A long drive from Mississippi to NW corner of Arkansas and Bentonville. I arrived mid afternoon in town. Town is really hopping. I looked for a local who lives out on a dead end development up in the hills for a place to sleep but he didn’t turn up. I spent my camping nights out near Bella Vista on a vacant lot between walgreens and a bank. I arrived late at night and left b4 breakfast, no complaints. This AM I lingered and was joined by several dog walkers and a semi truck.
Wed night was the opening IMBA Summit gathering. Lots of beer, I drank more than my daily ration. Thurs and Friday were educational sessions. I took notes. Friday afternoon was a visit and ride at the Railyard outside Rogers. What an incredible park and trail system built like right on city property line, perhaps inside the city. Purpose built machine built trails. Bike expo. Hans ray performed amazing trials moves at the event. Saturday was the back 40 starting from Blowing Springs, I managed to ride the shorter 15 mile loop. Sat night was a blow out party. Sunday the clouds cleared mentally allowing me to drive out to Eureka Springs and Lake Leatherwood. Yesterday I rode Slaughter Pen trails right from downtown Bentonville. Today the oil was changed int he van and the Raceface Turbine dropper post is being installed on my bike.
Now some flesh:
My last visit 2 years ago was to a dry town. This year a profusion of liquor stores and brew pubs. Beer and bikes. I did find tasty moonshine legally in a store. Place is bustling and crowded. Add in maybe 400 mtn bikers. I visited several of the establishments. I met people while sitting at the bars. The Walton Foundation is a big player here funding trail projects. A local got ahold of me inside my personal space while explaining that Walmart has a plan to fight obesity and put people on bikes and will take their effort to selected cities. An example:
WD 40 had a booth at the expo and advertised a free bike wash. I watched a guy wearing a WD 40 tee shirt washing a bike. I construed that they would wash bikes. I learned the stand was free for you to wash and then they would apply their lubes as WD is more than not a lube per a stickie on my van. Drought here in the SE, I don’t like to consume water to make my stuff shiny.
Commonly asked question was, ” where are you from?” My answer was I am not from anywhere so i have no place to be from. I reestablished some old contacts and made some new ones.
I attended a break out session on Electric assist bikes. This year a show of hands of who had ridden one where in the majority. Two years ago at Steamboat the response was negative, this year less resistance. Stance is still that they are considered motorized and only allowed to be ridden on trails open to motorized travel.
I parked my van behind City Hall and Phat Tire bike shop and just walked around downtown. Old time downtown with sprawl blocks south of downtown, and it’s sprawl. Newer built buildings look the same as opposed to downtown that were built over time and prolly no coordinated planning process. Cool place to be.
Sat. was a ride on the newly purpose built trails of the back 40. Four years ago I got to ride the ravines before the trails were built. This year the trails were purpose built and had permission to ride. Amazing effort. Lots of riders. I loitered allowing the group riders to take off as I did not want to impede faster riders. At a road crossing which has traffic control signals stopping cars when a bike is in the cross walk I watched a rider push uphill his fat tire bike. I asked if i could help. He said yes if I had a tube as he had a nasty sidewall tear on his rear tire. I sort of offered and he sort of said he had a friend coming to pick him up which kept my slimed spare tube in my pack. I rolled down the hill he pushed up. Part way down I saw 2 guys working on a wheel. Right before I rolled up to them I heard then felt a pop and air rushing out of my rear tire. I joined these guys dealing w/ flats. All 3 of us hit this same rock just right to tear a sidewall. I was glad I kept my tube. I broke the bead on my tubeless tire and installed the slimed tube. The tire removed easily but put up a struggle to reseat. A rider gave me a tire iron. I pumped up the tube and pedaled away. Shortly I felt the sensation of a soft tire. I checked and the tube had gone soft. I pulled the tube out and pumped it up to learn where there was a leak. I found a small pin hole that the slime had not sealed. I checked the inside of the tire and found a long thorn penetrating the tire which poked the hole in the tube. I removed it and spun the tube around a bit allowing the slime to seal the hole. Wrestled getting the tire back on. The tube held air the rest of the ride. I did destroy my tire. I bought the last Maxxis Ardent 27.5 2.4 tire.
Sunday I drove to Eureka Springs to ride Lake Leatherwood trails and spend the night. City park w/ some purpose built trails. fall riding among limestone outcroppings.
$13 bought a legal on the grass parking spot and a hot shower. Almost full moon lit the sky. Chilly enough at night for the furnace to run.
The riding here is hard in the amount of effort required. The tread is broken limestone that sucks energy. fallen leaves pave the trail. My legs got beat up. One oft he expo booths sold Pickle Juice for cramp elimination. The guy spent time while sitting next to him at a brew place telling me how cramps work and why their pickle juice stops cramps. He said that cramps are caused by nerves, their “juice” contains the particular vinegar which breaks the cramp signal. A bottle was included in out IMBA goodie bag. Sat night after i fell asleep cramps struck my legs. I snaked out the bottle from my Wingnut Hydration pack stored above my fridge and within arms reach. I chugged the bottle and within like seconds the cramps quit. Ah, relief and validation. I only had the sample bottle. Sunday night cramps struck again, this time I went to a bottle of Braggs vinegar for a teaspoon. I almost cramped my jaw swallowing the nasty stuff. Vote from me is Pickle juice.
Monday AM I drove back to Bentonville. Plan was to ride Slaughter Pen trails right from downtown. Amazing system that was purpose built right from the start. great signage.
Oil and filters changed and an exam of the van yielded all is good. Dropper post is installed.
My gut continues to bother me. I started making colonoscopy and gastro DR appointments in Flagstaff. All exams and tests so far have revealed nothing that will kill me at least shortly. Going up inside is the next step.
These next pics are from previously ridden places this fall.
Next is to make an Arkansas travel plan. State wide the trails are called : The Oz trails: which must stand for Ozarks. Arkansas has 5 IMBA epic rides. Next up is Upper Buffalo about 2 hours away then down to Lake Ouachita.
So far this year I have ridden in 23 states.