Forward Motion

Cycling Festival in Rogers open to riders of all ages, skill levels

COURTESY PHOTO Between 200-300 cyclists are expected for the Rogers Cycling Festival that takes place in downtown Rogers and Lake Atalanta this weekend. Events are for riders of all experience levels.
COURTESY PHOTO Between 200-300 cyclists are expected for the Rogers Cycling Festival that takes place in downtown Rogers and Lake Atalanta this weekend. Events are for riders of all experience levels.

The Rogers Cycling Festival has a little something for everybody.

With five events spanning two days, the races bring together what are typically two disparaging groups, road cyclists and mountain bikers, along with families and folks who just want to take a joy ride. Proceeds go to Pedal it Forward, a nonprofit that upcycles bikes to children in need.

FAQ

WHEN- Saturday and Sunday

WHERE- downtown Rogers and Lake Atalanta

COST- varied ($5-75)

INFO- rogerscyclingfestiv…. Registration, course maps and cost at bikereg.com/rogers-…

The inaugural festival was spun from two races that have grown in popularity in recent years, the Race for the Spike and the Frisco 5 Poker Ride.

"[Through] Spike and Frisco we recognized a large cycling community in Northwest Arkansas made up of folks who only like to mountain bike or only like to road bike," says Greg Lindley of Simmons First, a Rogers Cycling cofounder.

Lindley prefers mountain biking while his fellow cofounder, Matt Crafton, prefers road cycling. They haven't seen many events that combined the two, so they set out to create an all-inclusive one, with the help of the Northwest Arkansas Emerging Leaders.

"This will bring casual riders, family groups and people from all backgrounds together," he says. "With the city [of Rogers] making progress on trails, the timing is perfect."

"We decided we could do more if we made it into its own festival," says Crafton, CEO of Crafton & Tull. "We're keeping the Race for the Spike but adding several other events."

Race for the Spike pits cyclists against a train barreling down the tracks. They begin in downtown Rogers as the Arkansas-Missouri railroad has a departure from Avoca, just 5.5 miles north. Cyclists must travel that 5.5 north, then double back for an 11 mile total. If they arrive faster than the train, which requires a speed of 20 mph or more, they win a railroad spike engraved with the phrase "I Beat the Train."

This event is good for people interested in racing for the first time, Crafton and Lindley say, because it's a free-for-all with 100 plus cyclists on the road in a mass start that will spread riders out based on speed.

When Lindley first raced it as an intermediate road cyclist, "I hadn't raced as a road biker before, but that course was short enough it allowed me to experience the race atmosphere and ride in a pack at [my] speed," he says.

The event has been so successful that the festival will include a mountain bike edition this time around. At six miles, it is roughly half the length of the road edition but should take approximately the same amount of time.

Frisco 5 Poker Ride, the other most popular event, is just what it sounds like--playing poker while riding a bike. If it sounds complicated, don't worry, cyclists won't be saddling up next to each other to judge each others' bluff at high speeds.

Instead, the ride is a relaxed and easy 1.26 miles in historic downtown Rogers where adults, children and their pets can all participate. Cyclists receive a playing card at the registration area and one more at each of four stops. The winner of the game is decided at the end of the ride, entirely by the chance of the hand they're dealt.

The Bike Coalition of the Ozarks will conduct a children's "bike rodeo," with instructions on how to use helmets, learning cycling signals and an obstacle course.

For the more experienced or competitive cyclists are two new events, the Hot & Hilly Mountain Bike Challenge and The Wheel Sucker.

Hot & Hilly is a two-person relay. The first competitor travels six miles through the Rogers Bike Park and after a theoretical hand off (there's no actual baton being passed,) the second competitor covers seven miles via the Fleming Tract, a newer path that expands on the Lake Atalanta trails.

Pairs of cyclists have two options for levels of difficulty-- "novice" for those who are less competitive, and "sport" for the more advanced riders. Festival workers won't do that separating, Crafton says. "We trust them to know their own abilities and put themselves in a category."

The Wheel Sucker will appeal to the cyclists who have searched out all the races in the region and state because the event is a USA Cycling sanctioned three person team trial--a race that tests a rider's strength and endurance by "racing against the clock."

"There aren't many team trials in the U.S. or this part of the country," Crafton says. "To find one, you have to go out to Arizona or New York."

Lindley and Crafton expect upwards of 200 or 300 cyclists this weekend and encourage online registration for most events. Given generous feedback in the past, they expect future years of the festival to grow to include more age groups and demographics.

"We just hope it will bring folks downtown and bring them together," Crafton says.

NAN What's Up on 07/31/2015

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