Allied Cycle Works in Rogers is part of an exclusive club of bike makers that’s not only based in the U.S., but crafts frames from lightweight carbon fiber. The big picture: The vast majority of an estimated 15 million bikes sold in the U.S. each year are imported — mostly from Asia. Allied is among those proving that bike manufacturing can be done domestically, although with a price tag to match.
Pam LeBlanc, one of the co-founders of Austin Travels, went to Bentonville, Arkansas to learn more about everything the area has to offer for mountain bikers.
The name “Mountain Bike Capital of the World” isn’t stolen, assures Belgian Trial Bike World Champion and professional mountain biker Kenny Belaey.
“I have definitely ridden my bike in more, like, epic places. If you talk about landscapes, or maybe gnarly terrain, yes. But what makes Bentonville the MTB capital is that they have created a formula that everybody can ride the trails and have fun on it,” he explains. The trails and the resources offer an absolute beginner just as enjoyable an experience as a pro like Belaey.
Bentonville has approximately 130 miles of singletrack connected to downtown Bentonville, with access to more than 250 miles of unrivaled regional trails in a network that sits at the heart of the state’s OZ Trails system. Hospitality opportunities abound – whether it be award-winning restaurants, a vibrant coffee scene, or a boom of daring and bold craft brewers.
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