Lots to Explore

New opportunities abound this spring.

Spring in The Natural State means it’s time to spend as much time outdoors as possible to soak up all this beauty Arkansas has to offer.

There is no shortage of opportunity to soak up that beauty via two wheels. As you’ll see in our events section, the calendar is absolutely packed this year. It’s time to start planning what events you want to tackle this year and get to training.

Speaking of training, in this issue we take a closer look at this year’s Arkansas Graveler route. The annual gravel party has tackled the Ozarks and the Ouachitas, and this year it’s all about the Delta. It’s also moved to the fall, giving you plenty of time to prepare for the miles.

We also stopped by to see Jesse Turner at Slow Southern Steel in Fayetteville. Jesse is cranking out beautiful, fully custom, hand-made steel bikes and accessories from his small shop. The bikes hold up to some rigorous terrain, too, with riders having won divisions of DOOM and the Tour Divide atop Slow Southern Steel rigs.

We also found a bit of a hidden gem in Harrison’s Psych Bike — a shop putting mental health and community first in a town that’s putting some serious investment into cycling seemingly completely under the radar.

You’ll also find a wonderful first-person account from Rule of Three and Women of OZ co-founder Lauren Pickman on what it means to be a part of the cycling community in Bentonville and how the city continues to exceed her expectations.

As always, we hope that you find a little inspiration in these pages to get out and explore our state via the bicycle. Enjoy the spring!