(2008-10-05) RIDE FOR REIKES
RESCHEDULED

Unfortunately, due to the extreme weather conditions on Saturday, we had to postpone the "Ride For Reikes". The good news is that the ride WILL HAPPEN !! Right now, the word is that it will happen by Tuesday of this week.

Please stay tuned for more details...

(2008-10-02) MTB NEWS UPDATES

Some MTB news updates have been placed on the MTB Page-  MTB PAGE Here  

(2008-09-23) 2nd Annual "Ride For Reikes"
EVENT INFORMATION

On October 4th 2008, the 2nd annual "Ride For Reikes" will take place. As with last years event, this ride will celebrate and remember our friend, Dan Reikes. Dan was a huge advocate for making the roads of Fort Smith safer and more friendly for all cyclists.

This years event will travel a total of 18 miles on all the new Bike Routes within Fort Smith. This ride will be open to everyone of all ages. All you need to attend is a bike, a helmet and a bottle of water. We will have a support vehicle following along behind the ride - so no one will get left behind.

If possible, please contact Scott Chapman @ Scotts Bike Shop to make your reservation or get more information about the event. Scotts information is on the Official Event Flyer, which can he found HERE (CLICK)

(2008-09-05) HARBER MEADOWS PHOTOS

HARBER MEADOWS CRITERIUM  Photos - CLICK HERE

(2008-09-03) NEED A RIDE TO HARBER MEADOWS ?
MAKE YOUR RESERVATION FOR THE TEAM VAN BY FRIDAY

For your convenience, we have set up a special page on this site to take your seat reservations for the Team Van. You must make your reservation ASAP... Friday Noon is the cut off.

Make your online reservation HERE

(2008-09-01) MT.GAYLOR TT INFO

The Mt. Gaylor TT that usually occurs this coming weekend, will NOT be taking place. The event was run back in the Spring of this year.  Harber Meadows will take place as normal- MORE INFO HERE

(2008-08-27) HHH PHOTOS & VIDEOS

Congratulations to all of our club members who turned out in great numbers last weekend for the HHH 100 in Wichita Falls, TX.

Check out the  VIDEO SECTION  for some HHH 100 Video Clips !!!

HHH 100 Photos - CLICK HERE

(2008-08-26) SERVER UPGRADE COMPLETE

Server Upgrade Has Been Completed. If you notice any issues, please us the Contact Us form to send us details. Thanks for your patience

(2008-08-26) HHH VIDEOS ADDED TO VIDEO PLAYER

We have just added a number of videos from HHH 100 from last weekend. Check them out on the VIDEO PAGE

(2008-08-21) HOTTEN'N HELLTHIS WEEKEND

Just a reminder that our annual pilgrimage to Hell is this coming weekend. Yes, the Hotter'n Hell 100 takes place on Saturday in Wichita Falls TX. This year, we will have a van load of willing victims (we mean, participants) travelling down on Friday evening. We wish them all the best of luck and we hope you come back a live.

More event information can be found here - HHH100 WEBSITE

 Here's a list of victims for this weekend...

• Carl Norris

• Sharon Norris

• Randy McIntosh

• Hector Mendoza

• Roger Cravey

• Rose Heller

• Janet Gilker

• Roslyn Grimsley

• Eric Karlsson

• Ken Cox

• Jimmy Jones

• Brent Freuh

• Louis Jacks

• Clark Nally

• Scott Chapman

• Chris Linam

• Jim Brown

• Mike Marcum

• Andrew Marcum

• John Kareus

• Kate Kareus

• Bobby Pearce

• Crystal Mahoney

(2008-08-15) RIDERS NEEDED TO MEET AND RIDE
WITH ONE OF OUR MAJOR SPONSORS

The Club is looking for cyclists who can show up for a 'Sponsor' ride and photo op next week.

On Monday, August 18th, a representative from Snapple (one of Mercy Cycling's major contributors) will be town to meet with us. The rep will be at Mercy Fitness Center on Monday for a ride that will leave the MFC parking lot @ 3:00 p.m. It will just be a quick ride out to Fort Chaffee and back.

Please come out and show your support for this sponsor, since we all would like Snapple's support and the chance to enjoy their product next year! Also, please feel free to invite all your cycling friends that you may see or talk to over the weekend!

(2008-08-14) OUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
AS CYCLISTS ON THE ROAD

Some recent bicycle/automobile 'encounters' in Fort Smith have raised lots of questions about what rights, if any, cyclists have when riding on roads in Arkansas.

One such incident occurred very recently and resulted in a written complaint to the police department. Below is the response from the Fort Smith PD ...

"Thanks for your comments. While many bicyclists do use the Massard bike path, they are not required by law to use it. Arkansas Statute allows bicycles to travel on any roadway in the state except controlled access highways. This same set of statutes requires drivers to pass bicyclists with a minimum of three feet of space, requires bicyclists to obey all traffic rules and guarantees bicyclists the same rights-of-way as all other traffic.

The bike paths allow bicyclists to travel through heavier traffic corridors while leaving a margin of safety between bicycles and automobiles. They are a great addition to any city since cities that have developed bike paths also stand to receive more federal highway funding for automobile projects. This is due to the federal government's push for cities to develop fuel saving alternate means of transportation.

Due to the varied pace of individual bicyclists, large groups have a hard time using bike paths as they allow no means to pull ahead or drop back in the group. I will contact bicyclists at Mercy Fitness with your safety concerns but cannot require them to use the bike path"

Capt. David Overton
Fort Smith Police
Patrol Operations

This recent communication between the Fort Smith PD and a concerned citizen is comforting for us cyclists. Any time we have State Statutes in our favor, it's a good thing. In this case, we were within our rights to be on the road contrary to the beliefs of some citizens.

However, even though we have a right to be on the same roads as automobiles, we still have a duty to obey all traffic laws - stopping at all stop signs, keeping no more than 2 abreast and keeping as far in to the right had side as we possibly can. If we don't play our part in obeying the laws, we may lose our rights as Arkansas cyclists - something we never want to see happen .

(2008-08-12) SPECIAL CLOTHING ORDER
ORDER ONLINE - ORDER BY FRIDAY

Last day for ordering you One-Off White Mercy Kit is this coming Friday - August 15th 2008.

For your convenience, we have set up a special page on this site to take your orders. Orders must be submitted by Friday. Also, when ordering via the website, please don't forget to get your payment to us by Friday Too. We will not be able to place your order without Full Payment in Advance.

Order Your 2008 Special Edition Clothing HERE

(2008-08-12) CLUB MEETING

Team meeting / August 12 / 7:00 p.m. / Mercy Fitness Center

Event Information and Planning for...

Hotter 'N Hell
Dam Bridge Ride
Tour de Cure
HarBer Meadows Crit

****Special Order*****
Team White kit
Place your order for this one time unique team kit!!!!!!!!!!

Lot's of GREAT giveaways/drawing from our sponsors

3 Pairs, YES, 3 pairs of Maxxis Re-Fuse Training tires!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gu Gift Packs
T-shirts, socks, and water bottles

Rudy Project Helmet

Snapple

Over $200.00 in merchandise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(2008-08-04) SPECIAL CLOTHING ORDER
SPECIAL ONE OFF DESIGN - ORDER ASAP

By special request - Mercy Cycling Team, in conjunction with Louis Garneau, will be producing  a one time limited edition White Team Kit. 

The kit will comprise of a 1 x Jersey;  1 x Bib Shorts and 1 pair x Gloves.  This purchase must be made as a Full Kit. Individual items are not available for order.

The total cost for the kit (all three items) is $155.00. 

Don't miss out on this one-off special opportunity. 

Contact Hector Mendoza before August 12th to place your order.

(2008-07-28) QUEEN CITY CRITERIUMS

Another great turn out of members this past weekend, this time for the Queen City Criteriums in Springfield MO. Here a quick list of everyone who took part ...

MEN PRO 1/2

• Carl Sundquist
• Bill Marshall (8th Sunday)
• Scott Barnes (5th Sunday)

WOMEN OPEN

• Jennifer Herrel (4th Saturday, 2nd Sunday)
• Pam Hinton (5th Sunday)
• Michelle Jensen (3rd Saturday, 3rd Sunday)

MEN CAT 3

• Reynolds Shaffer (1st Junior on Sunday)
• Chris Moore (1st Junior Saturday / 11th Cat 3 Sunday)

MEN CAT 4

• Brent Freuh (11th Saturday, 6th Sunday)
• Eric Karlsson (12th Sunday)
• Paul Geoly (20th Sunday)
• Hector Mendoza (9th Sunday)

MEN MASTERS EVENT

• Bud Hogan
• Carl Sundquist

(2008-07-28) CLUB MEETING

Just announced... Club Meeting - Mercy Fitness Center - August 12 - 7pm

Lots of giveaways as usual.

Main Topic Of Discussion : Hotter N Hell

(2008-07-28) HOTTER N HELL INFO

The Hotter N Hell event is rapidly approaching. At this stage, the club has a limited number of rooms available for Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23 and will make these available on a first come, first served basis. If interested please send an email to the email address listed below in order to add your name to the list. Also, there are a limited number of seats on the Mercy Team Van as well which need to be reserved. It will leave for Wichita Falls on Friday morning and return Sunday afternoon. CLICK HERE FOR HHH INFORMATION

Email your reservations ASAP to this email address ...

(2008-07-26) ARKANSAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Lance Hughey & Justin Jackson At The Recent
AR State Criterium Championships in Conway AR.

(2008-07-23) ARKANSAS STATE CRIT CHAMPIONSHIPS

What a great Mercy turn out for the Arkansas State Criterium Championships in Conway last weekend. In total, 13 riders made the trip East for the event. At the end of the day, Mercy came home with 3 State Championship Jerseys, 2 Silver medals and 1 Bronze. Great Job Everyone !!!

GOLD & 2008 STATE CHAMPIONS FOR MERCY

• Men Cat 1,2 / Carl Sundquist
• Master Men 30-34 / Scott Barnes
• Junior Women 10-18 / Robyn Netherland

SILVER

• Men Cat 1,2 / Scott Barnes
• Women Cat 3 / Roslyn Grimsley

BRONZE

• Men Cat 1,2 / Zachary Martin

Well done to the rest of the team that participated...

• Men Cat 3 / Reynolds Schaffer &  Chris Moore
• Men Cat 1,2 / Justin Jackson & Lance Hughey
• Men Cat 4 / Hector Mendoza,  Paul Geoly &  Eric Karlsson

Full results from the 2008 State Criterium Championships can be found HERE (CLICK For PDF)

(2008-07-07) ARKANSAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Dont Forget....

2008 ARKANSAS STATE CRITS ON JULY 19TH. INFO HERE (CLICK)

2008 ARKANSAS STATE ROAD RACE ON AUGUST 3RD. INFO HERE (CLICK)

(2008-07-16) TORNADO ALLEY 110

Several Mercy Cycling Club members participated in the Tornado Alley 110 in Joplin, MO on July 12 - a very well organized event. This hilly route included the 4 state area - MO, AR, OK, and KS - with plenty of Storm Shelters (break stations) and SAG support. Our very own Tom and Linda Waters provided mechanical and SAG support.

RIDERS:
Sharon Norris; Andrew Standley; Tom Daniels; Chuck Stengel; Carl Norris; Bobby Pierce; Louis Jacks; Andrew Marcum; Jim Brown; Christel Mahoney; Mike Marcum; Donna Marcum and
Suzanne Clayton

Special congratulations to:

• Mike, Donna and Christel who rode their first organized century - great achievement!

• Tom, Andrew S, Chuck, Jim, Louis, Andrew M and Suzanne who completed the optional "Incredible Hill Loop".

(2008-07-12) NEW LOCAL CRIT SERIES

A new Criterium series will be starting up shortly. Beginning on July 15th and continuing for the following three weeks, the "One Hot Night" crit series will occur. The event is a joint promotion between Mercy Cycling Team, Tyson Racing Team and the Dickson Street Cycling Club. The venue will be in Fayetteville AR.

For more information, please check out the event flyer HERE (CLICK)

The team will also be organizing free transportation to the event in the team van!!! The number of seats in the van is limited, so let us know ASAP if you need us to reserve a spot for you. Contact Chris Foster, Hector Mendoza or just send an email to the team email address (listed to the right of this page).

(2008-07-08) ARKANSAS STATE CRITERIUM
(Flyer Updated 7/11)

Just published - Official flyer for the 2008 Arkansas State Criterium Championships. To be held on July 19th in Conway, AR. 

For more information, please check out the event flyer HERE (CLICK)

(2008-07-08) TULSA CRIT RESULTS

Results from Tulsa.

“B” RACE
Kyle Freeman 1
Brent Frueh 2
Darren Fritz 3
Eric Karlsson 4
Dale ondloch 5
Greg Saunders 6
Bob LeMaster 7
James Hiatt 8
Paul Miller 9
RRichard Gulotta 10
Milus Clarke 11
Hector Mendoza 12
Frank Wilborn 13
Tyrone Nichols 14
Reynolds Shaffer 999

“C” RACE
Kyle Brady 1 r>Joe Lederer 2
Michael Sokul 3
Gary Wilson 4
Lise Olivier 5
KeKendall Johnson 6
Roslyn Grimsly 7
Christa Voss 8 r>Ivan Rodriques 9
Cameron Miller 10
Amy Bales 11
Christy Zenthoefer 12

(2008-07-03) 4TH OF JULY RIDE

4TH OF JULY ride on Friday !! Departing at 8am from Cisterna Plaza on HWY72 on the South side of town. It will be 65 miles. Route includes Wicherville, Dayton, Mansfield, Hartford, Hacket. Everyone is welcome.

(2008-07-03) TULSA TRAINING SERIES RESULTS

Congratulations to Mercy riders, Reynolds Shaffer and Brent Freuh, for taking 1st and 2nd at last weeks Tulsa Crit Series. Having almost lapped the field in the 'B' event, it was left to the two Mercy boys to fight out the sprint with young Reynolds taking it at the line.

Also, another of our up and coming young riders, Carl Sundquist, took the overall win in the super competitive 'A' event.

Great riding everyone !!

B Race

• 1st Reynolds Shaffer Mercy/Tulsa

• 2nd Brent Freuh Mercy/Ft. Smith

A Race

• 1st Carl Sundquist Mercy/Ft. Smith

(2008-07-03) JULY CLUB RIDES POSTED

The CLUB ride calendar has been updated with our list of planned JULY rides. Check out the calendar link at the top of the page. You can also see the official ride document HERE

(2008-07-02) SPRINGHILL PARK PREPARATIONS

Please check out the MTB Section for special information about Springhill Park trail preparations prior to the Springhill MTB Race on 8/3/2008. CLICK

(2008-07-02) BICYCLE TOUR OF COLORADO
440403 Miles; 7 Days; Elevation Gain; Too Much To Count

Several riders completed the Bicycle Tour of Colorado (CLICK) last week in Colorado. I am sure we'll have a full report to hand shortly. But for now, here are some pictures we managed to get our hands on.

(2008-06-25) JIM CORCORAN WINS BIG IN LITTLE ROCK

Congratulations to Mercy club rider, Jim Corcoran  from Beebe AR, after taking the overall win at the 6 week Summer Crit Series in Little Rock.

Jim competed in the extremely competitive Mens Open event. Jim won decisively with a huge 28 point margin going into the final race. Well done Jim !!

Overall GC Results can be found HERE

(2008-06-23) MERCY RIDER SPOTTED AT LOCAL TRI EVENT

Congratulations to Mercy club rider, Chris Foster from Fort Smith, on getting 5th at the Ozark Valley Triathlon last weekend.

Chris was participating in the 40-44 age group and managed to record the fastest time on the bike sector in that group.

Well done Chris !!

(2008-06-22) BICYCLE TOUR OF COLORADO

Last weekend they rode across Arkansas; this whole week they are riding around Colorado. Yes, it's that time of the year when the whole team heads to Colorado for the annual Bicycle Tour of Colorado (click).

This years event is based around the far Southwest corner of Colorado - Starting and finishing in Durango. Cities being visited this year include Durango, Ouray, Montrose, Telluride, Naturita and Cortez.

We will be keeping everyone posted with updates when and if we receive them from that remote corner of Colorado. Stay Tuned...

(2008-06-22) RIDE ACROSS ARKANSAS - RIDE REPORT
300 Miles - 3 Days - No Problem

Several riders completed the Ride Across Arkansas last weekend. Riders were of all different calibers, which made for great camaraderie .r>br>Day 1 - Fort Smith to Morrilton - 107-110 miles depending on what Hwy 9 you took. We enjoyed the company of several other riders that started the tour with us Saturday morning. Stopped for lunch at a great little restaurant at the New Blaine Trading Post Mini Mall, who would have thought.

Day 2 - Morrilton to Hazen - about 104 miles. This ride covered quite an amazing change in terrain - from the more challenging hills of the ride on Hwy 10, to NO hills after Little Rock. The ride to Maumelle was somewhat hilly and very scenic. Little Rock was a little busy, and then to Hazen where the roads were flat but pretty rough. With the rough roads and the warm sun we were getting pretty fatigued at the end of the day. After a little rest and a swim, we enjoyed an excellent dinner of chicken, seafood and bread pudding at Murry's Restaurant. Check this restaurant out if your in the area.

Day 3 - The Big Finale - Hazen to West Helena and across the river. This was all flat land with excellent roads. At the sight of the bridge, everyone's energy level went up a couple of notches. Before heading home we stopped for some home cooking at Janet's Restaurant in Helena...this town has some interesting local people.

We were blessed with excellent weather - plenty of sunshine and a little breeze each day - which we were especially thankful for after hearing about the storms that came through the Fort Smith area.

Thanks to Mercy Cycling Team and Champion Cycling for your support - we had a GREAT time!

(2008-06-08) RIDE ACROSS ARKANSAS

We are resurrecting a ride from years gone by!!! June 14, 15 and 16. Sat thru Mon, The Ride Across Arkansas.

In the late 90’s, the club did a Ride Across AR. It’s starts in FS and ends in Helena. 300 miles, 3 days! No problem!

The Mercy Van will accompany riders but this is a self supported ride. No registration fee but bring money. Over night stay in Morrilton and Hazen. Rooms have been blocked off. We’ll stop at convenience stores, etc for breaks, hit Subway Sandwich, or fast food for lunch. Try to find a nice place for dinner, if possible in Hazen and Morrilton. When we get to Helena on Monday, we’ll load up in the van and come back to Fort Smith.

This will be at tour pace. Lots of breaks. If you want to ride fast, that’s ok too but it is not a race, nor a contest to see who gets to scenic Morrilton, Hazen, and Helena first.

The van holds 12. We have a driver, First ones on the list get the van seats. If more than 12 go, we’ll have to have another vehicle and driver. Email me at carl@championcycling.com or carl@rogers-industrial.com to get on the list.

You must be a Mercy Cycling Club member to enjoy the fruits of a free ride back from Helena. $30 memberships are still available.

Time to ride across the state one more time!

(2008-06-08) SHAFFER WINS OK STATE RR CHAMPS

Mercy Cycling Team now has another State Champion !!! This past weekend, up and coming rider, Reynolds Shaffer from Tulsa, won the Oklahoma State Road Race Championships in the 17-18 age category!!! Congratulations Reynolds !!!

This follows just one week after excellent results in the Tulsa Tough event, when Reynolds picked up a fine 7th in the Junior Open event.

Team mate, Chris Moore from Tahlequah, also rode extremely well at the State Champs in OK.  Chris rode in the very competitive CAT 4 event and held on for a fine 9th place and top placed Mercy rider on the day.

Great job Chris and Reynolds !!

(2008-05-30) ARKANSAS STATE TIME TRIALS

The 2008 Arkansas State Time Trials are just around the corner - JUNE 15TH near Little Rock, AR.

For More information... check out the OFFICIAL EVENT FLYER

(2008-05-23) THIS WEEKEND - PARTY TIME

What a fantastic group of volunteers we have in our club. Would we like to say a Big THANK YOU to everyone who helped out with our huge undertaking last week - the TOUR OF ARKANSAS. Without your time and help, we could not have pulled off such a huge success.

As a Thank You, we would like to invite all Tour of Arkansas volunteers to a pool party this coming Sunday. All that we ask is that you bring one side dish for everyone to share. Also, BYOB if possible.

Party Location: Joe and Janet Gilkers, 9013 Canterberry Cove, Fort Smith
When : Sunday May 25 4:30 p.m.

See You There !!!

(2008-05-22) ALSO THIS WEEKEND - MINI-TRI-PEAKS

ARCHIVED CLUB NEWS ARTICLES

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