Correction: The Tour de Toad bicycle ride begins at 8 a.m. Sunday at Conway High School West. This article stated the wrong day.
Bicycle riders take to the streets in May with events and contests to encourage Arkansans to pedal more.
CONWAY
The Conway Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board and The Ride bike shop invite cyclists to participate in the national Commuter Challenge sponsored by Kimberly Clark and the League of American Bicyclists. This contest to see who can log the most miles in your area begins Wednesday and doesn’t end until Sept. 30.
To join, you would register at nationalbikechallenge.org, for free. Then every time you got on your bike - for fun or transportation - would add to your chance of winning prizes. You’d record your miles using either a smart-phone application or a program on your computer. Miles pedaled on a stationary bike or trainer would not count.
Conway Advocates for Bicycling also has these events listed at cycleconway.com:
Tour de Toad, 8 a.m. Saturday at Conway High School West, noncompetitive group rides of 25 or 46 miles for $40, a fundraiser for Literacy Action of Central Arkansas. Details are at active.com (search for “tour de toad”). More information is at (501) 372-7323.
Public forum from 5 to 7 p.m. May 7 in the Conway High School East cafeteria, at which the Conway Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board will seek public comments on walking, biking and trail development.
Bike to School Day is a national observance May 8; the group suggests parents encourage children to bike to school.
CAB Ride After Dark at 8 p.m. May 11, a leisurely ride around Conway beginning in Simon Park next to City Hall; bikes should have front and rear lights, and helmets are required.
One-dollar discount at Green Cart Deli in Simon Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 13, for riding a bike to lunch.
Bike to Work breakfast from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. May 17, group ride led by Conway Advocates for Bicycling from the western Conway Wal-Mart to Simon Park.
The Amazing Ride, 1 to 4 p.m. May 18 in Simon Park, $20 per person, helmet required; riders will form teams of six to 10 people and pedal about 20 miles around town delivering things and collecting new assignments. Proceeds will support area charities. Moreinformation is at cycleconway.com/organizedrides and via e-mail from Todd Ake at [email protected].
Conway Advocates for Bicycling community ride, 2 p.m. May 26; all ages and skill levels are invited to a group ride beginning in Simon Park.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Metroplan, Ozone Action Days and Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas are throwing in together for Ditch the Keys Week, May 13-17.
People can participate by biking to work (with group rides called “convoys” May 17), walking to work or taking the bus. Rewards include a button that says “I Ditched the Keys.”
But first: At 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Bobby’s Bike Hike and the Little Rock River Market will conduct Bike Bash Dash!, a bicycle scavenger hunt for teams of two to six riders. Entry costs $10 for a team; or come on your own, pay $5 per person and be assigned to a team.
Given a map of the area and clues to 25 to 35 checkpoints and a time limit, teams will explore downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock. Participants need a bicycle (they can be rented for $10, a discount from Bobby’s usual fee). Each team will plan its own attack on the checkpoints, in any order. They’ll answer questions about each checkpoint on a scorecard (provide your own pencil or pen). Teams must stay together at all times.
Ribbons and prizes will be given to those with the highest team scores in different categories.
But wait, there’s more. From 1 to 4 p.m., there will be bicycle vendors in the River Market with a bike-washing booth, a maintenance class at 3 p.m., a stretching program at 3:30 and a fun ride at 4.
More information is at bobbysbikehike.com and (501) 613-7001.
Back to the key-ditching week events:
Cyclofemme, a women’s group ride in support of getting more women to bike, will begin at 2 p.m. May 12 near the restrooms at Two Rivers Park. All paces are invited to pedal together about an hour, then hang out and chat. There’s a pledge you could sign (that you will encourage women to ride bikes) posted at ArkansasOutside.com and organizer Lisa Mullis has a Facebook events page where you can RSVP at facebook.com/AROutside.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May13, Central Arkansas Transit Authority will park a bus at the Little Rock River Market to help people figure out bus routes they could take to get around town.
The Ride of Silence, 7 p.m. May 15, is a procession to remember bicyclists killed in traffic over the years. Co-sponsored by the advocacy group and the Arkansas Bicycle Club, this year’s funereal bike parade will begin at the Central Arkansas Library System’s new Children’s Library & Learning Center, 4800 W. 10th St., in Little Rock and head east on Twelfth Street, ending at the Arkansas Capitol steps. Lights and helmets will be needed.
More information is on the ride schedule at arkansasbicycleclub.org or you could call (501) 912-1449.
The Clinton School of Public Service will sponsor a public forum at noon May 16 in Sturgis Hall, 1200 President Clinton Ave.; panelists will offer tips on biking as a way of life and lead a discussion about the future of cycling in the area. More information is at (501) 683-5200.
Bike to Work Day will be May 17, and the groups are planning a whole bunch of separate group rides staged from places around the area.Details had not been posted at press time, but organizer Judy Lansky says to look for them at facebook.com/Ditch-TheKeys this week. Active-Style will have more information May 6.
NORTHWEST
In Northwest Arkansas, Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks will hold its annual Bicycle Commuter Challenge on May 12-18. This free contest, open to all workplaces of two or more employees in Washington and Benton counties, allows companies to announce their intention to support bicycle commuting and then gain glory and gift baskets by reporting how many of their workers follow through.
Every day, a team captain in each workplace will report total bicycle commuters and the number of employees scheduled to work. Each night, an e-mail alert will advise team captains where they stand. The company with the greatest average percentage of total employees commuting the most days wins. Winners will be announced May 20.
Bike Bentonville also posts events in the Northwest area at its website bikebentonville.com and at facebook.com/bikebentonville.
ActiveStyle, Pages 24 on 04/29/2013