Area shops struggle to keep up with bikin g popularity
As a result of many gyms and workout facilities being shut down for several weeks due to coronavirus concerns, people all over the country started moving outdoors to exercise or to just escape the isolation of their homes.
Garland County is no different, and whether up a mountain path of gravel and dirt or across a flat, concrete trail, outdoor biking has proven to be a dominant choice and preferred activity for many, drawing many local patrons to bike shops located in Hot Springs.
Chief operating officer at First Step and local mountain biking enthusiast Aerah Hardin has kept most of her riding ventures geared towards the trails less traveled. However, the seasoned rider has still witnessed a upward curve in the number of bikers.
“Every time I’ve been able to go out there, I see just tons of cars there,” she said. “Lately, there’s been people from different states there. … A lot of my riding has not really all been there. I wanted to kinda get away from the crowds, so I’ve been doing longer distances and different aspects — some gravel and some road stuff, too. … Hot Springs Northwoods (and) Cedar Glades trail systems are the most highly used and are getting tons of use during this time.
“However, what I’ve noticed is even when I get out there and see a ton of cars in the parking lot, there’s still plenty of space on the trail to feel like you’re out there alone. I haven’t felt crowded at all. … If you are looking for a more challenging ride where you are sure not to run into any crowds, the LOViT (Lake Ouachita Vista) Trail is a great option and another go-to for me, then Iron Mountain trails in Arkadelphia has recently added quite a bit of new trail and is another great option.”
Parkside Cycle bike shop owner Jann Hubbard described her own experience and take on the increasingly high demand for bikes in the area and beyond.
“All of our entry-level bikes — basically all mountain bikes below a thousand dollars — have been sold out, and that’s all the 2020 stock with all major manufacturers, so it’s nationwide. It’s Walmart; it’s everybody,” she explained. “The 2021 stuff won’t be coming in until like September through December, so there’s definitely going to be some gaps.”
“I know that both bike shops (in Hot Springs) have sold a ton of bikes,” Hardin agreed. “I mean there’s just been people, even the bike suppliers, who are running out of bikes.”
Despite the noticed uptick in the number of bikers, Hardin explained that outdoor biking could be a safer option for physical and recreational activity.
“The trails have not been crowded because you just have so many miles out there,” she explained. “It’s really felt perfectly safe every time we’ve gone out. … It’s been pretty great to see so many families out together riding. It’s been so neat seeing all the kids on the bikes and then parents with them. … It’s definitely brought a lot of families together.
“So many of my friends that have kids (who) have never ridden before have contacted me; in fact, I just met up with one family that wanted me to ride with them and their two boys, and just kinda give them tips and stuff.”
In lieu of bike shortages around the country, other factors are now being brought to the attention of riders everywhere.
“It’s been very good (and) very phenomenal for the bike industry as a whole, and for us. We’ve sold as many bikes in the last three months as we generally do in a year,” said Hubbard. “Now what we’re seeing is our repair care picking up, because of repairs (being) the next step for people when we’re out of bikes. … Now we’re getting low on parts and can’t get parts on a lot of them.
Hubbard said that she is happy to see so many individuals that have discovered another option for physical activity and exercise.
“In hindsight, none of us saw this coming because who knew that COVID was going to be good for outdoor recreation?” she said. “People couldn’t get to the gym. They have kids that couldn’t do any sports — athletes couldn’t run track and play baseball (who) are normally always active and that literally needed to go out and burn off some energy, as well as the parents having the kids at home and not used to having them at home but needing them to burn off energy as well.”
With such a wealth of space for individuals to enjoy the Natural State, Hubbard is glad to see the number of people willing to get outdoors.
“We’re fortunate that we have a governor that saw the importance of keeping small businesses open as much as we could, as well as (the fact that) we’re not a city or a state that when you go outside, you’re elbow-to-elbow with people,” she said.
“We have all this open space, and we’re able to get out. We’ve not done any group rides like we normally do, so people are going out and riding on their own or meeting with one or two friends. There’s been no organized rides.”