Our miles upon miles of beautiful trails make biking year-round in Fayetteville a breeze, but warm spring weather is when all the bikes come out to play! Fayetteville, the first-ever UCI Bike City in the United States, celebrates Bike Month every year in May.
One of the easiest ways to experience biking in Fayetteville is to head out in nearly any direction to explore our 50 miles of family-friendly trails, including Mile Zero of the Razorback Regional Greenway. If you want to explore further, there are over 400 miles of scenic paved roads accessible from town. Fayetteville’s low traffic density, high road quality, and diverse mountain topography make it an ideal location to enjoy Bike Month!
In addition to paved trails, Fayetteville offers gravel riding opportunities and world-class mountain biking options, too, with a variety of family-friendly flow trails, technical singletrack and purpose-built trail systems just a few miles from downtown. In addition to its Bike City label, Fayetteville is one of only 40 Ride Centers in the world certified by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. With the multitude of trails available to discover through Mt. Kessler and Mt. Sequoyah, riders can experience the true beauty of the Ozarks.
Fayetteville is also one of less than 500 certified Bike Friendly Communities. Our commitment to investing in bicycle infrastructure, providing bicycle education in our public schools, creating free bike route maps, and making biking in Fayetteville fun and accessible for everyone is apparent all throughout the city!
For the entire month of May, riders are encouraged to sign up for the National Bike Challenge. Miles ridden, workplace participation, rides taken, and pounds of CO2 reduced will be tallied for each rider and for the entire community. Want to join the fun but don't have a bike? Rentals are available at several local bike shops, such as Phat Tire, located in North Fayetteville on Mall Ave, just off the Mud Creek Trail. You can find other bike rental options in our Visitors Guide.
Bike Month Events
Every Tuesday in May (3, 10, 17, 24, 31) – Dinner Rolls
Kick off Bike Month by hitting the trails and riding to dinner, where you’ll enjoy a complimentary bike valet provided by Experience Fayetteville. The “Dinner Rolls” valet will be available at a different Fayetteville restaurant each Tuesday evening throughout the month. Check our Facebook and Instagram pages for restaurant announcements every week.
Thursday, May 5 – First Thursday Slow Roll Community Ride
First Thursday: Natura’s bike ride will be a leisurely tour of Fayetteville’s legacy trees. The slow roll will be a free, guided group bike ride where the point is not to race but to relax and enjoy good company and good vibes! This is a kid-friendly ride but Strider bikes and training wheels are not advised. Click through to see a preview of the route or to learn more about First Thursday.
Saturday, May 7 – Square-to-Square Bike Ride
A 30-mile, biannual fun ride on the Razorback Regional Greenway. The spring 2022 ride starts at Fayetteville’s Square and ends at Bentonville’s Square. The intention of the S2S Ride, the “Official Ride of the Razorback Greenway”, is to provide an event for folks that are new to riding bikes while promoting safe riding and showcasing the Razorback Greenway. Ride details and registration information can be found here.
Thursday, May 19 - Sunday, May 22 – Joe Martin Stage Race
The 45th anniversary of the Joe Martin Stage Race, one of the top professional and amateur road cycling stage races in the nation, returns to Fayetteville for 2022. Be sure not to miss the spectator-friendly Experience Fayetteville Criterium on the historic streets of Downtown Fayetteville! You can find a schedule and more information here.
Friday, May 20 – National Bike to Work Day // All Bikes Welcome Launch Party
Join riders across the country who are biking to work or school on this day! Riders can stop by the Experience Fayetteville Visitors Center for more bike maps and route ideas to continue their rides after their commutes - and for the rest of Bike Month. In the evening, pedal down to the Fayetteville Public Library to help celebrate the launch of a new, local, bicycle-centric non-profit, All Bikes Welcome. Refuel your riding day with food, live music, and lots of interactive vendors!
