Bentonville - More Than a Mountain Bike Mecca

 “Let’s do that again!” I exclaimed. 

Eric’s eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up. Corrine wanted to do a downhill trail a second time?!

Usually, I’m a total wimp on downhill trails, but I rocked this one and even got a tiny bit of air on the whoop-de-doos! The Family Flow Trail was just my speed. Bentonville, Arkansas, was living up to its name as a Mecca for mountain biking, with something for all levels. But we were also finding out there was more to Bentonville than mountain biking. 

Post-Race Not So Blues

After my early DNF in the Arkansas High Country bikepacking race, we still had a two-week vacation left. What to do? When I was on the race, Eric had planned to spend most of his time exploring the mountain biking in the area. He had heard a lot about Bentonville and had a three-night stay already reserved at an Airbnb just a few blocks from downtown. So, we headed there, with a brief side trip to hike to Hawksbill Crag, the most photographed spot in in Arkansas. It was about halfway between Russellville (where the race had started) and Bentonville. The short hike to the crag was a great way to break up the drive through the rolling Ozark Mountains.

I wasn’t all that disappointed with having to drop out of the race due to a mechanical, but if I had been, Bentonville would have been a great place to lift my spirits. It has miles and miles of easily accessible mountain bike trails for all levels, but it has much more. Miles of paved trails through greenways, bike-friendly infrastructure for getting around town, whimsical art installations on the trails, free art museums, great places to eat, and even a building that you can bike to the top of. If you haven’t been there and you like biking, you should consider going.

All of this is thanks to Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, his wife Helen and their heirs. Sam was the driving force behind Walmart, Helen insisted the headquarters stay in Bentonville, and the Walton family heirs have showered the area with good works from their inheritance. 

Mountain Biking Vision

Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Sam, had the vision for mountain biking in the area. Through their efforts the Walton Family Foundation has poured more than $70 million dollars into cycling infrastructure for the region. That investment has resulted in a ton of biking tourism for Bentonville and the entire northwestern Arkansas region. 

Bentonville must be one of the most bike friendly cities I have visited. Bike paths and protected lanes everywhere. We saw all kinds of bikes from road bikes to e-bikes to mountain and gravel bikes. I have never seen so many people on bikes except for the week of RAGBRAI in Iowa. And a lot of people were on foot too, walking or running. We never used our minivan during our entire stay in Bentonville.

More Than Biking – But a Lot of Biking!

Besides all the biking infrastructure, Bentonville has a surprising amount of art. The free-admission Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a huge, world class art museum built by another Walton heir. The museum includes an outdoor art installation that you can walk or bike through. The area also has a Frank Lloyd Wright House, the Museum of Native American Art and, of course, the Walmart Museum, which covers the history of Walmart in America. All free to the public! And there are whimsical art installations everywhere you go, including on mountain bike paths.

And, of course, Bentonville has lots of bike shops. Our first stop in town was at Phat Tire Bike Shop, where we managed to get my bike fixed. They didn’t have the right part, but we tried replacing my 10-speed wheel pulleys with slightly thinner 11-speed pulleys and they worked just fine. Whew! I would have been really disappointed to not be able to ride my bike in Bentonville. 

After getting my bike fixed, we biked from our Airbnb, heading north on the Razorback Parkway bike path, just to check things out. A storm, including a tornado, had hit Bentonville back in May, so some of the trails were still damaged from that, but the community had done an amazing job of cleaning up. At the north end of the greenway path, we figured out how to do a little lollipop loop instead of heading straight back, but we ran into a damaged bridge. Fortunately, we found a place where we could rock-hop across the waterway. On the way back to our Airbnb we did some diversions on a few of the many mountain bike trails through the greenway, one of several in the area.

Trail maintenance after the storms earlier in the year

Eric rock-hops across the river

The morning of our second day, we biked into town for breakfast, but first we biked to the top of the Ledger building, “first-ever bikeable building.”  Six floors of switchbacks on the outside of the building! How fun is that? Great views from the top, including a close-up look of an art installation on another building: two huge fish that shimmer as the wind and temperature move metal panels that make up the sculpture. 

See the switchbacks on the outside of Ledger Building?

I ride up the switchbacks!

After breakfast, we biked over to the Coler Mountain Bike Preserve greenway. We started at the south end, making our way north riding over a “singing” bridge and then by a coffee shop that is only accessible by trails. We stopped there for a snack, but only after biking the entire greenway paved path (across another “singing” bridge) and then coming back on mountain bike trails, including that fun Family Flow Trail. 

We stopped to do the 11-story hill climb right on the trail, too.

Coffee shop only accessible by bike or foot

After our snack break, we took more paved and dirt paths toward home, including on a short, completely paved downhill trail Eric had seen on a video. (It had a scary last downhill that I almost didn’t do. But I did it!) We biked through the grounds of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, taking in several amazing pieces of outdoor art, including one that was made up of a whole bunch of old aluminum boats and canoes. We stopped at the museum and wandered through, almost overwhelmed by all the art. There was more to see, but we were getting hungry, so we biked back to our Airbnb, then walked to dinner. 

Finishing up the paved downhill mountain bike trail

Not Just Mountain Biking – But, Yes, Mountain Biking

On our last day in Bentonville, I wanted to get in at least one big ride since I had to bail from doing my planned 1,000-mile race. The 100-mile Big Sugar Gravel race starts in Bentonville on October 19. It is the last race of the Lifetime Fitness Gravel series. The night before, I found the route online and downloaded it. I started early the next day, just as the sun was coming up. I toured the course, stopping often to take photos along the way. It was a great way to spend the day and see the country around Bentonville. And now when I watch the race recap, I will know what the announcers will be talking about.

Meanwhile, Eric wanted to do more mountain biking. While I did my gravel route, he biked to the other side of town to the Hand Cut Hollow riding area. He found some challenging trails and had a blast, eventually working back to the Razorback Greenway, where he played a bit more on mountain bike trails.

On to Other Things

We could easily have spent more time in Bentonville and northeast Arkansas. There were many other trails and riding areas we hadn’t seen. But our son Riley suggested that we could come visit him and his wife Sam in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the International Balloon Fiesta was taking place. The event is the largest hot air balloon festival in the world. We realized it was only a 12-hour drive, so we said we would come. Riley and Sam had been in Albuquerque for a year, and we hadn’t yet visited them.

While a 12-hour drive isn’t that far to an Alaskan, it’s still a ways to go (especially when driving busy interstate highways – ugh!), so we did some searching and found the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Mountains in Oklahoma? Who knew? The refuge is about halfway to Albuquerque and only a little out of the way, so we broke the drive into two days, spending an afternoon hiking in the Wichita Mountains.  

Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge

We also found plenty of places to play in New Mexico, and visited a spectacular canyon in Texas on our way back but that's a story for another blog post.

Be Careful What You Wish For

post by Corrine.  

Eric looked at me quizzically, wondering if I was serious.

I had just asked him, “What do you think about me not doing the race and us just going on a vacation?” 

It was just a few weeks before our planned trip to Arkansas, where I was entered in the Arkansas High Country Bikepack Race. I had been talking about the race for a couple of years and had been getting in a good amount of riding. But I wasn’t sure my head was in the race. I had done only two overnight trips in preparation. And my excitement about the race had waned.

The race would require at least 10 long days of riding on a fully loaded bike over 1,000 hilly miles – more than 70,000 feet of climbing. But I had been feeling more tired than I felt I should be. Was it physical or mental? I’d been in a funk for the last few months and had spent way too much time watching other people having adventures on YouTube instead of being out on my own.

I spent a lot of time wondering why I was feeling so down. Was it work burnout? Was it a summer of less-than-ideal weather? Do I not want to suffer as much as I get older? Maybe I just needed a couple of weeks of doing nothing. Or is it something deeper? Am I losing my identity?

I am retiring in less than five months. And while I’m looking forward to giving up the 12-hour days and the stress of taking care of my patients, much of my identity for the last 35-plus years has been being a doctor. A strong part of my identity has also been as an endurance athlete, and those days are numbered. Could that be weighing on me, too? Who am I if I’m not a doctor and an endurance athlete?

Of course, I’m more than that. Among other things, I’m also a mom, a wife, a quilter, and an insatiable reader. But the subconscious mind is not always rational. Maybe my upcoming life changes are more unsettling than my rational conscious mind is willing to accept.

Part of me still wants to do endurance bike racing. I love riding my bike and seeing new places. And I love seeing what I’m capable of doing. I find that pushing my limits helps build resilience in my life, not just in sport. I also love the people who do these races – they are my tribe. We get each other. We don’t have to explain why we do what we do. We share a passion for being physically active for ridiculous amounts of time in the outdoors. I have made some amazing friendships doing bikepack races. I will miss that when I quit.

Selfie with Chuck, the race director of the Arkansas High Country Race- another crazy biker

Despite my mental state, I was still signed up for the Arkansas High Country. I had time off work, and we had all the necessary reservations. I decided I would take things one day at a time. Eric was coming on the trip, so he could rescue me if I dropped out.

Perfect Conditions?

A few weeks before the race, I asked Eric what he thought the chances of good weather for the entire race were. We both figured the chances were close to zero. I had already decided that I wasn’t starting the race if the forecast was for several days of rain. It would be a good excuse to not do the race. But as the race got closer, the weather forecasts for the first week of the race were looking really good: No rain, highs in the mid 80s F, lows around 50, and low humidity for Arkansas. The temperature the first couple of days might reach 90F, but otherwise the forecast couldn’t have been more perfect. I should have been ecstatic, but instead I felt resigned to just start the race and see how it went. Where was my enthusiasm? 

This year the race started in Russellville. The pre-race meeting was fun. I got to meet several bikepackers including Meaghan Hackinen. I had been following her for several years since she won the BC Epic 1000 bikepack race in 2021, setting a new women’s FKT (fastest known time). She also won the Tour Divide this year and almost beat Lael Wilcox’s record.  Besides being an amazing racer, she is a phenomenal writer. I highly recommend her books. Check out her latest, Shifting Gears: Coast to Coast on the Trans Am Bike Race, about her first bikepack race across America.

Meaghan is on the right and Kayla, another bikepacker I met, is in the middle

I also met the oldest male doing the race, Chuck Lee, who is 74. We laughed about being the slow, old ones out there and having the same initials, which might confuse people watching the race on Trackleaders! But we were doing the race in opposite directions (you can do it either clockwise or counterclockwise) so we wouldn’t get to ride together. He has done many long distance bike races and we realized we are both doing the Bike NonStop US bike race next summer. (I haven’t totally given up on endurance bikepack racing yet!)

Chuck and me at the pre-race meeting

The race has several iterations. This year you could choose between three different distances around different loops and choose to go either direction. The race started at 7 AM Saturday morning with over 60 of us lining up for the start, with just 18 doing the full 1,000-mile race. It was a perfect day, and I was able to ride with Meaghan for a couple of miles during the neutral start before she and everybody else surged ahead. Soon, I was left alone at the back of the pack. I was still not gung-ho about the race, but I was feeling better. I love being out riding my bike in new beautiful places. 

Meaghan and I ride together for a few minutes.  She went on to be the overall winner of the race setting a new women's FKT (fastest known time) also!

The first 30 miles were mostly flat. The route followed a paved road along Lake Dardanelle before hitting some rolling gravel roads. We had plenty of shade and minimal traffic. I felt good but was still having misgivings. I remember thinking (and possibly wishing) that maybe I would get a mechanical and would be forced to quit. But then I decided I didn’t want that. 

Lake Dardanelle

Be Careful. . .

Next was a long climb up to Mount Magazine, the highest point in the race and in Arkansas. The climb wasn’t difficult. It was on pavement with a consistent 6 percent grade and plenty of shade. I was making good time and knew I would be on top around lunchtime. The race has several places where you must get a selfie and post it to Instagram. Mount Magazine was the first selfie spot, so I decided that would be my first rest stop of the day.

Selfie at Mount Magazine

But about three miles from the top, my chain started making noise. It sounded like it was rubbing on something. But I hadn’t changed gears. I hadn’t stood up and cranked harder. I hadn’t done anything different. I had just been pedaling at an even cadence when it started making noise. I stopped briefly but couldn’t find anything wrong, so I kept going. The noise continued. I tried changing gears but that didn’t fix the problem. Was my chain rubbing on the front derailleur? I stopped again but couldn’t find the problem. My shifters were working smoothly. Could it be my bottom bracket? I’m such an idiot when it comes to bike mechanicals. I took a class several years ago but have pretty much forgotten everything I learned. I tend to trust my bike mechanic to keep my bike running smoothly. I had no cell service so couldn’t call for help. I just kept riding.

A little later I got to the Mount Magazine State Park Visitor Center, which had WIFI. I texted Eric telling him that I had a mechanical and might need help. I flipped my bike upside down but still couldn’t figure out what the problem was. I chastised myself again for not being more mechanically inclined. I thought of messing with the front derailleur screws, but I was too worried about making things worse. I texted Eric again that I was going to need him to come get me. I told him to meet me at the lodge (1.5 miles off course) where I could get lunch while waiting for him. I was frustrated that I had a mechanical after only 50 miles, but surprisingly I wasn’t feeling too disappointed. Still, I would be totally embarrassed if it was something that I should have been able to fix, so I kind of hoped it would be something major.

View from the Mount Magazine lodge

I had a nice lunch and enjoyed the view and mulled over my options while I waited for Eric. Maybe I could get the bike fixed and have Eric take me back to Mount Magazine to continue, but I wasn’t excited about that idea, and I wouldn’t finish in time to be an official finisher. I could get my bike fixed and do the shorter 450-mile Central Loop as an Individual Time Trial. That sounded more appealing. I texted with the race director, and he said I could do either one. 

Eric finally replied. He had just finished his own fun mountain biking adventure at Mount Nebo State Park. So, he drove over to Mount Magazine. Right away he asked me how I was feeling. I had a slight emotional hitch, but then I was fine. No tears. My head was really not into this race.

Eric to the rescue. Here here is on top of Mount Nebo before getting my text

Eric is more mechanically inclined than I am, but he’s not an expert bike mechanic. Rather than have him look at my bike, we decided to head back to Jackalope Cycling in Russellville and have them look at it. We needed to leave right away to get back before the shop closed. As it was, we made it back to Jackalope Cycling with only 20 minutes to spare.

The mechanic there took a few minutes to diagnose the problem: a seized-up wheel pulley on the back derailleur. It was old and the bearings were shot. The other pulley was really worn, too. It was not something I could have fixed in the field (whew). Unfortunately, they didn’t have replacements, but he loosened it, and it seemed to work fine.

Worn out wheel pulley

Back On the Road – Sort Of

I decided to bike the two miles back to our hotel while Eric drove the minivan. It’s a good think I did. Less than half a mile from the shop, the wheel pulley seized up again. That made the decision for me. My race was over after barely starting. Surprisingly, I was only mildly disappointed. Maybe that says something about where I’m at with long distance races? 

Eric had a several-day Airbnb reservation in Bentonville, a hotspot for mountain biking, so we headed there the next day (with a stop to do a short hike out to Hawksbill Crag). The town has several bike shops, and I was able to get my bike fixed. We spent three wonderful days there, exploring the trails. I even got to ride the course of the 100-mile Big Sugar Classic gravel bike race, which will be held October 19.

While in Bentonville, we reassessed our vacation and ultimately decided to head to New Mexico to visit our son Riley and his wife Sam in Albuquerque, exploring a bit of Oklahoma on the way. But I’ll write more about that later. As I write this, we’re still on that adventure. If all had gone as originally planned, I’d still be slogging it out in the Arkansas High Country, feeling exhausted. I am not at all sorry at how things turned out.

Biking to the Balloon Fiesta to watch the dawn balloon ascension with Riley and Sam

Next summer I still plan to do the Bike NonStop US bike race, a 3,500-mile bikepacking race across the continental United States. And I’m still excited about doing it, so I guess I haven’t completely burned out on endurance cycling races. 

After that, who knows? But by then I’ll be retired and maybe I’ll be more comfortable about what my new identity will be. In any case, Eric and I will still be having adventures and writing more blog posts.