For those outside of the cycling world, Fayetteville, Arkansas, may be a mere blip on the map of the U.S. Midwest region. The host of the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships is home to some 100,000 residents and a burgeoning cycling community. It’s also the neighbouring town of Bentonville , the self-proclaimed mountain bike capital of the world and host locale for the popular gravel race Big Sugar .
Now, Fayetteville seeks to expand its cycling notoriety by opening five new bikepacking routes in partnership with Bikepacking Roots that wind through the region’s rural communities and landscapes, including the Springfield Plateau, the Ozark’s Boston Mountains and the Buffalo River Valley.
Together, the five routes make up the Fayetteville Bikepacking Route Network and the trails range from 60-190 miles (intended for two-to-four-day trips) but can be linked together to create multiple routes stretching beyond 260 miles. All of the routes begin in Fayetteville…