LITTLE ROCK — The Big Dam Bridge will close to the public from 6 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. Saturday for the annual Big Dam Bridge 100. About a mile to the west, the Two Rivers Park Bridge will also close to accommodate the state’s largest bicycle tour.
LaHarpe Boulevard in downtown Little Rock also will be closed early in the morning, and Main Street in downtown North Little Rock will be closed for most of the day.
This event grows bigger every year. Promoter Fred Phillips of Arkadelphia decided last year to let BDB 100 registrations exceed his announced enrollment cap, and when the last-minute rush Friday night had come and gone, 2,350 people were signed up to ride in one of the next day’s groups.
Last week, Phillips said registrations were already approaching 2,000, and he expected to enroll more than 2,500 riders.
“The published cap is 2,500,” he said. “However, I’m going to let it roll.”
Even if that many register, there won’t be 2,500 bicycles going 100 miles. Besides the marquee distance, the BDB 100 also includes options for 15, 25, 50 and 62 miles.
Note that this event doesn’t accept last-minute registrations. You have to sign up by Friday.
The organizers also discourage late packet pickups.
Online registration is available for $49.49 ($35 for the 15-miler) until 8 p.m. Wednesday through thebigdambridge100.
com.
On-site registration will cost $54 ($39 for the 15-miler). Packet pickup and an expo will once again be at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, 2 Riverfront Park Drive, North Little Rock, from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday and noon to 8 p.m. Friday.
Out-of-towners who can’t pick up packets before Saturday will have until 6:15 a.m. if they’re doing the 100-miler, 6:45 for the middle-distance rides and 7 a.m.
for the two shortest courses.
WAVE UPON WAVE
All the riders will begin their adventure Saturday on LaHarpe Boulevard in Little Rock, at Chester Street.
The 50- and 62-milers have new routes this year, with the 50-mile course avoiding hills and the 62-miler making a point of crossing a big and twisty one, Wye Mountain in western Pulaski County. The 100-milers will also cross Wye Mountain, but they should know to expect hills.
Participants in each distance will set out together, but everyone will not set out at the same time.
The 100-milers will go first, at 7 a.m., followed 30 minutes later by the 50- and 62-milers, and the two short distance groups will head out at 8 a.m.
This means that riders will get in line earlier, and where they start lining up varies with their distance. The 100-milers will line up at 6 a.m. east of Chester Street but the 50- and 62-milers will begin their staging at 6:45 a.m. behind the Doubletree Hotel and move up to the start after the long riders have left. And then the 15- and 25-milers will stage at 7:30 and roll forward to Chester Street at 7:45.
Helmets are required; although there will be medical aid, sag support and law enforcement on the courses, riders are urged to carry cell phones and copies of the turn-by-turn directions.
Course maps and directions are at the website.
The finish area will close at 4:30 p.m., accommodating 100-milers who manage at least a 10.6 mph pace. So there are cut-off times out on the course:
Riders must pass Two Rivers Park’s aid station by 3:30 p.m. or ride a shuttle to the finish line.
Riders must clear Burns Park’s aid station by 4 p.m. or ride the shuttle.
AFTER PARTY
Downtown North Little Rock will once again host a block party with free snacks and drinks for riders, secure bike parking, a place to hose yourself down and a changing tent. Massages will be available.
Restaurants will be open, and so adults who want to buy beer should bring their IDs.
ActiveStyle, Pages 25 on 09/24/2012