Road bike routes are a little easier to find, since all you have to do is finish up where you started. Below are two routes that any rider would find of interest. We will also be uploading more road route info/maps so check back soon.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Savoy Loop (review written by Caleb Wright):

This is a thirty mile loop touring the beautiful country roads of Fayetteville, Tontitown, and Farmington. There are actually several group rides that follow this route, so if you're interested in riding with other people please call one of the Lewis & Clark stores and speak with someone in the bike shop about participating in a group ride.

Parking: Holt Middle School is the best place to park on the weekends or during non-school hours. To get to Holt Middle School from the interstate, take the Porter Road exit (exit 65) and turn north on Mt. Comfort Road. After about a mile, take a right on Rupple Rd and the Holt Middle School will be on the left.

Cycling Route: From Holt Middle School, take a right onto Rupple Rd, and then a right onto Mount Comfort Rd. Follow this road for about five miles. Take a right onto Harmon Dump Rd (there is a huge white cow statue on the right). Go straight on Harmon Dump Rd (also known as Arbor Acres Rd), past the dump, and take a left at the intersection with Harmon Rd. You'll wind right and then left on this road twice, and then take a right onto N. UA Beef Farm Rd (there is a "U of A Savoy Unit" sign at this intersection). Follow this road down the hill into Savoy. Bear right to cross the bridge at the bottom of the hill, and take a right at the intersection with Hwy 16. After about a half mile on Hwy 16, turn left onto Viney Grove Rd (and be careful at this corner). You'll follow Viney Grove for several miles before taking a left onto Goose Creek Rd (just before you reach a large hill on Viney Grove). Follow Goose Creek until you reach the intersection with Double Springs Road. Take a left here, but be cautious, as the stop sign is at the bottom of an incline. Double Springs Road will climb up to a stoplight at Hwy 16 (Wedington Dr). Cross Wedington, and follow Double Springs until it ends on Mount Comfort Rd. Take a right onto Mount Comfort and return to the school.

You can probably classify this route as beginner to intermediate, with a couple climbs thrown in to challenge you. The two climbs are on Harmon Dump Rd, just after turning left at the white bull, and on Double Springs Rd just before it intersects with Mount Comfort Rd. This second climb is actually pretty steep, but not very long. It comes near the end of the ride, so save something for it.

This is a relatively safe route, but be extra cautious on a couple sections. The section of Hwy 16 you will encounter is not a very busy one, but it is basically a large curve in the highway, so be mindful of traffic. Also, Double Springs Rd between Hwy 16 and Mount Comfort Rd has a sharp right-hand turn at the bottom of a steep hill, and you'll usually encounter some gravel and guineas here.

The best description I can give of this route is that it's just really beautiful, despite road names such as Harmon Dump and Beef Farm Rd. You'll probably like the view as you descend Beef Farm Rd. into Savoy; there are some rolling pastures with scattered forests and cattle. There's only one gas station on this route, which sits at the intersection of Double Springs Rd. and Hwy 16 near the end of the ride. Again, there are several group rides that follow this route, so if you're interested in riding with other people please call one of the Lewis & Clark stores!

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CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Roland Loop (review written by Jeff Snodgres):

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With the cooler temperatures drifting into our Natural State, along with the magnificent color changes such brings, it is time to think about some great fall cycling... There are some great routes to ride which will take your through a palette of fall colors while leaving your legs and mind refreshed and your lungs renewed with the cool air of fall.

One of my favorite short routes is the Roland Loop which is a 20 - 25 mile ride through and around the small town of Roland just northwest of Little Rock... You can start from the main Pinnacle Mountain State Park for approximately 20 miles of flat to slightly rolling roads through this small and bicycle friendly community or start from the Corps of Engineers Maumelle Park for approximately 25 miles and a bit of extra climbing, though the extra scenery you will pass through makes the few extra miles worth the effort.

The Roland loop encompasses a portion of the Lake Maumelle loop, another personal favorite, convenient to those residing in town and wanting to get a bit of peace on the bike, though the Roland Loop is quite a bit shorter and lacks much of the climbing to be found on the 38 mile, when starting from Pinnacle Mountain State park, Lake Maumelle ride so named as it circles its namesake Lake Maumelle.

The Roland Loop is a favorite of mine for a quick and relatively easy jaunt out of the confines of Little Rock, especially when I do not have the time, or light, to make the Maumelle Loop... "Old school" riders from the Little Rock area are quite familiar with this loop and there are many renowned "sprint lines" along the route where cyclists on training rides will up the ante of a friendly pace and sprint to be the first across the unmarked, though well known, mock finish lines.