Bike Arkansas Winter 2023

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MAKING SMILES Jess Hana delights in hilarious videos.

BROTHERS BUILD A SUPER-LIGHT DIRT JUMPER CARO POOLE’S CYCLING JOURNEY

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N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 3 I S S U E N O. 2 8 B I K E A R K A N SAS M AG A Z I N E .C O M

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BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 3

IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE 26

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High Country FKTs set; The inaugural Little Sugar recapped; a new gravel event and Cabot receives a truckload of bikes.

A look at Caro Poole’s journey from Canada to Arkansas and the role the bike has played in her life as a racer and mother. By Bryce Ward

BRAKING NEWS

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BIKE CHECK

A look at some of the bikes races in this year’s Ouachita Triple Crown.

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COMEDIC CREATOR

Jess Hana, known to the internet as Jess The Maker, makes mountain biking approachable and lighthearted through viral videos.

By Kai Caddy

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QUITE A RIDE

EVERY ISSUE

34 EVENTS 38 SHOPS

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A TITANIUM WONDER

Brothers Karl and Paul Zeunges have built what is believed to be the world’s lightest BMX dirt-jumper.

And they did it as teens. By Kai Caddy

ON THE COVER Video creator Jess Hana at the Blowing Springs Gear Garden in Bella Vista. Photo by Kai Caddy

BOOK YOUR STAY

TODAY! OUR FIVE-MILE SHUTTLE SERVICE COVERS • The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art • Scott Family Amazeum • Shopping at Pinnacle Hills Promenade.

We have an indoor pool, free parking, room service, and breakfast and dinner at our restaurant.

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ALL OUT ADVENTURE ALL YEAR LONG

For an Authentic Mountain Biking Experience in Northwest Arkansas, You Gotta

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M A G A Z I N E

Come for cycling.

Discover Arkansas history.

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BIKEARKANSASMEDIA.COM FOLLOW US FOR MORE BIKE

BROOKE WALLACE Publisher

brookewallace@arktimes.com KAI CADDY Editor

kaicaddy@gmail.com MANDY KEENER Creative Director

mandy@arktimes.com MIKE SPAIN Art Director LESA THOMAS Senior Account Executive LUIS GARCIAROSSI SOMMER THROGMORTON Account Executives WELDON WILSON Production Manager/Controller ROLAND R. GLADDEN Advertising Traffic Manager SARAH HOLDERFIELD Graphic Design/Social Media ROBERT CURFMAN IT Director CHARLOTTE KEY Accounting JACKSON GLADDEN Circulation Director

ALAN LEVERITT President alan@arktimes.com Arkansas Times Limited Partnership 201 E. MARKHAM ST., SUITE 150 LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201 501-375-2985 All Contents © 2023 Bike Arkansas Magazine 6 | BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023

Contributors

BRYCE WARD is a copywriter and

competitive road cyclist based in Fayetteville.

KAI CADDY is a photographer, graphic

designer and occasional mid-pack Cat 4 crit racer based in Conway.

MIKE SPAIN is a graphic designer

and an art director with Arkansas Times. He’s also been an avid cyclist since 2004. “I don’t get dropped, I attack off the back.”

BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 7

KAI CADDY

BRAKING NEWS

DIALED: Abe Kaufman snacks on Swedish Fish en route to the Arkansas High Country fastest known time.

Abe Kaufman won the Arkansas High Country Race in record time in October.

The Virginia native completed the 1,000-mile-plus course known for its unrelenting terrain in 4 days, 10 hours and 8 minutes. He bested the previous fastest known time set just last year during the race by Bentonville’s Ernie Lechuga, who completed the race in 4 days, 14 hours and 13 minutes.

“I underestimated the difficulty of the terrain in Arkansas and was struck by the wide variety in landscapes here,” Kaufman said. “It was hard. It took something out of me that I might never get back.”

The single speed fastest known time was set by Wisconsin’s Corey Krosner at 5 days, 23 hours and 9 minutes, shaving nearly a full 24 hours off the previous record.

Maggie Livelsberger of Erie, Pennsylvania, was the lone woman to finish the full route in 7 days, 5 hours and 50 minutes, good for the fastest known time by a woman on a single speed.

In conjunction with the race starting and finishing in Hot Springs, the 487-mile South Loop of the route was offered as a shorter race option.

Andrew Onermaa of Fayetteville won in the fastest known time on that loop of 1 day, 15 hours, 24 minutes. Joe Fox set the fastest known time on a single speed at 2 days, 8 hours and 59 minutes.

HAPPY TO BE DONE: Andrew Onermaa set the fastest known time on the South Loop of the Arkansas High Country route.

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A third race option, the Ouachita Triple Crown, combines three IMBA Epic mountain bike trails in the Ouachitas. Josh Tostado won that race in 23 hours, 12 minutes. Travis Jolly recorded the fastest single speed time at 1 day, 6 hours and 16 minutes, and Little Rock’s Ariana Khu won the women’s race at 1 day, 19 hours and 18 minutes.

KAI CADDY

KAUFMAN WINS HIGH COUNTRY

KAI CADDY

ALL-OUT SPRINT: Keegan Swenson ekes past Matt Beers to win Little Sugar.

SWENSON, BATTEN VICTORIOUS AT LITTLE SUGAR

KAI CADDY

Keegan Swenson notched another victory to his already impressive resume, though just barely, while Haley Batten dominated the women’s field in the inaugural Little Sugar MTB race.

Swenson got away with South African rider Matt Beers on the last climb of the 100-kilometer race and the two battled it out all the way to the finish line with Swenson taking the sprint victory with a bike throw.

Cole Paton finished third in the men’s race, 19 seconds behind the two leaders. Bradyn Lange and Sean Fincham rounded out the podium that paid five deep.

There was no sprint finish for Batten, who broke away from the field around 20 miles into the race and never looked back. The 25-year-old from Santa Cruz, California, crossed the finish line 11 minutes before second-place rider Savilia Blunk. Sofia Gomez Villafane came in 5 minutes later for third place. Katerina Nash and Bentonville’s own Crystal Anthony rounded out the top five.

DOMINANT: Haley Batten won Little Sugar by 11 minutes.

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COURTESY OZARK COLLECTIVE

ARKANSAS GRAVELER SET FOR JUNE 2024 The six-day, 336-mile Arkansas Graveler will take cyclists from Fayetteville to Jonesboro beginning June 23, 2024.

The ride will start at the University of Arkansas and end at Arkansas State University, showcasing gravel roads throughout northern Arkansas. Daily rides will be from 50-70 miles. Seven cities will host riders.

Day one will go from Fayetteville to Oark (55 miles), day two from Oark to Jasper (56 miles), Jasper to Marshall (55 miles) on day three, day four is Marshall to Mountain View (51 miles), day five goes from Mountain View to Cave City (49 miles) and finally

day six will take riders from Cave City to Jonesboro (70 miles).

Event director Scotti Lechuga, a former pro cyclist and holder of the women’s fastest known time on the Arkansas High Country route, emphasized that the event is a gravel festival – not a race.

Live music will greet riders each night along with locally sourced, family-style meals.

For those not willing or able to tackle the full six-day event, you can register for the Mini Graveler, which is just day one of the full event from Fayetteville to Oark.

More information can be found at arkansasgraveler.com.

CABOT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS RECEIVE BIKES

the grant. The Cabot Chaos NICA team volunteered to build the bikes for the program.

The mission of All Kids Bike is to give every child in the United States the opportunity to learn to ride a bike in school. The program is active in more than 1,000 schools across all 50 states.

The Cabot program will be the largest in Arkansas.

COURTESY CABOT SCHOOLS

A $54,000 grant from All Kids Bike will provide more than 200 bikes for Cabot elementary schools’ physical education classes.

All nine of Cabot’s elementary schools will receive 24 bikes each along with all the necessary materials for teachers to instruct the kindergarten and first-grade children.

Unity Health and the NWA Trailblazers partnered to facilitate

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Visit onlyinark.com FOR THE BEST of OUR HOME STATE.

We’re committed to Arkansas and to the people who live here. That’s why we created an entire site dedicated to our home state. Visit OnlyInArk.com for everything from great bike trails to local culture and more. When your bank is only in Arkansas, you know it’s all about you.

Presented by

Member FDIC BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 11

BIKE CHECK PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE RIDERS

RIGS OF THE OUACHITA TRIPLE CROWN

The Ouachita Triple Crown route loops three IMBA Epic mountain bike trails together for one challenging bikepacking adventure.

The 185-mile route connects the Womble, the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT) and the Ouachita Trail. For the past two years it’s been offered as a race coinciding with the Arkansas High Country Race’s grand depart in Hot Springs.

Here are some of the rigs riders chose to tackle the OTC this year as compiled by bikepacking.com. For more rigs, including those of the full High Country route, visit bikepacking.com/ bikes/2023-arkansas-high-country-race-rigs/.

ARIANA KHU Little Rock

BIKE: Lynskey Pro29 with a Fox34 Step Cast 120mm fork.

Drivetrain is GX AXS with 30x10-52T gearing. Bontrager Kovee XXX wheels with Bontrager XR3 2.4-inch tires.

Ergon saddle and grips.

BAGS: Custom frame bag from Dispersed Bikepacking, two Revelate Feed Bags and a Revelate Shrew saddle bag.

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: An MSR Thru-Link for an inline water filter. Extra cache battery to run lights (Bontrager and NiteRider) fairly bright. The 12-hour nights are long, and there’s very little ambient light on the trails.

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AIDEN HOLMES (Above)

TRAVIS JOLLY (Below)

BIKE: Surly Karate Monkey.

BAGS: Frame bag is a Surly, which holds two 26-ounce

BIKE: Titanium Chumba Stella geared at 32x20T. BAGS: A Nuclear Sunrise tank bag, Oveja Negra frame bag

bottles along with food, water filter, extra lights and a battery pack. Bar bag is a 15-liter dry bag, which holds a hammock, rain jacket and a change of clothes. Anything extra will be held on a Rapha waist pouch.

and Revelate Designs Shrew bag.

Russellville

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: An extra bottle cage has been mounted

Knoxville, Tennessee

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Missing from the picture is a Nuclear Sunrise Silo bag with a sick camo finish with a DOOM gremlin bell permanently attached.

to the top tube. Garmin Edge 530 for navigation.

BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 13

SHANNON ALLISON (Above)

MIKE CHAPMAN (Below)

BIKE: Ibis DV9 hard tail with Maxxis Rekon Race tires

BIKE: Transition Spur.

BAGS: Tribulus Mini-Endover handlebar bag, Oveja

Erie, Pennsylvania

and an oval chainring to help with climbing.

BAGS: Full frame bag, top tube bag and snack pouch

Santa Fe, New Mexico

by Hikes and Hose. Dry bag is a Revelate 14L bag.

Negra top tube and down tube bags, Revelate seat bag and feed bags, Alpine Luddites Spot Pouch.

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Aero Spider Rear Rack to make life

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Aerobars for the 70-ish miles that

easier. The full frame bag has a cutout for an Apidura frame pack hydration bladder’s hose.

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aren’t IMBA epic singletrack.

SCOTT DALTON (Above)

CHRIS FARNEY (Below)

BIKE: Orbea Alma with an OMX frame.

BAGS: Top tube pack, downtube pack, and fork

BIKE: Trek Top Fuel.

BAGS: Revelate Designs mostly. A water bladder in the

Fairbanks, Alaska

mounts from Tailfin, seat bag from Revelate.

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Carver MyTi Carbon handlebars and Ground Control tires.

Saint Joseph, Missouri

frame bag and a bottle in the handlebar feedbag. Tools and bivy in the downtube bag and extra clothes under the seat. Snacks wherever they’ll fit.

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Garmin for navigation and tracking. Bar ends.

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THE PERFECT STORM Jess Hana becomes a viral sensation. story and PHOTOGRAPHY by Kai Caddy

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B

ikes were always there, creativity was always there, but it took the perfect storm of a career rut and a new home to catapult Jess Hana to mountain bike internet video stardom.

Jess, better known on Instagram as @jessthemaker, shares relatable hilarious mountain bike content a few times a week to nearly 80,000 followers. She started posting videos in 2022 and now works with major brands like REI, Dave’s Killer Bread and SmartWool among others.

Her love of bikes came at an early age while growing up in Pennsylvania chasing down neighbor kids with mountain bikes aboard her all-pink, banana-seated, coaster-braked bike with streamers.

Her first foray into “real” mountain biking came during a previous relationship.

“I was in a relationship with a guy who was really, really into mountain biking,” Jess said. “And so I think it was one of those situations where I wanted to spend time with him.

So I also got into it, but it was definitely not love at first bike.”

On a borrowed hard tail that was two sizes too big for her and riding on ridiculously rocky Pennsylvania terrain, Hana was frustrated, but the challenge of it kept her coming back.

In 2012, now living in upstate New York, she finally fell in love with the sport.

“That’s when I met some other women that mountain biked,” she said. “The social aspect of it was really fun to be able to meet people who also love being outside in the woods doing a challenging thing together. But we would take breaks and the social part of it afterwards having a beer in the trailhead lot — that part of it was more my jam.”

From there, her love for the sport grew deeper. And in 2016 her first stab at making a funny video took things a step further.

Ladies All Ride, a mountain bike skills camp for women, was giving away a couple of spots to an all-expenses-paid clinic in Wyoming. All you had to do was submit a funny video. Jess jumped at the chance to attend a skills clinic. Her experience on the bike had all been self-taught to that point.

BEING RELATABLE: Hana aims to bring more people into the sport.

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IT’S NOT SERIOUS: Hana keeps things lighthearted.

“One of the things they asked you to do is show what your current skills were on the bike,” Hana said. “We did a funny skit where we hired stunt doubles. You see us pay them in the parking lot. We stitched together us riding and then we would cut to them wearing wigs and the same outfit. Long story short, they picked our video. So we won. And we went out and had this great weekend learning all of these different skills.”

That experience led her to begin coaching, something she continues to do amidst her viral fame.

But from 2016 to 2022 there were no more funny videos, no viral fame. Jess eventually settled in Idaho and met her partner, Tony

Teixeira. With the arrival of COVID in 2020 and the daily monotony of staring at a screen, Jess became burnt out with her career. And the couple decided it was time for a move.

“We had been looking for a place to move that was affordable and had good access to trails,” Jess said. “I said to Tony, ‘Hey, what do you think about Arkansas?’ He was like, ‘No. Absolutely not.’”

Jess persisted. She had been to Northwest Arkansas in 2018, when Bentonville’s trails were still up and coming. It had always been in the back of her mind. She continued to send article upon article to Tony to try and convince him.

Finally, he was convinced. And in the sum-

“I said to Tony, ‘Hey, what do you think about Arkansas?’

He was like, ‘No. Absolutely not.’”

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mer of 2021, the couple did what any sensible mountain bikers would – they bought a house in Bella Vista, sight unseen over the Internet — because the access to trails was top-notch.

“Like we literally found a realtor, FaceTimed, and bought it over the internet,” she said. “Like we never saw it. We were Strava heat mapping the area and it all looked so cool. There’s a little connector trail that goes right down to Tunnel Vision across the street from our house. It’s great. The proximity to the trails, the affordability – that’s why we moved here.”

Now taking a break from work and riding more, Jess got plugged in with the Women of OZ and began coaching more, and in early 2022 decided to get back into the funny video business.

“I was in a creative rut,” she said. “And I’ve always enjoyed making things. Before, it was design, and I’ve always loved making crafts.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Hana shoots a video with her partner.

And when I lived on the road, I had a whole separate Instagram channel called Trash Talk Diaries, where I was collecting litter that I would find, and I would hand-draw and paint funny sayings on these pieces of litter. I think that it just kind of harkens to this common thread of just humor and creativity together. And it being just the perfect storm at that time that mountain bike content creation just started to become a thing and I never set out for it to be my job. I didn’t know it couldn’t be a job, but it can be, so that was kind of cool.”

Major brands have understood the importance of influencers and brand ambassadors for a while now, but the cycling industry has been slow to move away from its athletes being the stars of brand campaigns. Jess believes people like her can make mountain biking more approachable, thus attracting a new audience to the sport.

They bought a house in Bella Vista, sight unseen over the Internet.

“Many of those athletes, they don’t want to be filming stuff,” Jess said. “They want to focus on their training, and they want to focus on winning races. I would argue that content creators like myself — and there are a handful of us now doing this — help more people get into the sport, help it feel more approachable and less intimidating.

“All of those dollars are feeding the industry and therefore helping there still be race teams and funding all that stuff and getting more people excited about mountain biking. And so it’s like an ecosystem. I think, the more that we can help on that marketing side of getting people into this and helping people

feel welcome.”

Not only do her videos bring people into the sport, she’s also been able to put some money into the hands of other local creators who help with her bigger projects.

“Now if I’m working with larger brands that have a bigger budget, I will hire people,” Jess said. “I can only get so far with my tripod and my phone. And, generally, if it’s stuff that’s for myself, that’s fine. But if it’s bigger brands that have a bigger budget, I will budget in hiring a videographer to come help. I have no problem with hiring people.”

In a collaboration with the Northwest Arkansas chapter of People for Bikes, Jess BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 19

PLAY IT BACK: Hana checks out a take.

“prepped for work” all while riding with her hands off the handlebars.

There was no way she could shoot those scenes by herself, so she turned to local Anderson Ta of Benton Drones. Ta rode a one wheel alongside Jess and shot it all on a gimbal.

“That was definitely a challenging filming experience, but also one of the most fun,” Jess said. “Because we were laughing the whole day trying not to crash into each other. It was super fun. I love being able to also help other creators and pay them to do what they’re good at.”

So, what’s the one video that still stands out to Jess a year and a half into this new career?

The one that got it all started: How to Afford a High End Mountain Bike, starring that fixer upper they bought in Bella Vista.

“Our house needs a lot of work. We just got so excited to move here and mountain bike all the time that we just didn’t really have time to fix it,” she said. “I think it’s funny — I’m going to make this funny video about how people can afford a high end mountain bike by literally deprioritizing everything else in your life. So I was showing scenes of how we

“Our house needs a lot of work. We just got so excited to move here and mountain bike all the time that we just didn’t really have time to fix it.”

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haven’t finished our floors and how we don’t have curtains — we have a sheet. And instead of curtain ties, we use chip clips.

“And I remember making it and there was a moment I thought, ‘Man, I’m not gonna post this, this isn’t funny, people aren’t gonna find this funny.’ And then I was like, whatever, I’ll post it. And that was my first video that ever went viral.”

That video was posted Feb. 24, 2022 and has over 70,000 likes. Closing in on two years later, how’s the house looking?

“We have curtains now. But we have towel curtains in our bedroom,” Jess said. “So, one room at a time. It’s definitely not done. But, you know, the house will be there.”

And so will Jess, providing you with a good belly laugh and some motivation to hit the trails.

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A RISKY PROPOSITION

From Canada to Arkansas, from crits to gravel — Caro Poole’s cycling journey.

By Bryce Ward PHOTOGRAPHY by Dominique Powers

C

aro Poole began cycling more out of necessity than anything. In Montreal, where she was born and raised, the bicycle is one of the most practical machines for commuting. It didn’t take long, however, for cycling to become more to her than a means of getting around town.

It started with a fixie while she was studying at university. At the time, fixed-gear racing was near the forefront of cycling culture, especially in urban cities. Down south in Brooklyn, New York, the Red Hook Crit was on the rise and capturing the imaginations of countless cyclists, Caro included. But it wasn’t Red Hook that reeled her in; the exhilarating night crits in the abandoned factories of Montreal are what first captured her imagination and set her on the path toward racing.

She had grown up on the slopes — skiing by the age of 2, snowboarding by 16. Athletics had always played a part in her life, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before she found her new endeavor. And along the way, she also found love.

He was a production employee at a bike company in Montreal when they first started dating. He worked there for 12 years until its unfortunate bankruptcy in December 2015. A few months after the announcement, an auction was held to sell the company’s remaining assets, including its production equipment. As every cyclist knows, you can never have too many bike parts, so Olivier decided to attend. A man from America was also in attendance, and he was bidding on almost all the production equipment.

As it turns out, he was purchasing the building blocks of a new bike company, or so he told Olivier after curiosity got the better of him. After a long conversation during which Olivier explained he had been trained in every step of his previous company’s bike manufacturing process, the mysterious man from America asked Olivier for his phone number and the two parted ways.

TRADING TARMAC FOR GRAVEL: Gravel rekindled Poole’s love of cycling.

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EMOTIONAL FINISH: Poole greeted by her teammates after finishing The Mid South in March 2023. Her first race after becoming a mother.

Caro and Olivier had only been dating for five months when the news came through the other side of the telephone line: a career opportunity, 1,400 miles away from home, in a place known as Little Rock.

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After three long days of waiting, Olivier assumed he would never hear back from his auction acquaintance — and then the phone rang. Caro and Olivier had only been dating for five months when the news came through the other side of the telephone line: a career opportunity, 1,400 miles away from home, in a place known as Little Rock. It was a risky proposition, filled with unknowns; it would require leaving behind family and the lives they built in Montreal; but it was also the epitome of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And so, in August of 2016, the young couple found themselves in Arkansas with a whole new life ahead of them.

Little Rock, they quickly discovered, was not much like Montreal. Getting around town on a bike proved less practical, but there was a small and vibrant cycling scene. There were no night crits in abandoned factories, but there were some day crits in business parks, and some road races, too. Unable to work at the time due to her visa restrictions, and with plenty of time on her hands in a strange new place, Caro directed her energy to the bike and set her eyes toward the

upcoming race season.

She had raced road before, so it was a natural transition. But she had never taken training too seriously. In the winter of 2016, that all changed. She started logging miles on the relatively rural roads in and around Little Rock and became well acquainted with indoor training. At the start of the 2017 season, she picked up a new coach, began training with more structure, and joined her first team. Because Canada and the United States categorize their race classifications a little differently, she was thrown straight into Category Pro/1/2 races. “Cut-throat” was the term she used to describe that experience. But as the saying goes, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger — and she got stronger.

Year after year she continued training, joining increasingly stronger teams until she eventually began racing on a national level. But her climb up the ranks of American road cycling did not come without its costs. Increasing frustrations with tumultuous team dynamics combined with the grueling requirements of high-level road racing gradually drained away her

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CARO AND CAMI: Poole at the finish line of Big Sugar in Bentonville with Daughter Camille (above left). POSITIVE AND POWERFUL: Poole races for Velocia // Exploro. The team strives to be role models on and off the course (above right).

joy for cycling. And then, 2020 came. By this time, she had reached the point of the road that many cyclists eventually encounter: burnout.

During the pandemic, she took time to reorient her relationship with cycling, and she began gravitating toward a different form of cycling that offered her a refreshing alternative to the strictness of road, the type that looks forward to the “Pavement Ends” sign. On gravel roads, Caro rekindled her love for cycling, and her motivation to race again. In January 2022, she hung up her road shoes and joined a gravel racing team. Only this time, she wouldn’t be racing with the goal of winning, because she would soon be a mother.

She found out she was pregnant in October 2021, just days before the Big Sugar gravel race. She knew there was a chance some people would judge her for continuing to train and race while pregnant, but she also knew how important cycling was for her health and wellbeing. And unlike road, gravel afforded her an opportunity to race on her own terms. She could ride as far and as fast as she felt comfortable, far

away from car-littered roads. She could stop for as long as she’d like and take in the scenery she once had to ignore. Instead of competing against others, she could focus on connecting with her community.

Gravel gave her the freedom to keep riding, and she rode for as long as she could.

On June 29, 2022, Camille entered the world, and Caro and Olivier’s lives changed once again. When they first arrived in Arkansas, cycling was at the top of their list of priorities. They could ride whenever they pleased and for as long as they’d like. But the moment they became parents, they had to reshuffle.

Cycling, despite its many benefits, is ultimately selfish.

Parenthood, on the other hand, is not. They found creative ways to keep riding — alternating their long and short rides, spending more time on the indoor trainer — but they had to start riding less, more out of necessity than anything. To some, this may sound like a concession, but to those who have gazed into infant eyes, it is nothing short of a miracle.

It really was a risky proposition, filled with so many unknowns, but it’s safe to say it paid off.

Cycling is ultimately selfish. Parenthood, on the other hand, is not.

They found creative ways to keep riding but they had to start riding less.

To some, this may sound like a concession, but to those who have gazed into infant eyes, it is nothing short of a miracle.

BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 25

FLOATING ON

AIR

Northwest Arkansas brothers build the world’s lightest dirt jumper. story and PHOTOGRAPHY by Kai Caddy BROTHERLY BUILD: Karl (left) and Paul with the finished product.

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• 5 Minutes South of the Buffalo National River • Swimming & Fishing • Private ATV, Hiking & Cycling Trails • Wildlife Watching • Natural Dark Sky Accommodation (Arkansas Natural Sky Association)

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BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 27

W

hen you drop a couple of young men with a strong background in engineering, design and building into the cycling paradise that is Northwest Arkansas, you get the world’s lightest BMX dirt jumper.

Brothers Karl (20) and Paul (18) Zeunges built a titanium BMX dirt jumper from scratch that weighs in at just 16.7 pounds. The frame itself is 3.9 pounds.

They can’t find any proof that anyone has built a lighter dirt jumper.

“For a while, we’ve been obsessed with building pretty crazy projects,” Karl said. “We’ve done some others in the past. An electric monowheel is one of our bigger ones. And we were part of flugtag.”

The dirt jumper wasn’t their original idea.

“We originally started with wanting to make almost like a mini downhill bike,” Paul said. “And then we realized that full suspension would not be a good first build option.”

The brothers enjoy riding at places like the Railyard Bike Park in Rogers. The Railyard features curved walls, dirt rollers, berms, jumps, bridges, a rail car – the perfect playground for a BMX dirt jumper.

But, initially, lightweight wasn’t even the goal. As the project started and the brothers started looking at parts, they realized they could try and make it as light as possible.

28 | BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023

A TRUE LIGHTWEIGHT: The Zeunges’ dirt jumper weighs in at less than 17 pounds (top), ironic that they incorporated a triceratops head tube badge (above).

BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 29

ALL IN THE DETAILS: Weight was saved by purchasing the lightest weight parts they could find and by drilling holes in others. Unique tubes were also used in the build.

30 | BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023

“I

t was mostly just the idea of what would a superlight bike ride like,” Paul said. “Because there was no one out there able to explain what it’s like.”

The Zeunges are no strangers to the engineering world. Their father is a math teacher who runs a STEM program and their grandfather is a retired machinist.

Design inspiration came when they saw a video of U.K. rider Matt Jones building a lightweight Marin Alcatraz. Later they incorporated some design ideas from the Santa Cruz Jackal as well. Armed with sketches and the idea to build the lightest bike possible, they attended the Bentonville Bike Fest to see what riders thought of the idea.

“Everybody was kind of shooting us down,” Karl said. “They said it would never work. Our target was 15 pounds. Because it seemed so

unrealistic. A lot of the BMX guys thought that it wouldn’t work and the mountain bikers didn’t really know what to think. They didn’t like the idea. They said it would be too light and everything. And we just wanted to try it.”

Paul explained that the riders thought the bike would move around too much in the air.

“But we thought it would be more agile,” Karl said. “We asked them, ‘Well, have you ridden a bike that light’ and the answer was always no.”

Paul said, “We’ve had people riding the bike who are a lot better than us. And they can whip the bike past 90 degrees – really far – almost effortless. A big problem with it is it’s so light that you kind of just go up off the ground before you usually do. And most people aren’t used to that. So it takes a few minutes of riding to get used to the bike.”

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COURTESY KARL AND PAUL ZEUNGES

A

IN PROGRESS: The bike’s tubes laid out in the jig (top) and some unique tools the brothers have collected to maintain the bike (above).

32 | BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023

fter the sketches, the brothers took the design into CAD, and 3D printed parts to get the frame’s angles and then hand-mitered all the tubes.

The brothers did most of the work themselves. They only needed help from a welder; their grandfather; local frame builder Ryan Johnson did some reaming for them; a tube bender; and a machinist at 5DEV mountain bike components.

“We combined three hard things,” Karl said. “We have a tapered head tube, we’ve got a bent down tube. And then we’ve got a top tube that meets the down tube. Not only is the mitering difficult, but the weld is actually very difficult to get in that very tight angle.”

The bike’s seat post is also part of the frame and the saddle is permanently affixed to the post.

“We thought that seat post designs are so universal, that they become very clumsy and kind of clunky,” Karl said. “They have too many parts. I don’t even know how many parts it takes to put a seat on. And we just have one piece. We wanted to keep it simple and elegant. And we knew we could save a lot of weight there. And some of that came down to money, too, because we could save money by doing that.”

Karl said the project ended up costing around $3 per gram.

And the pair was eager to save weight without having to spend money to do it. They shaved off the brake mounts on their front fork, drilled holes in parts and even 3D printed a top cap for their fork because they could save a few grams over the stock cap.

“It’s a lot easier than it sounds,” Karl said. “It’s just a matter of getting parts that are light. A lot of it is just shopping, really.”

OFF-ROAD ADVENTURE, ON THE BEATEN PATH Right off the trails in the heart of downtown Bentonville, 21c Museum Hotel merges art and nature for a cycling getaway that is anything but ordinary. Enjoy complimentary bike valet and storage.

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TAKE YOUR RIDE TO THE NEXT ELEVATION. Are you ready to embark on an epic mountain bike adventure through the Ozark Mountains? Join mountain bike enthusiasts from around the world in experiencing some of the best singletrack trails you can find in Arkansas.

Whether you are a seasoned pro or just starting out, Fayetteville’s 110-mile network of trails offers opportunities for enthusiasts of all levels to get outdoors and explore the beautiful landscape all year long.

The rugged Ozark mountains surrounding Fayetteville are ideal for mountain biking, and the city offers up easy-to-access trails inside the city limits. The Fayetteville Traverse, a unique singletrack trail experience, knits together the city’s amenities, multiple public parks, mountain bike trail systems, residences, the University of Arkansas, and its Historic Downtown with a continuous natural surface route for mountain bikers, hikers and trail runners.

Boasting 500-foot climbs and long descents, mountain bikers looking for intermediate and advanced riding should head over

to Kessler Mountain Regional Park. The 620-acre park features miles of technical, rocky singletrack in old-growth forest. Its sister, Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain, offers 12+ miles of fast and flowy trails with multiple downhill, directional trails.

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Ready to Ride? Scan for Routes

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BENTONVILLE ENDURO NOV. 3-5 $10-$120 Bentonville The third race weekend in the fall season of the Arkansas Enduro Series featuring practice and dual slalom racing on Friday, followed by two days of enduro on Saturday and Sunday. Visit arkansasenduroseries. com for more information.

TOUR DE QUEEN NOV. 4 $40 De Queen Tour de Queen is celebrating its 12th annual event. Riders can choose from routes of 14, 25, 36 and 47 miles. The routes traverse scenic areas around De Queen, including Chapel Hill, Johnson’s Bridge and De

Queen Lake. Register at bikereg.com/ tourdequeen.

OLD POST CHALLENGE NOV. 5 $25-$50 Russellville After a 16-year hiatus and a postponement this spring, the Old Post Challenge XC race returns. The race is part of the Arkansas Mountain Bike Championship Series. Visit bikereg.com/old-post-challenge to register.

TAO PUMP TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS NOV. 11 $20 Springdale The Runway Bike Park at the Jones Center hosts the Texas-Arkansas-Oklahoma

LITTLE ROCK CYCLOCROSS

Tri-State Pump Track Championships.

Age groups from strider to 50-plus are scheduled to compete. More information is available at thejonescenter.net/tao.

HIGH IN THE OZARKS NOV. 18 Free Ozark Gravel ride with route options of 45 (4,600 feet of elevation) and 75 miles (8,000 feet of elevation) in the heart of the Ozark National Forest presented by Byrd’s Adventure Center and the Ozark Outdoor Foundation. More information is available at highintheozarks.org.

NOV. 4 $15-$30 War Memorial Park, Little Rock Cyclocross racing in the capital city presented by SHAM Events. More information and registration is available at bikereg.com/lrcx-2023.

34 | BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023

KAI CADDY

EVENTS

HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE TO INCLUDE IN A FUTURE BIKE ARKANSAS? EMAIL EDITOR KAI CADDY AT KAICADDY@GMAIL.COM.

DO YOU HAVE BIKE NEWS? WANT TO ADVERTISE? INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES? CONTACT BROOKE WALLACE AT: BROOKE@ARKTIMES.COM @BIKEARMAG

DRIVERS PLEASE BE AWARE, IT’S ARKANSAS STATE LAW: USE OF BICYCLES OR ANIMALS

Every person riding a bicycle or an animal, or driving any animal drawing a vehicle upon a highway, shall have all the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except those provisions of this act which by their nature can have no applicability.

OVERTAKING A BICYCLE

The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a roadway shall exercise due care and pass to the left at a safe distance of not less than three feet (3’) and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken bicycle.

Beginning in 2019 with the “Idaho Stop” law, cyclists may treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs.

AND CYCLISTS, PLEASE REMEMBER...

Your bike is a vehicle on the road just like any other vehicle and you must also obey traffic laws as applicable — use turning and slowing hand signals, ride on right and yield to traffic as if driving. Be sure to establish eye contact with drivers. Remain visible and predictable at all times.

BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 35

When preparing to pass others, speak an audible warning in advance.

Always pass on the left side, while leaving two feet of clearance.

Cyclists and skaters should travel at safe and appropriate speeds.

Keep an eye on your children at all times.

Keep pets on a short leash and under control at all times.

Always clean up after your pets.

Pay attention to all trail markings, ew tips signs to and other alerts or warnings.

Do not smoke while on the trails. us all safe Motorized vehicles are not allowed e enjoying (with the exception of motorized wheelchairs, certain classes of e-bikes, Arkansasand emergency vehicles). to the right side of the pathways, ver Trail!Keep except when passing others.

paring to pass others, Pedestrians always have the right of dible warning in advance. way. Groups should travel single-file to ss on the left side,insure whilethat cyclists are able to pass. two feet of clearance.When stopping, move off of the

GÜDRUN MTB FESTIVAL

NOV. 10-12 Hot Springs The fifth annual three-day Northwoods mountain bike festival. Events include a downtown slow roll, full and mini enduros, a jump jam and the Atilla the Hun XC race. Visit northwoodstrails.org for more information.

MUDDY MEADOWS CYCLOCROSS NOV. 19 $10-$30 Conway USA Cycling sanctioned cyclocross race in Conway presented by Arkansas United Cycling. Register at bikereg.com/muddy-meadows-cyclocross.

THE PIE RIDE DEC. 2 $20 Keo A 35-mile ride finishing at Charlotte’s Eats and Sweets for cake or pie and coffee as part of the Arkansas Pecan Festival. Visit bikereg. com/the-pie-ride to register.

NATIONAL GUARD GRIT BEAST CHALLENGE DEC. 9 $35 Dardanelle A mountain bike/trail run duathlon at Mt.

KAI CADDY

A few tips to keep us all safe while enjoying the Arkansas River Trail!

Nebo State Park presented by Jackalope Cycling. Registrants can do the event solo or as a two-person team. Registration is available at bikereg.com/national-guard-grit-beastchallenge.

BUFFALO HEADWATERS CHALLENGE FEB. 2-4 $50-$90 Pettigrew The Buffalo Headwater Challenge presented by Adventure Subaru is a three-day, all-inclusive, “off-the-grid” mountain bike festival. It includes five meals, libations, tent and RV camping, live music and amazing riding. The highlight is the annual Challenge ride on Saturday, a 27-mile semi-supported backcountry mountain bike experience with a few marked bailouts along the way. The Challenge Plus ride comes in at 41 miles and there will also be a guided Gravel Challenge at 45 miles. On Sunday there will be a gravel group ride to Buffalo Outdoor Center or use your wristband at Buffalo Outdoor Center

skaters shouldpavement travel at so as not to impede passersappropriate speeds. by on the Arkansas trails.

s Cy cli st s a lwa yet wea r th e ir h e lm s!

ion to all trail markings, ther alerts or warnings.

oke while on the trails.

vehicles are not allowed exception of motorized for more etiquette certain classesLook of e-bikes, and mergency vehicles). safety tips at arkansasrivertrail.org ight side of the pathways, when passing36others. | BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023

s always have the right of

ARKANSAS STATE CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS DEC. 10

$15-$35 Beaver Fork Lake Park, Conway State championship jerseys will be up for grabs at the annual cyclocross state championships presented by Arkansas United Cycling. USAC license required. Visit bikereg.com/arkansas-state-cyclocross-championships to register.

KAI CADDY

e on your children at all times. n a short leash and under trol at all times. ean up after your pets.

FOR ALL YOUR

Coming Soon NORTHWEST

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ESTATE NEEDS,

Easy access to all bike trails and CONTACT JASON gorgeous scenery.

TODAY!

Call for more information:

for free shuttles to the Buffalo Outdoor Center Downhill Trails. Register at bikereg.com/ buffaloheadwaterschallenge.

BOSTON MOUNTAIN ECLIPSE CHALLENGE APRIL 6-8 $400 Witts Springs A gravel cycling event incorporating some fun challenges along a 50-mile route. Teams of four will stop at five locations along the route and complete challenges before moving to the next stop. The event includes entertainment, free tent camping, showers, bathrooms, meals, support stops, activities and prime eclipse viewing with viewing glasses. Visit ​​ wittssprings.org/2024-eclipse-event for more information.

Jason McClure Realtor®

January 20, 9:00AM Kessler Mountain Regional Park

fayetteville-ar.gov/frozentoes

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S ThompsonSt, St, Springdale, AR 72764 5100 S5100 Thompson Springdale, AR 72764

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After the ride... beer

music art tacos coffee

Read BikeAR here! off the beaten path, but worth the find 409 W. Van Buren, Eureka Springs www.gotahold.beer

READ THE RESULTS IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE! BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023 | 37

Bike Shops

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ARKANSAS CYCLING & FITNESS 315 N. Bowman, Suites 6-9 501-221-BIKE (2453) arkansascycling.com THE COMMUNITY BICYCLIST 7509 Cantrell Road, Suite 118 501-663-7300 thecommunitybicyclist.com PEDEGO ELECTRIC BIKES 2017 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501-747-1633 pedegoelectricbikes.com ROCK TOWN RIVER OUTFITTERS (RENTAL) Little Maumelle River Boat Launch 501-831-0548 rocktownriveroutfitters.com SHIFT MODERN CYCLERY 1101 W. Markham St. 501-683-8400 shiftmoderncyclery.com SOUTHWEST BIKE SHOP 7121 Baseline Road 501-562-1866 SPOKES GIANT LITTLE ROCK 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 607 501-508-5566 spokesgiant.com TREK BICYCLE OF LITTLE ROCK 10300 Rodney Parham Road 501-224-7651 trekbikes.com

HOT SPRINGS BICYCLE TOURING COMPANY 436 Broadway St. 501-276-2175 facebook.com/hotspringsbicycletouringcompany PARKSIDE CYCLE 719 Whittington Ave. 501-623-6188 parksidecycle.com SPA CITY CYCLING 873 Park Ave. 501-463-9364 spacitycycling.com

DOGWOOD JUNCTION 4650 Hwy 412 East 479-524-6605 dogwoodjunction.biz PHAT TIRE BIKE SHOP 101 S. Broadway St. 479-373-1458 phattirebikeshop.com

NORTH LITTLE ROCK ANGRY DAVE’S BICYCLES 3217 John F. Kennedy Blvd.

501-753-4990 angrydavesbicycles.com RECYCLE BIKES FOR KIDS 717 E. 10th St. 501-563-8264 recyclebikesforkids.org

BENTON MASTERLINK BIKE SHOP 108 N. East St. 501-672-4110 hollyrollerunited.com

SHERWOOD ARKANSAS CYCLING & FITNESS 3010 E. Kiehl Ave. 501-834-5787 arkansascycling.com J&P BIKE SHOP 7910 Hwy. 107 501-835-4814 jandpbikeshop.com

CONWAY THE RIDE 2100 Meadowlake Road, No. 2 501-764-4500 therideonline.net 38 | BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023

EUREKA SPRINGS ADVENTURE MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS 152 W. Van Buren St. 479-253-0900

SEARCY

FAYETTEVILLE

THE BIKE LANE 2116 W. Beebe-Capps Expressway 501-305-3915 thebikelane.cc

LYON COLLEGE BIKE SHOP 301 23rd St. 870-307-7529 lyon.edu/bikes

PHAT TIRE BIKE SHOP 3775 N. Mall Ave. 479-966-4308 phattirebikeshop.com THE BIKE ROUTE 3660 N. Front St., Suite 2 479-966-4050 facebook.com/thebikeroute THE HIGHROLLER CYCLERY 322 W. Spring St. 479-442-9311 highrollercyclery.com PHAT TIRE BIKE SHOP 101 W. Johnson Ave., Suite B 479-717-2073 phattirebikeshop.com

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GEARHEAD CYCLE HOUSE 231 S. Main St. 870-336-2453 facebook.com/gearheadcycling

BEAVER LAKE OUTDOOR CENTER (RENTALS) 14434 E. State Hwy. 12 479-877-4984 beaverlakeoutdoorcenter.com MAGNOLIA CYCLES 216 E. Chestnut St. 479-278-2249 magnoliacycles.com PHAT TIRE BIKE SHOP 321 S. Arkansas St. 479-899-6188 phattirebikeshop.com THE HIGHROLLER CYCLERY 402 S. Metro Parkway 479-254-9800 highrollercyclery.com

HEBER SPRINGS SULPHUR CREEK OUTFITTERS 1520 Highway 25B 501-691-0138 screekoutfitters.com

BATESVILLE

RUSSELLVILLE JACKALOPE CYCLING 103 N. Commerce Ave. 479-890-4950 jackalopecycling.com

FORT SMITH CHAMPION CYCLING & FITNESS 5500 Massard Road 479-484-7500 championcycling.com PHAT TIRE BIKE SHOP 1700 Rogers Ave. 479-222-6796 phattirebikeshop.com ROLL ON BMX AND SKATE 1907 Cavanaugh Road 479-974-1235 rollonbmx.business.site THE WOODSMAN COMPANY 5609 Rogers Ave, Suite D 479-452-3559 thewoodsmancompany.com

BENTONVILLE BENTONVILLE BICYCLE CO. 813 W. Central Ave. 479-268-3870 bentonvillebicyclecompany.com BIKE SHOP JOE’S 1206 SE Moberly Lane, Suite 6 479-709-2242 bikeshopjoes.com BUDDY PEGS FAMILY BICYCLE HQ 3605 NW Wishing Springs Road 479-268-4030 buggypegs.com

CUSTOM CRUZERS PREMIUM E-BIKES 10636 Hwy. 72 West, Suite 102 479-367-4694 facebook.com/customcruzersnwa THE HUB BIKE LOUNGE 410 SW A St., Suite 2 479-364-0394 thehubbikelounge.com THE METEOR 401 SE D St. 479-268-4747 espressochampagnechainlube. com MOOSEJAW 111 S. Main St. 479-265-9245 moosejaw.com MOJO CYCLING 1100 N. Walton Blvd.

479-271-7201 mojocycling.com PHAT TIRE BIKE SHOP 125 W. Central Ave. 479-715-6170 phattirebikeshop.com PLUG POWER BICYCLES 3905 NW Wishing Spring Road 479-273-9229 facebook.com/plugpowerbikes RAPHA CLUBHOUSE 117 W. Central Ave. 479-339-2366 content.rapha.cc/us/en/clubhouse/bentonville SPECIALIZED BENTONVILLE EXPERIENCE CENTER 240 S. Main St., Suite 170 479-410-0450 specializedbentonville.com STRIDER BIKES 109 N. Main St. 479-367-2335 facebook.com/StriderStoreBentonville

BELLA VISTA PHAT TIRE BIKE SHOP 3803 NW Wishing Springs Drive 479-268-3800 phattirebikeshop.com

BICYCLE REPAIR & SERVICE ONLY OZARK BICYCLE SERVICE W. Deane St., Fayetteville 479-715-1496 ozarkbicycleservice.business.site REVOLUTION MOBILE BIKE REPAIR 512-968-7600 revrepair.com

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CUSTOM JERSEYS FLO BIKEWEAR 901-896-5979

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40 | BIKE ARKANSAS november 2023