Shuttle Hound serves area cyclists
Moving to Bella Vista was always part of the plan, Lisa Winfield said. But the plan was to move to property they owned when they retired. The date was moved up when their home in Dallas burned to the ground. In April of 2019, Winfield and Abbie Seidel made the decision to buy a home and move to Bella Vista.
“This is like heaven to us,” Winfield said, explaining that they love mountain biking, hiking and kayaking. “Being able to walk out our back door and be in the middle of nature is awesome.”
They left a small business behind in Dallas, but Winfield said she was already planning a new venture when they moved. The new business is up and running and doing well. Shuttle Hound is a shuttle service for mountain bikes and their riders.
The name Shuttle Hound is a nod to their love of dogs and their work with various dog rescues.
They offer several services. They can pick up anywhere in the area and transport to a trail head or a point along a trail. Later, they pick up at another pre-arranged point and bring the riders home. They use a 10-passenger van with a bike rack on the trailer hitch. Buying the van was “a big leap,” Winfield said, but she believes it’s paying off. They work with the bike shops and plan to attend all the mountain bike races and events to get the word out.
The service is especially convenient for people in town for business. There are places to rent bikes, but those places may not be close to the hotel or a trail head and business travelers may not have a way to transport a bike, so Shuttle Hound provides the answer.
Another service is a four-hour downhill tour. Some cyclists, Winfield explained, may not want to spend their afternoon struggling up a steep grade. Shuttle Hound can drop riders at the top of the hill and then meet them at the bottom and then move on to the top of the next hill — to do it over again.
A lot of people like their Greenway service. People like riding the Greenway, Winfield said, but they aren’t always as enthusiastic on the way home. The round trip, she said, is 70 miles. If they have two vehicles, they can drop one at the far end of the trail and then drive back and get on their bikes. But that isn’t the answer for everyone. Shuttle Hound can pick up at either end of the Greenway and take the riders back to their car. They can also help if there’s an emergency. Their website, shuttlehound.com/, explains that they don’t consider themselves a guide service, but they do offer a full day guided tour that concentrates on the downhill sections of trails. They can point out the best places to enjoy Arkansas scenery and stop by waterfalls and rock bluffs. For other riders, they can share ratings of each trail — Green (beginner-friendly), Blue (Intermediate skill) and Black (Expert skill level). Because of liability, they can’t make specific recommendations and they ask everyone to sign a liability waiver, just in case.
For some cyclists, Shuttle Hound can help with lodging. They also own an Airbnb called Tunnel Vision Nights. Winfield, a wood worker, spent much of her first year in Bella Vista renovating the home and building some of the furniture.
With the Airbnb up and running and Shuttle Hound less busy because of the weather, Winfield is working part time at Riordan Hall. She enjoys meeting her new neighbors and learning about the activities available in Bella Vista.