Our trails must be preserved, in order to do this, hikers, mountain bikers, and runners must work together. Despite what you have heard by some hiking groups, Mountain bikers do- trail work and try to maintain our trails and practice tread lightly techniques.
Cross Country Mountain Biking
Cross country mountain biking is cross country at
its finest. Where free riders and downhill bikers
use four wheel bikes and ski lifts to get them to
their destination, cross country bikers get to
the top of the mountain by the ride. Though free
riding is very popular, the life vein of the sport
has always been cross country biking.
Just as cross country riders are a different breed,
the bikes they ride are as well. The cross country
bike is completely different in many ways from other
types of mountain riding bikes. The premise for
cross country riders is speed. Everything about
their bikes revolve with the idea of making the
bikes faster and faster.
Bikes used in cross country mountain biking can
be fully rigid frame, hardtails, or even full
suspension frames. Through the years, the cross
over to full suspension has become very popular.
The weight difference between free ride bikes and
cross country bikes are considerable. You'll be
extremely hard pressed to find a bike that weighs
more than 24 pounds, and even that weight can be
heavy. Free ride bkes weigh close to 40 pounds,
which makes the difference in weight pretty close.
If you've never tried cross country mountain biking,
you'll probably find it to be a break from the
ordinary. Even though this type of biking involves
trails, it's normally the type of terrain that
beginners wouldn't want to ride. Involving hills
and rough terrain, cross country biking offers
quite the rush.
For mountain bikers everywhere, cross country is
the way to go. It offers you a new assortment of
bikes, new areas to bike, and a new twist to
mountain biking as you know it. If you've been
looking for a mountain biking rush, cross country
mountain biking is what you need to be experiencing.
Local Clubs/Events
OUACHITA MOUNTAIN HIKER, BOX 371, Hot Springs,Ar.71902
October: Senior olympics
November: Healthfest with bicycle and running events
Local bike shops
Park Cycle,719 Whittington ave, Hot Springs, Ar 71901,
City Cycle,Rock Creek Shopping Center,12111 W. Markham, Little Rock, Ar. 72211
State Events & Regional events
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Tour de Pepper -Palistine, Texas
4 tours from 12 to 70 miles
Beauty & The Beast Bike Tour
sat sept 6th tyler, texas 1-800-235-5712
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Tour de Possum-sept/20/----Texarkana, Ar. 11 mile to 100 mile routes.
call 903-793-7010
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TOUR DE PARIS-
PARIS, TX. 1-800-727-4789
Art Pedalers Ride with the Eagles-april 21, 2001
Northeast Texas Community College
Mt Pleasant, Tx
Texas Chainring Challenge
June 3-9, 2001
1609 sweetbriar street
Longview Texas
state/Regional Clubs
Texarkana Bicycle club, box 7096, Texarkana, Tx75505
Ozark Highlands Trails,box 1074,Fayetteville,Ar 72703/501-442-2799
Ozark Society, box 2914, Little Rock, Ar. 72203
Sierra Club, Arkansas Chapter,Box 22446, Little Rock,Ar 72221
American Hiking Society, Box20160,Washington,DC 20041-2160/ 703-385-3252
National
League of American Bicyclists,190 west ostend st, suite 120, Baltimore,MD 21230-3755
CLASSIFIED
GUIDE BOOKS
For great books and trail guides for the state of Arkansas call or write Tim Ernst at NORWEGIAN WOOD, 411 Patricia, Fayetteville, Ar. 72703. 501-442-2799
Pictures
trails
womble
click on maps or names to view larger images
Race events/bicycle/running
Other useful places
catalogs: Bikes America/ nashbar/ Bikeworld/
camps: Dirtcamp/
Tours
Outdoors adventure tours,300 long Island dr,Hot springs,ar. 71913 /501-525-4457
Adventure / America by bicycle/ Rocky mtn / North texas mtn biking
Runners links
Do It Sports/ /East Bay Striders. //Greater Boston Track Club // PB`s Triathlon Home Page// Runners World//Running with George//The Triathlete`s Web// USA Track and Field//Dead Runners Society// Running and Triathlon//
Planet Reebok: http//www.planetreebok.com,
the running page:http://sunsite.unc.edu/drears/running/running.htm
Adventure Sports online-alittle bit of everything-very good site/ ESPNET Sports Zone./Sports Chat! interactive chat system
HIKING Links
Telluride Gateway/Rocky mtn nat. park/links to web sites/hiking links/ Mesa verde/ Hiking and camping/American Hiking Society/
trail links state of arkansas
The Huckleberry Mtn. Horse trail: 2 main loops with over 40 miles of the most senic riding, hiking and mountain biking opportunities in the Ozark forest. With mtn. valleys, streams and bluffs.Call the Magazine Ranger District at 501-321-3076 for more details, maps are available.
Arkansas State Trails Coordinator,one capital mall,Little Rock,Ar. 72201/501-682-1301
National Park Service:
Buffalo Nat. River,box 1173, Harrison, Ar. 72601/ 501-741-5443
Hot Springs National park,box 1860, Hot springs,Ar 71901? 501-624-3383
US Forest Service:
Ozark Nat. Forest, box 1008, Russellville, Ar. / 501-968-2354
Quachita National Forest, box 1270, Hot Springs,Ar/ 501-321-5202
Womble ranger dist., box255, mt Ida,Ar 71957/ 501-867-2101
Resorts and campgrounds
Holiday Mountain Resort - "Folk Music Capital or the World" --http://www.rvservices.com:80/hmr
Gastons White River Resort - America's #1 Trout Fishing Resort in Arkansas' Ozark Mountains--http://www.outdoorsnet.com/gaston/
Bed & Breakfast Inns Online - A directory of Arkansas' Bed and Breakfast Inns--http://www.bbonline.com/liststar.html
Bed and breakfest Inns of Arkansas
Ouachita Mountains - west-central Arkansas
The Gables Inn, Hot Springs
Stitt House Bed & Breakfast Inn, Hot Springs
Williams House Bed & Breakfast Inn, Hot Springs
Timberlands - southern Arkansas
Magnolia Place Bed & Breakfast, Magnolia (southwest AR)
Ozark Mountains - northern Arkansas
Ellis House at trail's end, Eureka Springs
Crescent Cottage Inn, Eureka Springs
Country Oaks Bed & Breakfast, Mountain View
Buffalo River Lodge Bed & Breakast, Yellville
The Anderson House Inn, Heber Springs
Oak Tree Inn and Red River Cottages, Heber Springs
Schröder Haus Bed & Breakfast, Norfork
The Olde Stonehouse Bed & Breakfast, Hardy
Hideaway Inn Bed & Breakfast, Hardy
Arkansas State Parks
the State Parks of Arkansas -- a parks system legacy known for its enchanting natural
settings and diversity of facilities and activities. Today, over 20,000 programs, tours and events are presented for the
enjoyment and education of park visitors. The 48 state parks provide some of Arkansas' best experiences...mountaintop
hideaways with cloud-capped lodges...lakeshore cabins with cozy fireplaces...riverside campsites along the famous White
River...an island retreat with full resort amenities including golf...a museum village re-creating life in frontier Arkansas...a
diamond mine where you'll search for "finders keepers" gems at a one-of-a-kind state park...a folk cultural complex
demonstrating the traditional homestead crafts and front porch music of the Ozark Mountains...prehistoric Native
American mounds...a riverboat...swamp tours...and more await you. You'll enjoy your adventures...you'll take home
special memories...and you'll find a trail back to the State Parks of Arkansas. contact the Arkansas state park of your choice.
A variety of fees are charged in the state parks for many facilities, activities, interpretive programs and special events.
Make reservations for their cabins and lodges by calling or writing the park location. Call during office hours: summer -
weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; fall, winter and spring - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (NOTE:
Reservation desks at DeGray Lake Resort Lodge and Queen Wilhelmina Lodge are open 24 hours year-round.)
Arkansas Oil and Brine Museum
Bull Shoals
Cane Creek
Lake Catherine
Lake Charles
Lake Chicot
Conway Cemetery Historic
Cossatot River
Crater of Diamonds
Crowley's Ridge
Daisy
Lake Dardanelle
Old Davidsonville
DeGray Lake Resort
Devil's Den
Lake Frierson
Lake Fort Smith
Hampson Museum
Jacksonport
Logoly
Louisiana Purchase
Mammoth Spring
Millwood
Moro Bay
Mt. Nebo
Old Washington Historic
Lake Ouachita
Ozark Folk Center
Parkin Archeological
Petit Jean
Pinnacle Mountain
Plantation Agriculture Museum
Lake Poinsett
Powhatan Courthouse
Prairie County Museum
Prairie Grove Battlefield
Queen Wilhelmina
Toltec Mounds
Village Creek
White Oak Lake
Withrow Springs
Woolly Hollow
It can be a bit frustrating as well as time consuming
when you buy a mountain bike. Below, you'll find
some tips and things to be aware of before you lay
down the cash and buy a mountain bike.
Determining your price
There is really no limit as to how much money you can
spend on a new mountain bike. To help you keep your
spending under control, you should figure out what
your price range is and how much your willing to pay
for a new bike. When you buy, you shouldn't buy from
mass merchant stores such as Wal-Mart. You should
instead support your local bike shop and get a much
better bike and much better service.
Finding your style
All mountain bikes are designed with several different
riding styles and terrain types in mind. You'll need
to figure out what type of riding you will be doing
the most. Smooth riding, cross country racing,
mountain cruising, or lift accessed downhill is
something you need to figure out. Make sure that
the bike you select fits your personal style and not
that of the sale's staff.
Full suspension or hard tail
If you can afford it, a full suspension mountain
bike is always worth the purchase. A hard tail,
without rear suspension, is much lighter weight
and pedal more efficiently, although full suspensions
offer more comfort and overall better control. You'll
want to make that decision based on your price range,
riding style, and the type of terrain you'll be
riding on the most.
Finding your favorites
Comparing mountain bikes component to component is
nearly impossible, as there are far too many combinations
available. The best way to go about doing this is
finding a few components that are the most important
to you and making sure the rest or the minimums fall
within your price range. You can start with the fork
then look at the wheels and rear derailleur.
Sales and seasons
During the year, the prices of mountain bikes can
fluctuate quite a bit. Spring through summer is the
main buying season. If you can wait until the right
price pops up, normally in the fall and winter, you can
save a couple hundred dollars. Many bike shops will
also offer discounts or other accessories if you buy
from them.
Finding a good dealer
Finding a good bike dealer is more important than finding
the best price. You should always find a dealer that
cares more about selling you a great bike than selling you
a high priced one. A great dealer will have a clean repair
shop and give you the impression that you can really
trust them.
Test ride
You should test ride as many bikes as you can within
your price range and riding style. You'll find that
some bikes will feel right, while others won't. The more
bikes you can test drive, you better you'll understand
what works and what doesn't.
Doing the research
Product reviews and bike reviews are some of the best
ways to find out about a mountain bikes reliability and
overall performance. You should always look at what
other owners and reviews think about a bike before you
make that final purchase.
This site is ever growing. If you have something to contribute, or a site to add please let me know.
© Copyright by SJ Publishing, Inc. all rights reserved.