goob, so I could probably share better than I do. I've never paid to boost a post, for instance. While I'd love for all of you guys to follow the JBarCycling Facebook page, I post to several groups. I get mostly positive feedback but also respect when a group has rules prohibiting off-topic posts. Please let me know if I step on any administrative toes.
Share If you Like--Other than new friends, positive comments, and the very rare cold IPA, I don't get anything tangible from JBarCycling. I write because I enjoy it and feel good about making a small contribution to my community. If you enjoy reading a post, share it. I'll confess that my ego is given a boost when an article gets a few thousand reads.
 

Throwback Thursday: Putting on the Bitz from October 2013

I'd say that my timing is perfect for recycling this 5-year-old article as we enjoy our first really cool morning of the fall. Just a few days ago, we were still sweating out temperatures in the 90s and I was still clawing at the worst bunch of chigger bites I have endured since childhood.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Puttin' On The Bitz: Accessorizing For The Season

As I write this on a cool, bleak Saturday morning, I'm trying not to give in and declare myself to be tired of winter already. OK, I give up. I'm tired of winter already.

There's always some semblance of relief in the arrival of fall, in that many of us are feeling the fatigue that comes with riding almost every day, the big event rides are behind us, and the first cool mornings refresh the soul. For me, that lasts at least a couple of days until I realize that it is getting dark at 6:30, it gets cold when it gets dark, and I'm already missing the sweat soaked bibs, salt encrusted helmet straps, and nightly rides with my friends.
I'll tell readers the same thing that I have to tell myself: HTFU*

* From The Rules. See rule #5.

When following this edict, it is helpful to have a good collection of what I call bits. Those small cycling accessories that allow you to stay warm in the wide range of conditions that are typical of Arkansas winter riding. They add little soft and fuzzy barriers between you and weather related harshness where you need them the most.

Clockwise from bottom left: arm warmers, knee warmers, longer knee warmers, shoe covers, ear band, and toe covers.

Dress for flexibility

It is not unusual to start a winter ride in cold conditions, only to be riding in sunshine and glorious warmth within a couple of hours. Arm warmers, knee warmers, and an ear band can keep you comfortable early in the ride and can be easily stashed in a jersey pocket as the temperatures rise. Add a vest to the mix and you can easily leave home equipped for everything from the 40's to the 70's; not an unusual fall or early spring temperature range in our home state.
Full on frigid conditions call for tights and more robust layers, but a base layer and bits can get you through most of an Arkansas winter.

Veteran riders will have a drawer full of the stretchy, fleecy accessories. If you don't have a collection of bits, go visit your local bike shop and spend a few bucks to get started. Retail therapy is good for you and specialty retailers love folks who shop local. It's also not too early to start that Christmas wish list. If you're like most of us, you're damn hard to buy for, so do your family a favor and conveniently leave a list of your needs lying around so that they can surprise you with exactly what you want.

Along The Trail--Nuts and Berries

Summer has endured long into October, making for hot rides, a bumper crop of mosquitos, and chigger infested hikes. It appears that we are finally turning the corner into fall, though long-range forecasts do call for a wetter and milder than normal winter. Warm winters are becoming the new normal which, though representing an existential threat to humanity, has some benefits for the fair weather riding community and for the mosquitos. Chiggers die out at about 40 degrees so they'll still be just a seasonal menace for the time being.

In the meantime, get ready for fall riding by rounding up your long-fingered gloves, knee and arm warmers, and other cool weather bits.


Seasonal Hazards-The Second Most Dangerous Nuts on The Trail

Last night's rain and wind are sure to have added to the leaves on the trail. Caution is required this time of year as the leaves can hide many hazards. 

 While acorns and hickory nuts are the most common, black walnuts are far more dangerous due to their size and hardness. They are the second most dangerous nut on our trails.

The most dangerous nut on the trail.

Fortunately for other trail users, the ski pole wielding inline skater is relatively rare on the Arkansas River Trail; however, their rarity does not render them to be without hazard.  Approach with caution!!  As is the case with the common inline skater, this bird is usually equipped with headphones or earbuds blasting dance music, making audible warnings useless, and an enthusiastic skating style that takes the entire trail. Add ski poles and it takes the danger to a whole new level as the follow through leaves the tips at eye level to anyone overtaking them. 

The Berries

I have been writing for many years about the foraging opportunities along the trail. Mulberries, blackberries, and plums are among the most commonly found; however, my favorite is the muscadine.
This comment was posted by CTYankee to a recent article concerning the Big Rock Bike Park:

Try to incorporate the planting of fruits & berries along the trail wherever possible. I recently participated in the bicycle/pedestrian survey as a volunteer and one of the regular riders mentioned his favorite secret muscadine patch along the river trail in Burns Park and would like to see more of the same.

September 21, 2018 at 8:09 AM

I appreciate both CTYankee's service to the community and his respect for my anonymity.  Now that the berry picking season is past, I'll own up to being the picker of muscadines.

I had been watching these muscadines for weeks, awaiting their ripening. As soon as the first ripe berries appeared, so did the deer. They will visit the vines regularly, picking off the best of the crop as they ripen. 

 While the deer are expert foragers, I managed to claim these beauties for myself.

My grandmother, Mabel White, taught me to make muscadine jelly and it is a staple at my house. 

I don't feel bad about competing with Bambi for food. While my impact on the local crop is relatively small, the deer at my Heber Springs property eat virtually all of my cultivated muscadines and most of my blueberries. I set up a game camera years ago to see where my berries were going and found that I was feeding a group of deer every morning and evening, along with various birds, rabbits, and even a coyote. 

Be Polite With Your Light

I won't repeat the entirety of my bright light sermonette. Please be aware that your high-lumen light has an impact on others, just as an oncoming car with its brights on will blind you on a dark country road. Look at your light from the perspective of an oncoming rider and be polite. Try partially shading your light with your hand when approaching other riders and walkers.

City of LIttle Rock: Bike Friendly? Making Progress?

When I posted a few weeks ago about the proposed Big Rock Bike Park in NLR, several folks opined that Little Rock was missing out again. While Little Rock has not had any recent landmark projects, there is steady progress south of the river. 

A Word On How Things Happen and Some History

Now that I'm back at the keyboard here in the JBar Bunker, I'm also finding myself sitting in various meeting rooms. It is almost a certainty that I will be seeing the same reliable cycling advocates in meeting after meeting, folks like Brett Budolfson, Coreen Frasier, Stacey Tierney and others are steadily plugging away to represent our community in the halls of government or wherever our voice needs to be heard.

These efforts of these volunteers are, in large part,  how we came to have the Arkansas River Trail, the Big Dam Bridge, Two Rivers Bridge, and on and on. The roots go back decades with folks like Gene Pfiefer, Ken Gould and Judy Lansky, and many others. In 1992, citizens banded together and campaigned to block the extension of Rebsamen Park Road to Highway 10. If not for those efforts, instead of a chain of parks, bridges, and bike/ped paths we have now, we would have another high speed east-west highway along the river.
On October 10, CALS and the Clinton School of Public Service will host a discussion as to how this "Save The Parks" movement came about 25 years ago.


Little Rock Bike Friendly Community Committee

 LRBFCC board members Coreen Frasier, Michael Sprague and Dave Roberts

This committee was initially formed to apply for Bike Friendly Community status with the League of American Bicyclists. North Little Rock had successfully applied and the NLR designation made many of us on the north side of the river quite proud while Little Rock seemed to languish in a lack of interest.
Mayor Pat Hays kept North Little Rock engaged and moving forward, while in Little Rock, volunteers were frustrated by a lack of buy-in by the City and unclear goals. Things have evolved over time. The North Little Rock BFCC faded and disappeared as folks in Little Rock kept plugging along. City staff got involved and a BikePed coordinator was hired. That post is now held by John Landosky.
Little Rock achieved its primary goal with a Bronze Bike Friendly Community designation several years ago, and the committee continues to champion efforts like Complete Streets, a comprehensive streets plan that requires consideration of bike and pedestrian needs for new and resurfaced streets.
These efforts often take years of discussion, bureaucratic tedium, and small gains, but that is how things get done.

Committees Can Only Do So Much-- Community Buy-In Required
In Little Rock, a recent example of a missed opportunity is the upcoming resurfacing of Pleasant Forest Drive.  City staff had recommended the inclusion of bike lanes; however, a few neighborhood residents were vehemently against it and mobilized opposition in the form of public comments. As is often the case, the " 'aginners" were very vocal, while supporters were relatively quiet and assumed that somebody else would carry the ball. The result is that this designated bike route will not have bike lanes.
A similar revolt by a few well-heeled and well connected residents of the Canal Pointe subdivision killed a well-thought and long discussed traffic calming proposal for Riverfront Road. A few loud voices convinced City Hall that they would be grossly inconvenienced by being restricted to only two traffic lanes for 6/10ths of a mile. 

My point here is that when you see those social media calls for public comment for things that you support within your community, please let yourself be heard. 

Little Rock Is Still Building Bike Infrastructure

Largely as a result of the LRBFCC, Little Rock has completed or has planned a number of projects to better serve cyclists and pedestrians.
Check the link below to view them.

Little Rock projects 

In addition, there have been major improvements and expansions to mountain bike and hiking trails in various city parks. I'll try to catch up on some of those soon with an overview of projects from Central Arkansas Trail Alliance (CATA).

Throwback Thursday- September 2010 post about 1991 Natural States Road Race and Crit

This was high level racing with what was then big prize money. Riders like Lance Armstrong and Davis Phinney managed podium finishes in the crit but were not the best riders on the day.

Friday, September 17, 2010

The Races: 1991 Natural State Stage Race

This advertisement ran in the Arkansas Gazette, March 22, 1991

The Natural States Stage Race series was arguably the biggest in terms of scale and star power. Andy's, a local restaurant chain put up $30,000.00 in prize money at a time when, like now, most bike racers were poor but the average price of a new car was around $16,000. Some of the notable names included Lance Armstrong, still an up-and -comer, Davis Phinney, Scott Moninger, Bob Mionske (the attorney and  "Road Rights" columnist of today), Bobby Julich, and Olympic gold medalist Alexi Grewal. Coors Light was the powerhouse team. The 1991 Natural State race consisted of these stages:

Friday, March 22 1991
Stage One- A downtown criterium. The course consisted of a loop of Main and Scott Streets between Second and Eighth Streets. The crits ran between 11a.m. and 1:30p.m. on Friday and the streets were closed except for a brief window at noon. The Men's Pro 1/2 category was won by Dave Mann of IME Bolla Wines, with second going to Brian McDonough of Gotham Cyclists. The two went away early and maintained a gap for over half of the  race, with Mann outkicking McDonough for the win. Mann had won the Tour of New Zealand in 1987 and had 14 career wins to his credit at this time.

Saturday, March 23
Stage Two: Time Trial from Murray Park II to the top of Overlook Hill.
This had to be a great way to start the day for the racers. Here are the top three finishers:
1) Mike Engleman, Coors Light 4:22

2) Shaun Wallace, Great Britain 4:30

3) Steve Tillford, unattached 4:30

Ok, I’ll include 4th place just for entertainment:
4) Lance Armstrong, Subaru-Montgomery 4:44

 Photo from: http://www.cyclingrevealed.com/

Engleman, riding for Wheaties/Schwinn, was pipped at the line by Coors Light's Greg Oravetz in the 1989 USPro National Championship. Future teammate Greg LeMond was 10th.

The only local name that I recognized was that of my old friend Robert Orr, who finished 9th in the Masters class at 5:20. Robert is also the only person I know who has raced a double Iron Man (he came in second).  I'm sure the folks who were riding at the time would recognize more of the competitors.

Stage 3: Road Race around Lake Maumelle, beginning and ending at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. This stage saw action from all of the big boys and was won out of a nine man break by Rich McClung of the Shaklee team, with Dave Mann in second and Graemme Miller in third. Lance Armstrong had taken a flyer for a few miles, only to be reeled in and finish with the break.

Sunday, March 23
Natural State Capitol Criterium
80 Laps around the Capitol course saw Davis Phinney take the win, followed by Coors Light mate Greg Oravetz, with Lance Armstrong taking third.


Dave Mann took the GC win for a whopping $2700, followed 27 seconds back by Armstrong for second place, which paid $1450. Davis Phinney pocketed $955 for third overall. There was payout through fifth place and for stage placings, etc, so the prize money was spread around.

This was a stellar field of riders. This kind of event requires an amazing amount of work and a chunk of money to pull off, but over the years a few folks have put together some really big bike races. I wish that I had been interested!