Big Dam Bridge

[Hub]

Yes. I mean the kind of dam that holds water. Arkansas is about to open the world's largest pedestrian and cyle- oops I mean cycle and pedestrian bridge.
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=94919
Does anyone else plan to ride? My BBB( Beloved Big Brother) has already bought tickets for me and him to ride. They offer a 12, 20, 50 and 100 mile course. He's fully capable of doing the century. I'm such a beginner - I have a hybrid and usually about 30-45 minutes 3-5 mornings per week.- In one of the flattest places on earth- Little Rock has hills Real Hills I'm shooting for the 20 mile ride- if I'm giddy and my brother taunts me into it, maybe the 50. I need y'alls help to get ready. Heck, I haven't even ordered my proper bike shorts yet! I'm a big girl, but I think I found a kit that will fit.
I need y'all to tell me what I need to know! I've never ridden with a pack before this. There's a reason I like to ride in the dark at 5:30 in the morning- no spectators I'll take my Giant Sedona, but probably ride one of his bikes- (he has 3 spares to choose from- an Orbea, a Trek X/0 and a madone) he' rides about the same size as me 54-56/L - I'll probably choose the X/0 for wider tires- plus it's the one I covet the most ( even though the madone is so yummy).
I don't have cycling shoes! I do have a wonderful pair of Bass Clogs with big lug soles that are great for my flat pedals. I'm a novice and not ashamed of it- but I don't want to look or act STOOPID.
One final caveat- the ride is in Little Rock- I live in Cleveland, Mississippi & will have to get up and drive 3 hours to get there-- by 7 AM

[Bad JuJu]

Wow, Hub--sounds exciting! Your first big ride!

I'm no expert, but I've done a few of these rides before, and here's my take: Have plenty of water and some kind of sports drink with you, plus some snacks that you like, but also take advantage of ALL food and drink stops.
Ride your own pace, or maybe just a tiny bit faster. Don't get caught up in the excitement of the group start and try to keep up with the speedsters at the front--you'll just wear yourself out. Set a pace that you know you can stick with. The adrenalin starts pumping in a ride like this, and it might get you through the 50 miles, but not if you trounce yourself at the beginning.
I'd say ride the bike you've been used to riding. They say never to test out any new equipment the very day of a big ride, and I think that warning includes trying out unfamiliar bikes.
I'd also say, if you have time, try using some old-fashioned toeclips. I use them and love them. Might make the big switch to clipless in a month or two, but toeclips have their advantages. Either way--toeclips or clipless--they help you to spin, which will help you get up those hills without killing your knees or your endurance, rather than trying to push big gears and hurting yourself.
Carry a spare tube, patch kit, and equipment to change a flat--maybe BBB can help with that.
Maybe some more experienced riders will chime in.
Whatever you do, HAVE FUN!

[SunnyHazel]

You go, Hub! I live in North Little Rock and I see the Big Dam Bridge every day crossing the river to and from work in Little Rock. I've ridden to it on the River Trail on the North side of the river several times and it is so cool. My husband is totally psyched to ride over that thing (but he's not going to make the Big Dam Bridge Ride in October). I keep pointing out the incline, and he keeps pointing out the decline on the other side! Zoom Zoom! Of course, I've only been riding a couple of months, and only a few miles each day. Maybe someday I'll cross it. Doesn't help any that it's over all that water and I'm terrified of water!

Should be a beautiful ride. Hope you'll post about the adventure!

[Tuckervill]

Maybe--I haven't been on my bike since I got back from New Mexico last Tuesday. But I've been walking the dog for an hour every day.

My husband and I and our 12 yo son are riding it together, although I think dh might end up doing the 12, as he doesn't get to ride very much. I was looking at the website www.bigdambridge.com. There are elevation maps, etc. The highest part is on the bridge itself. I've ridden up and down the river on both sides and it's not too hilly. (I've also been to Cleveland, MS, and Little Rock's not that flat, either!) But the route is relatively flat.

I wouldn't go for the 50 if you've only been riding a short time. You will regret it. Go for the 20 and if you have to, do the 12. And take the bike with the skinny tires. Less rolling resistance!

By the way, we'll all be on mountan bikes with platform pedals. There will be all manner of bikes on the 12 and 20 mile routes, I'm sure. I'm really grateful that the bridge is a mile or two away from the start, so my knees will be warmed up by then.

Have you read anything about what the grade of the bridge is? I'd like to know. I have a 17% grade hill by my house that I only climb if I have to. (It's really short.) If the bridge approaches that (looks like it might), I want to know if I'll need more warm-up.

You know what my son says when we climb? "Climb for the prize, Mom!" The prize, of course, is the wonderful descent on the other side!

We also have a 3-hour drive from NW AR, so we're coming the night before and staying at the in-laws. I was thinking about wearing my Jenny Ewing Memorial t-shirt instead of a jersey. Maybe there will be others.

Karen

[Tuckervill]

I just got to thinking...if you only do the 20, there's only one rest stop. It's after the out-and-back before you cross the river. But, it won't be hot so a bottle in your cage and a refill and something to eat at the rest stop will do ya. We will be taking our Camelbaks, I imagine, but will have bottles in the cages since DH doesn't have a Camelbak.

Yes, look for me in my pink Jenny shirt. I'll be with a really tall guy (REALLY tall) perched on top of a Raliegh hybrid, and a kid on a yellow Trek 4300. My bike's blue. You can ride with us after your bro leaves you behind.

Karen

[Aggie_Ama]

I wanted to do this, but DH is not recovered enough from his hospital stay early this month. I wouldn't go for the 50 if you haven't been riding long or much. My first organized ride was 50, but it was flat and I was in the best shape of my life from running 5+ miles often. The 20 miles sounds like a good challenge if you usually ride 30-45 minutes on a hybrid and it will give you a good experience of the ride.

Everyone has given you wonderful advice. Here's mine:

1. Have fun!
2. Ride at the pace YOU feel comfortable at.
3. Stop for breaks if you get tired. And enjoy at least one rest stop, it is one of the unique things about an organized ride.
4. Take your own water and snacks. They will probably have plenty, but you don't want to rely on the rest stop.
5. HAVE FUN! And come back to tell us about it.

[Hub]

Well, I got the update from BBB yesterday- he freaking signed both of up for the 100! gulp He said it was the same price . . . so we can (I) can stop when I want! (I just want to complete the 20 mile & i'll be satisified! Paying the registration & getting a T-SHirt costs him $40 and totally counts as my b-day present- ( I'll be 43 next wed).
He said he has his Trek 5200 all tuned up for me- I have ridden it before - I misspoke about the Madone being available- that's his primary bike.

He has reconned the route (He makes it sound easy) and I'll be happy to e-mail or PM it to anyone who wants!

THanks for y'alls support- I'm sure I'll be asking a lot more little questions.
If it doesn't kill me I will definitely post details & I'll try to get Mom to get pics.

[Tuckervill]

http://www.dltmultisport.com/BigDamBridge100/index.htm

The start is in Burns Park by the soccer complex.

Karen

[PscyclePath]

http://www.dltmultisport.com/BigDamBridge100/index.htm

The start is in Burns Park by the soccer complex.

Karen:

The grade on the bridge is about 6%, for a little over a hundred yards on eith side of the approach. The Little Rock side for some reason looks a little steeper than the NLR side, but it's about the same, energy wise, as going over the Main Street bridge, but a lot more scenic.

As of today, the registration hit a thousand riders, so they aren't allowing any more to pre-register for the ride. We'll see how that goes come Sunday morning, but the BDB will be available to practice on after about 10 a.m. on Saturday morning.

The ride starts at 7:30 a.m. out by Soccer fields #13-17 in the Burns Park complex. This is the far western side of the fields, which they just built last year. We'll go about a mile and a quarter from here up to the NLR aproach to the BDB, over the river, and back down onto Riverfront drive in LR, by Murray Park. It'll be a controlled pace of around 8 to 10 mph until the back end of the pack clears the bridge, at which time everyone will be let loose to ride at their own pace.

Neither the 12 nor the 20-mile route is all that flat. Other than going over the bridge, you'll need to be able to climb a hill (~8-10%) on Cantrell coming up past Alltel and the Stephens Espicopal School, and a slight rise up Cross Street to Broadway. We'll be on the short climb end of the Broadway bridge, then a nice downhill into NLR and onto the RiverTrail proper. About a mile and a half of false flat & twisty little wooded trails around Big Rock, and another small climb out of there, around the Burns Park Golf Course, and back into the dog park/soccer area where we started. 12-milers can quit as soon as you get back to the start line, everybody else will peel right instead of left this time, and head for Cook's Landing, Crystal Hill Road, and on to Maumelle. 20 milers will turn around in what passes for downtown Maumelle, while the others head on up Maumelle Boulevard to Morgan, left on Highway 265 to Mayflower (and the 2nd rest stop). 50-milers turn around here and retrace your route back to Cook's Landing. For the rest of the folks (the 100-milers), it's about to get a little miserable. From Mayflower, the route heads north-northwest over and mostly around Round Mountain into Conway, and on into town to the University of Central Arkansas and Rest Stop # 3. Other then the encounter with Round Mountain, the road is gently rolling, with a mix of smooth asphalt and some chipseal. From UCA, we head east out of town and make a loop around Lake Conway over some rollers, then turn for moderate jog onto Fortson Road where there are some HILLS just about the time you really don't want to deal with them. Coming off Fortson Road is Rest Stop #4 (hosted by the terrors of the local bike paths, the Fast Girls/Slow Guys Cycling Team), and then over some rollers back into Mayflower. Stop to refresh yourself again at the Mayflower rest stop, and retrace your way back to Cook's Landing the same way we came up. If'n you don't clear the Mayflower rest stop homeward bound by 2:45 p.m., the Broom Wagon is gonna get you.

The official route is 98.9 miles. If you have this thing about an even hundred, an nice, quiet cool-down spin around the soccer fields will fix that problem to make it an even hundred.

The 12- and 20-mile routes are not too hard, and offer a lot of great scenery if you're new to the Little Rock/North Little Rock Trail system. Be aware that at least on most of the Little Rock side, and for a couple of stretches on the NLR side, you are riding on city streets, possibly with a bit of 4-wheeled traffic begrudging your presence there. Be careful.

Listen to your body and ride your own pace. I would agree with the comments that it's always best to ride the bike you're most used to and comfortable with. There are a number of places along the route where you can stop in and get a drink, or buy a Coke, other than the rest stops, which are spaced about 15 to 20 miles apart. Likewise, there are, umm... "facilities" along the Rivertrail and Maumelle sections of the route for those who don't care for the idea of the "au naturel" stops. Once you get past Maumelle, though, it's pretty much the bushes for these matters, unless you can make it to the next rest stop. 12-and 20-milers can probably make the loop with a bottle or a couple of bottles, if you're riding the 50- or the whole hundred, you definitely need to bring (and use) a Camelbak. Like I said, amenities out the other side of Maumelle get kind of scarce.

Hope to see y'all out there Sunday morning... look for Hub, and the guy with the "Old Guys Who Get Fat in Winter Cycling Team" jersey.

Alias BBB...

[Tuckervill]

Neither the 12 nor the 20-mile route is all that flat. Other than going over the bridge, you'll need to be able to climb a hill (~8-10%) on Cantrell coming up past Alltel and the Stephens Espicopal School, and a slight rise up Cross Street to Broadway. We'll be on the short climb end of the Broadway bridge, then a nice downhill into NLR and onto the RiverTrail proper. About a mile and a half of false flat & twisty little wooded trails around Big Rock, and another small climb out of there, around the Burns Park Golf Course, and back into the dog park/soccer area where we started.

Hey, I live (and ride) in NWA. Even the hilly parts of Little Rock are flat compared to here.

Thanks for the grade of the bridge. I was curious about it, because it comes so soon after the start, and my knees need a little warm-up before they start climbing. Should be able to handle it, but I'll take a spin around the soccer complex first, if it's not too crowded (bet it will be).

Is it true that the Little Rock side of the trail is not finished, yet? Have to ride down Rebsamen Park and Cantrell?

I wonder what the hold-up is. NLR seems to have it all together.

Good luck on that century. Maybe next year.
Karen

[Hub]

I didn't know that he was going to post, But that post just above is the real deal--major Tom-

[PscyclePath]

I didn't know that he was going to post, But that post just above is the real deal--major Tom-

You'd be surprised sometime what you come up with when you have a senior moment, forget the doggoned URL, and Google for "Big Dam Bridge"...

As for the two sides of the trail, there's a real big difference in the Little Rock side and the North Little Rock side. Save for a two-mile stretch of trail from the I-430 bridge, and a new strip of pavement alongside Murray Park, the Little Rock side of the Rivertrail runs on city streets, and once you leave Riverfront drive, it throws you out into the middle of Cantrell Road/LaHarpe Boulevard, and on the wrong side of the traffic lane, to boot, if'n you happen to be west-bound. I don't ride over there all that often save recently for one of the Sunday groups, and I tend to be pretty cautious when I do.

There's a whole different culture over in North Little Rock's city guv'mint, with a lot more emphasis on doing things differently. I'm sure y'all will notice the difference when we come across the Broadway bridge ;-) On both side, the route is gently rolling for the most part, and what climbs there are aren't bad, and are fairly short. Now when you get out on Fortson Road or the Batesville Pike, it will make our friends from northwest and north central Arkansas feel a lot more at home ;-)

Oddly enough, the Tour de Cure is running here on Saturday, but heading south and out into the Grand Prairies, where it's flat as a flitter for the whole route and the "climb" means going over a 5-foot levee ;-)

Apologies for the intrusion, and I'll pull off now...

TE

[Dogtown Rider]

I felt the need to clear up some of the Big Dam Bridge ride information offered above. First, the approaches to both ends of the bridge are 5% grades for a distance of 1500 feet. Second, the hill on Cantrell that is included in the BDB ride is a 5% grade for .14 miles, rising a whopping 37 feet from 263' to 300'. Third, the Little Rock bike route does indeed feed onto Cantrell, but it doesn't "throw.. you out into the middle of Cantrell Road/LaHarpe Boulevard, and on the wrong side of the traffic lane". Signs direct you to follow the sidewalk for a short distance until you can cross under the road(the BDB goes the opposite direction, #3 doesn't relate to this ride).
Come on up and enjoy the ride if you have already registered. Registration is now closed due to the great response. Be sure to visit the Fast Girls/ Slow Guys rest area at mile 65. You'll meet some great folks and I promise that you won't be terrorized.
DTR

[Hub]

Okay friends and neighbors- I may not have a chance to post agin before I go on my vrey first organizied ride. I'm really excited & lookng forward to it.
If I finish 20 miles without a trip to the ER I will be happy and satisified!!

Tuckerville- I'll be with Pscyclepath in his Old Guys Jersey & I expect to finally break the sacred Postal Jersey out of the garment bag- I have a red, white & blue helmet and will be riding a Postal 5200- I'll also be shaking in my
Bass Clogs!!

I hope to see you there!!!

[PscyclePath]

The Big Dam Bridge opened this morning with a ceremonial ride with the sponsors, BACA (Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas), the Arkansas Bicycle Club, and Central Arkansas Recreational Pedalers in the lead. a little less than 200 or so riders, I guess... Shortly afterward the 5K foot race put more than 1500 runners over, and that was a pretty awesome sight as well.

Pictures, did someone say? try:

http://tinyurl.com/eutqc

(Big thanks to Bryan, since I rode off & left my camera back in the truck)

The literature and our friends from Dogtown sez a 5% slope, but iy was a pretty easy ride over and back even in larger-than-middle-sized gear. And the view from up there... simply awesome.

Hope to see y'all somewheres along the trail...

TE