By now you’ve probably heard that Bentonville, Arkansas is home to quality mountain bike trails, with something for everyone from beginners to expert riders. But Bentonville is just one dog-eared corner of the Arkansas MTB trail story. In collaboration with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, we have rated bike helmets using the STAR evaluation system. Our impact tests evaluate a helmet’s ability to reduce linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the head resulting from a range of head impacts a cyclist might experience. Helmets with more stars provide a reduction in concussion risk for these impacts compared to helmets with less stars. If you are looking for a helmet to handle commuting duties, there are a ton of options out there and we have a whole guide rounding up the best commuter helmets.
Virginia Tech is the only independent organisation that provides a test of bike helmets with more detail than pass or fail. That makes it hard to ignore the testing that Virginia genesis bike Tech does and yet, not every helmet has a test result. You will have to decide if that sways your choice or not but there are some reasons why it might be missing.
That means, this is a great helmet but it could likely benefit even more from a focused design that offered an aero version and a climbers version. It’s important to understand that there is no definitive answer about how to make a safe helmet. Different brands have different strategies that aim to do genesis mountain bike the same thing. Lazer’s approach is to build blocks into the part of the EPS foam that sits closests to the cyclist’s head. During an impact the blocks break or compress to allow movement and absorb energy. If you’re looking for that bike park feel with a touch of Arkansas tech, drop into Atonement.
The matte black finish with neon accents is sure to turn heads on any trail. It’s aero optimised but isn’t going to compete with the best aero helmets. It’s also lightweight and even beats the Giro Aries on that score.
Coming from Orange County, CA, she was looking for a change of scenery and better access to riding. Now retired from racing on the world stage, Anneke now spends her time coaching clients and teaching clinics through her mountain bike coaching company Crank It Up in the Bentonville area. The Great Passion Play is unlike any other mountain bike venue in the world, offering a popular live outdoor performance of the story of Jesus’ life and a Holy Land tour in addition to trails. The 667-acre site contains a 20+ mile mountain bike trail network, with trails from the easy and mellow Genesis trail to advanced jump lines like Atonement.
Lewter has been racing enduro since 2018 and decided to settle down near Eureka Springs where he’s a mountain bike guide for Slaughter Trail Guides. To give you an idea of what that means, we can take a look at the US CPSC (consumer product safety commission) certification. The CPSC mandates genesis bike a series of tests covering peripheral vision, positional stability, dynamic strength of retention system, and impact attenuation. Every helmet sold in the US will have had to pass those tests covering the ability of a helmet to stay on your head and protect it when you hit the ground.
For the relative distance from Little Rock (1.5 hours) and Bentonville (2.5 hours), Nebo is worth the trip for fantastic views and even more rewarding riding. Our route had us climbing from the bottom to the top, racking up a total of 2,300ft of descending with everything from steep and loose to chunky rock gardens. While Nebo also offers some variety like Ponca, the 25 miles of trails are a tad more manicured and defined. Still, there are a lot of the steep and off-camber tracks where brake control and body position are key.
Many of the gnarly, enduro-esque advanced trails were built with the help of Jagged Axe Trail Design, and Passion Play hosts enduro races here regularly. Fortunately for riders living in the snow zones, Arkansas trails are open for riding year round, and there’s plenty to explore. With some good twists and turns right off the top, DH 2 lures you into some flow before sprinkling in some fun kickers and tabletops. Carry your speed over the loose, gravelly singletrack and get ready for the techy little ledges right before the infamous gap. With a ridearound on the right, bikers can warm up to the idea of carrying enough speed for this feature.
Mount Nebo State Park is located south of Ponca and is about an hour and a half away from Little Rock, Arkansas. The Feather is an all-purpose single-speed commuter or urban utility bike that might just be the most fun bike you’ve ever ridden. A flip-flop hub puts a fixed gear cog on one side and a freewheel on the other so you can choose your riding style. Outride provides evidence-based cycling interventions to improve social, emotional, and cognitive health.
Instead of a dial at the rear of the helmet, there is a dial at the top that pulls against a ring around the inner edge of the helmet. It’s meant to keep your head from pushing forward as you tighten the rear while also making room for long hair. It’s just an extra thing to remember and there’s still not a ton of room for long hair. Although it has a long profile, a size medium weighs in well below the Trek specs at only 260 grams.