So you’re telling us…
Springdale is going to play host to the 2018 Red Bull Pump Track World Championship Final
Will.i.am was seen cruising the streets of Northwest Arkansas on a bike
Bentonville was recognized as the key to mountain biking’s future
Rogers was named a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists
brand new downhill mountain biking trail will open at Lake Leatherwood in Eureka Springs in less than a week
Red Bull Pump Track Championship
This week, the Jones Center hosted a ground-breaking ceremony for the “The Runway”, a new 2.75-acre Mountain Bike Skills Park in Springdale. At the ceremony, Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse announced that the 2018 Red Bull Pump Track World Championship Final will take place at the new park on October 13th. The Velosolutions Pump Track at The Runway Skills Park will be the USA’s newest and largest pump track. The track is designed to offer cyclists of all skill levels – beginner, intermediate and experienced – access to a park where they can improve their skills. The park is projected to open to the public in September, and once complete, it will create a platform for people of all ages to learn bike handling skills and develop the confidence to then explore the hundreds of miles of mountain bike trails waiting for them across the Ozarks.
And in case your wondering
this is a pump track
Will.i.am
Will.i.am, an American musician and actor, best known as a founding member of the hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas, joined John Furner, CEO of Sam’s Club for the first episode of Business on Bikes. Riding through the streets of Bentonville, Will.i.am shares stories about signing his first record deal, how he’s using his success to better the world, and some wildly funny stories about his mom. Business on Bikes is an ongoing series where John interviews entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and more while riding through the streets of Northwest Arkansas.
““This newfound mountain bike mecca, tucked away in the Ozark Mountains in Northwest Arkansas, or NWA as the locals call it (take that as you will), maybe the next destination American mountain bike town. During a full week of riding in January, a handful of friends and I were treated to everything the area had to offer. Trails, museums, food, more trails, and did I mention trails? All jokes aside, this small corner of America may hold the key to mountain biking’s future.” ”
Source: Teton Gravity Research
Mountain Bike Mecca
Teton Gravity Research, a leading publication for action sports content, published beautiful piece this week entitled “Playgrounds: Is Bentonville, Arkansas the next great MTB town?”. See below for a quick excerpt and a link to the full article.
New Bicycle Friendly Community
Congratulations to Rogers for receiving recognition for being a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists! Since the creation of the Bicycle Friendly Community program in 1995 there have been over 1500 community applications processed by League staff. With the addition of Rogers, there are currently 450 recognized Bicycle Friendly Communities and over 100 Honorable Mention communities. The Bicycle Friendly Community program provides a roadmap to improving conditions for bicycling and guidance to help make your community’s vision for a better, bikeable community a reality.
”If we're are going to the type of Northwest Arkansas that attracts and retains the talent that we want to be our neighbors, coworkers, and friends, we've got to invest in quality of life, and quality of life trends in the nation are surrounding bikes.
MAYOR GREG HINES
New MTB Trail
As reported by Arkansas Outside, the newest downhill mountain biking trails at Lake Leatherwood in Eureka Springs will officially open June 14, at 10:00 AM with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project was supported by the Walton Family Foundation and designed by renowned trail designer Aaron Rodgers and his crew with Rock Solid Trails out of Michigan. Rock Solid is known for their amazing gravity riding creations across the country, as well as low impact projects. Lake Leatherwood is uniquely suited for a gravity-driven course and this is sure to make Eureka Springs a top destination for mountain bikers.
Thank You
We have to give a special shoutout to BikeNWA, who keeps us in the loop on all the latest news related to biking in Northwest Arkansas. Later this summer, BikeNWA will incubate advocacy committees in Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville. Their goal? To empower and activate Northwest Arkansans to advocate for safer streets. Subscribe here to receive their monthly newsletter to learn more about how you can get involved.
ICYMI: In May 2018, thanks to the Walton Family Foundation, nearly two dozen community and business leaders from Northwest Arkansas attended the second annual PlacesForBikes conference in Indianapolis to learn how places around the country blossomed into healthier, wealthier, happier cities by embracing bikes. Check out this recap video they put together with Blk Elk Media, where representatives from the City of Rogers, the City of Fayetteville, Bentonville Parks and Recreation, and the Downtown Springdale Alliance share their visions for a bike-friendly Northwest Arkansas.
