The Tour de Bluff bicycling event, now honoring Tony Carruth, was held Saturday and, as always, was another hit.
People came from miles away to take part in the annual event, with visitors remarking on how the terrain differs from that of other parts of Arkansas and how striking all the farmland and crops are that make up the scenery along the way.
“That was so hilly,” said Sha Moody, a court reporter, referring to bike routes in the Bentonville area, “and this is so flat.”
“You love the terrain as far as the flats without wind,” said Joe Klingbeil of Little Rock, who, with his wife Ruth, rode a tandem bike. “But also just the farmland with the soybeans, cotton and corn. It just gives it really a neat feel and keeps the traffic down, which is always part of it. Roads are really good, and that’s what we look for. …We’re in our mid-60s and still riding.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Good for the Klingbeils. Keep it up!
There were short versions of the morning ride, including a Mayor’s Mile, and some longer versions, such as a 50-mile journey into and around Altheimer, and a 63-miler that went to Wabbaseka and back. There was even a gravel ride that went out by the Railroad Museum.
As Mayor Shirley Washington noted, there were a record 145 riders signed up, but there maybe should have been better representation from Pine Bluff.
“We want more riders but more community interaction,” she said. “People come into the event from all over.”
The event is also aptly named in memory of Carruth. Years ago, on any given Saturday or really, any day of the week, he could be seen out riding by himself or with small or large groups of enthusiasts. The bikes he rode were not something that rolled out of a showroom, because in his fix-it shop adjacent to his house, he would add and subtract from his bikes as only an accomplished bicycle mechanic could do. And while on those bike rides, he was quick to point out to novices, politely, the dangers of riding on public roads, ticking off run-ins cyclists had had with vehicles, some of which ended tragically.
Carruth lived with his mother in a big, rambling house in a rural area of White Hall. On a summer night in 2017, the house caught fire, killing both inhabitants. His smile and friendly demeanor, as well as his cycling knowledge, are all missed. Good that we are all reminded of him at least once a year when the Tour de Bluff cranks up.