How to avoid breaking body parts on Arkansas single track

Top Tips: Run tough tires, rent a full-suspension bike, and seriously consider a full-face helmet.

Bella Vista will eat your tires for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If you pay attention to only one thing in this entire guide, may it be this: Run tires with sidewall protection and a beefier tread than you are used to. The “chatty trails” need tires with bite and you need tough sidewalls for protection from the baby heads and rock gardens.

• Run tires with sidewall protection and aggressive tread.
• If you run tubes, bring extras. Tubeless, bring a plug kit and sidewall patch.
• Riding a couple of days? Pack some extra tires.

Hardtail or full-suspension?

Depending on your experience level you can have a great time in Bella Vista on almost any rig. However, the trails of North West Arkansas were built by folks that love a full-suspension.

If you have not dipped your toe into that world, you might want to rent a bike for an afternoon and get a feel for it. Mojo Cycling is your goto for all rental and repair needs.

You can also give Mojo Cycling a call and see how you can set up your own bike for maximum enjoyment.

• All bike types welcome and celebrated in Bella Vista.
• However, the trails were built with full-suspension bikes in mind.
• Rent one for a day just to see what it’s like on the other side.

To full-face or not to full-face

This really depends on how much you like your face.

North West Arkansas trails were hand-built by folks who love challenging technical aggressive riding. There are alternative routes around every technical feature, but it’s not always easy to know which line to take.

Of course, the choice is yours, but just know you won’t look out of place wearing the proper gear for this terrain.

• At minimum, rock the half-shell but do consider a full-face.
• Both helmet types are available for rent for super reasonable rates.
• Seriously, you, and your mother, will be glad you did.