Bentonville Bike Trip

Maybe you have heard of this place for mountain biking called Bentonville, Arkansa. They have been growing their bike scene at an extreme pace. Which is awesome for anyone who likes to bike and their families. A buddy and I got the itch to ride some dirt as the Minnesota winter season sucked for biking. On a whim we decided to drive down to Arkansas from Minnesota. The road trip only took 11 hours. Which we though was easily drivable for a long 5 day weekend. 

Looking up a lot of the bike trails online you hear about the slaughter pen trail system. Upon our first day there we rode the slaughter pen trails. The trails are well maintained and great single track. For us though they are fairly similar to other trails we have ridden the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. It was fun to be on dirt and riding but nothing mind blowing. Next up in the same day was Coler Hill. Which was something different. It was less than a mile climb up. At the top the trail deviates and you get to ride several different down hill trails. They are unique in the fact they are extra wide and jump trails. There is some huge drops that we were not brave enough to do. Watched some others do it. Pretty impressive to watch people push their bikes beyond something I would even try. 

View from the Fire Tower near Eureka Springs

We visited Mojo Cycling. Great staff and they helped guide us to some more bike trails for riding. The next day we traveled to Lake Leatherwood, it is near Eureka Springs. Here is where we really found some unique and awesome bike trails. The trail goes around a county park. The trail is shared with hikers. Not sure if the pictures do it justice. There is some fun sections of trail where you are riding down stream beds and rock steps. it would seem to be better to hike down but the challenge of being able to ride down this terrain was just too much. It really pushed us to ride something that we wouldn't normally ride here in MN. Also there was several stream crossings, which were just fun to go through. The cooling splash was nice. Socks were already socked with sweat so didn't notice our feet getting any wetter. Near this great cross county loop is a downhill challenge course. This is another unique course which is awesome. They obviously have put lots of work into making this place a destination for any off road bikers. After a few crashes I finally gave up on the down hill course. I don't think any sponsors are going to be coming my way trying to get me to ride for them. But the fun factor is off the charts. 

Another trail you hear a lot about is called the Back 40. Another great county park where they have really made some great trails. This was the day where our lack of fitness really caught up to us. One section of the trail called the ledges is unique. You are literally on a little rock ledge on the side of hill. Perfect name for a unique and fun trail. After the ledges the trail winds through the valleys of several neighborhoods. Mountain biking is interesting that you can be so close to peoples homes suffering so bad up hills and right next to kids playing. It is just kind of a fun weird situation that only happens while mountain biking. If you are going to go on a bike trip I can recommend doing some sort of biking before biking. This day became a bit of a death march. The days of riding hard and not riding back home caught up to us. I would rather be riding or hiking than working. We ended up cutting our ride short and taking roads back to our car instead of finishing the loop. 

On our last day we again went to Coler Hill. In the picture you will see me seconds before eating dirt. Wow did this crash hurt. With the hard pack trails you know when you crash. I banged my ribs up and I was done riding after the crash. For the trip I hard bought and ridden with some new protective gear. A full face helmet and some knee pads. Wow after all the crashes I was glad to have them. The knee pads saved me from lots of cuts and scratches. After riding we were exhausted. I don't think we could have ridden any more. You know it was a successful trip if you can barely pedal your bike. I did this trip with a buddy but it would definitely be doable with a family. There is a such a variety of trails. They will push riders of all skill levels to improve and ride harder. In the community you can find access to any amenities you would want. It is a great place to visit. I think this was a great trip and am  planning on going back. 

GT Sensor Review

So for the last two years I have been a dedicated fat bike rider. I had even bought a second set of wheels for my fat bike to run it as a 29+ hardtail in the summer. I was trying to turn my fat bike into a trail shredding monster. With the 29+ wheels it was a very capable and great bike. I did notice faults of mine though. After a hard day of riding with the guys I would be beat up. My back would hurt and I would be sore. I started to look at a Full Suspension trail bike. I rode a friends bike and could immediately see where having the extra cushioning would help.

I was planning a multi day bike trip. Wanting to make the most of the trip and not wanting my body to hold me back I ordered a GT sensor  from my local bike shop. Dave at Touright was able to find last years model for a great price. I wanted something totally different then what I already rode. The sensor has 27.5 wheels and 130mm rear suspension 140mm front. The bike is built as a trail bike. I was unsure of the bike due to the unique suspension design. I ordered my bike with a dropper post figuring it would be useful on the adventure.

I can say I'm extremely happy and pleased with the sensor. I can't talk about things like head angle and  bottom bracket height. I have no idea how they relate to a bike and how much I will enjoy it. What I can say is it performed beyond my expectations. We beat on our bikes during our trip. Maybe not as much as others and maybe more than some. Everything kept right on working great. The suspension was a great relief. My body held up well. I can definitely say having all the extra squish makes multi day adventures much more doable. My back was never the problem with this bike. I had the usual soreness from the bike saddle after not riding for a while but that is to be expected. Not the bikes fault.

I put Race Face Chester pedals, a KS dropper post, Renthal Fat Bar, and ergon grips on the bike. Besides just a few touch point upgrades and a dropper this bike comes as is. It took me a few different tries to dial in the suspension to where it is just right. This bike pedals extremely well. I turned the lockout on and it felt just like a rigid bike. But after riding with all the squish I found I enjoyed having it and really lost very minimal energy while pedaling.

This is my first full suspension bike and I can say I'm very happy with it. I'm comparing it to my fat bike. I know that is an apple to oranges comparison. They are purpose built bikes for two very different things. What they do have is common is their owner. When I get on my fat bike it is a monster truck. It will run over any and everything. On this GT sensor the world looks different. Trails becoming different. Obstacles have a different approach. I can say I didn't notice less rollover or a lack of traction coming from the fat bike like I thought I would. I thought I would have a ton of pedal strikes and get frustrated with that like on other full suspension bikes I've ridden. Not sure if it was rider skill or bike but rarely did I get pedal strikes. I was able to climb most every terrain and ride over rocks and roots. I can say the bike performed better than I thought and held up well to my abuse. Nothing broke just a few things came loose and need to be tightened just like every bike on the first ride.

I would not hesitate to recommend this bike for anyone. I bought last years model for a great deal. I know it doesn't have all the high end components and it is still a 2x10 drivetrain but i'm wiling to sacrifice on some of those things to save money and afford to take a bike trip. I would definitely say to add a dropper onto whichever bike you buy. Wow those things are worth their money. Head on down to the Little Falls Bike Shop Touright, Dave the owner will hook you up with a great bike.