17th Annual DAM J.A.M. Set to Ride Again in Pryor

PRYOR, OK. July 28, 2008 - This September more than 600 bicyclists from Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Texas will arrive at Whitaker Park in Pryor, OK to take part in the 17th Annual DAM J.A.M Bicycle Tour.

The DAM J.A.M. route is designed to show off Northeastern Oklahoma’s lake country. The ride begins and ends in Whitaker Park. It passes Lake Hudson and Chimney Rock Lake, continuing through Salina and Spavinaw state park and dam. Then on to the rolling hills of Indian Springs Road, Old Strang Bridge and the scenic Waterline Road. The most enthusiastic riders will take the century tour east, adding Lake Eucha.

The ride isn’t without breaks. Area businesses and associations operate rest stops that are strategically placed along the routes. At the rest stops, bicyclists can enjoy free water, sport drinks, snacks and camaraderie. DAM J.A.M. ‘08 will continue the tradition begun in 1999 – "friendly" competition among rest stop sponsors. The rest stops voted to be most imaginative wins the honor of housing a traveling trophy for the upcoming year.

"We are very, very proud to sponsor this annual event. It is one of the best ways we have to show off Northeast Oklahoma," Barbara Hawkins, president of DAM J.A.M.’s sponsoring organization, the Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce, said.

"DAM J.A.M. showcases both our spectacular scenery and our wonderful people," continued Hawkins. "We have gained the reputation of taking excellent care of our riders. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our volunteers – to the groups that staff rest stops and to the people who spend the day driving the route with vehicles to pick up tired or injured cyclists, or help repair a flat or slipped chain."

There are rides for every level of riding expertise – from the 25-mile relatively flat tour to the 100-mile tour that meanders through the Ozark foothills.

Many people do not know that Pryor is less than 50 miles from more than 2,500 miles of shoreline. That’s more shoreline than the entire eastern seaboard of our country and DAM J.A.M. is a great way to experience it.

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