Five Races, Two Days, One Historic Festival

The Rogers Cycling Festival is coming up on Aug. 1-2, offering opportunities for all skill levels as well as events for road cyclists and mountain bike enthusiasts. For those who have enjoyed the Race for the Spike and the Frisco 5 Poker Ride in recent years, you will have the opportunity to participate in those events as well as an expanded offering of cycling events.

Race for the Spike

7:30 a.m., Aug. 1. A course that will start on the Fleming Tract, one of the newer tracts that expands the Lake Atalanta Park. Racers will cover approximately 6 miles over the new single track with a joint finish to beat the A&M train and road bike racers. Custom jersey to the top male and female finishers. Cyclists who beat the train win an engraved railroad spike. On-line registration closes at midnight on July 30. On-site registration for the Race For The Spike will only be on Friday, July 31 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

The Wheel Sucker

9:30 a.m., Aug. 1. The Wheel Sucker is a 3-person team trial for road cyclists over a 10-mile course on North Arkansas Street/Old Wire Road from Rogers to Avoca and back.

Hot & Hilly Mountain Bike Challenge

A two-person mountain bike relay format that has the first rider starting at the Fleming Tract of Lake Atalanta Park, following the new single track trail approximately 6 miles up to the Rogers Bike Park complex and the Exchange Zone. The second rider finishes the race after covering approximately 7 miles of single track taking them down to the Fleming Tract and back to the bike park. Prizes awarded to the top teams. Participants may compete in either the Sport or Novice category based on their skill level. The Sport category will start at 9:30 a.m. and the Novice category will start at 11:30 a.m.

Frisco Five Poker Ride

5 p.m., Aug. 1. This is a relaxed, family-friendly 1.26-mile course laid on the streets of historic downtown Rogers. In the past few years we’ve seen kids, grown-ups, pets, and families enjoy this event. Prizes are awarded to the best poker hands.

Walnut Rally Road Race

Sunday, Aug. 2. This will be a road race on a 6.1-mile loop in the Walnut Valley area outside of northeast Rogers.

The registration area for the Rogers Cycling Festival will be in the parking lot at 214 S. Arkansas St., in Rogers. The Registration Area is just north of the Cottage @ the Barn and across the street from the Jiffy Kwick.

To get to downtown Rogers from I-49, take Exit 85 (Walnut Street) and go east approximately 3.5 miles.

Parking is available at the designated parking areas or in the numerous on-street parking throughout the downtown Rogers area. Vehicle parking is not allowed in the Registration Area or in the Cottage @ the Barn or Jiffy Kwick lots. First aid will be available in the Registration Area on August 1.

Proceeds from the Race for the Spike and Frisco 5 Poker Ride over the three previous years have been dedicated to supporting the Rogers Community Bike Program. In the spring of 2014, NWA Emerging Leaders, the event organizer, used proceeds from these events to purchase 25 new bikes that were placed at trailheads in Rogers for free public use.

This year, the group hopes to significantly expand the fundraising efforts to support the Rogers Community Bike Program in a greater way and also support other related efforts to improve cycling and overall wellness in Northwest Arkansas. The group intends to support Pedal It Forward with a share of this year’s proceeds (http://www.pedalitforwardnwa.com/). Pedal It Forward is a non-profit organization that takes donated old, used bikes, tunes them up and provides them to NWA children in need. The group will also provide contributions to the Ozark Off Road Cyclists and the Boston Mountain Cyclists clubs in recognition of their volunteers who will help organize and run portions of the festival.