Sep12022
CommunityEvents

Come ride with Bikepacking Roots!

October 21st to 23rd, 2022     |     Fayetteville, Arkansas

Register

We’ll provide:

  • A chance to meet new friends and build community, including BPR co-founders Kurt Refsnider and Kait Boyle and ED Ally Johnson.
  • A free, optional “How to Bikepack” clinic at the Pack Rat Outdoor Center, followed by dinner, on Friday night.
  • A scenic 30-40 mile bikepacking route on gravel and paved roads, through the fall foliage, historic sites and the Ozarks foothills.
  • Camping at Historic Cane Hill, complete with historic sites, hiking trails, a pavilion, and restrooms.​
  • After-ride drinks and snacks on Sunday night to celebrate together.
  • A limited supply of bikepacking bags to borrow and SAG wagon transport for gear.
  • Support and stoke for new and experienced riders alike.

You’ll need:

  • An all-road, gravel, or mountain bike, a helmet, a backpack, camping gear, and food for the trip. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to accommodate e-bikes at this event.
  • Bikepacking bags or a way to carry your gear. We can provide some bikepacking bags and SAG wagon transport for gear, but supply and space will be limited.
  • A hotel or campsite for Friday night, and a $5/car parking space if you’re traveling from outside the area.
  • Common sense. While we will ride with the group and provide support, this is not a guided route. You will need to be able to navigate the route (with the resources we provide) and be responsible for your own safety.
We want this event to be accessible to everyone who’s interested. However, hosting it includes expenses such as insurance, SAG wagon support, food and drinks, and staff time. So, we’re suggesting a $50 donation per participant. Please give what makes sense for you, and your financial situation. If that’s $5, that’s just fine! If that’s $150 to cover you and two other participants, that’s amazing and appreciated too. Donations above and beyond event expenses will go to support our bikepacking advocacy and route development work.

About the Route

The route starts and ends from historic Downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas. From Fayetteville, we’ll ride into the beautiful Ozark mountains enjoying the mild climate and beautiful colors of Fall. Temperatures average from the low seventies during the day, to the upper forties at night. The route features a mix of scenic gravel and paved roads that weave through Arkansas’ history including battlefields from the Civil War and townships lost to time. We’ll camp at Historic Cane Hill, home to 16 sites on the National Register of Historic Places. There will be access to restrooms, a covered pavilion, side hikes, and historic sites. ​ The route will be 30-40 miles, long enough to take participants on a journey through the Ozarks but attainable in mileage and challenge for any cyclist seeking an adventurous weekend in the saddle.

Made possible with support from:

Categories: Community, Events