Big Dam Bridge

[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!!!