# Hot Springs, AR - Thanksgiving week



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Any RBR types in the Hot Springs area?

One of my favorite towns. Lots of great riding, especially if you have a fire-road suitable bike and decent climbing legs.

Anyway, PM me if you're in the area, would love to talk routes and maybe set up a ride.

thx
Creak


----------



## bianchi bob (Mar 23, 2008)

I live a few hours north of Hot Springs, but I rode there about six weeks ago, as you mentioned, it's a great place. Riding in North Little Rock and the surrounding area is also very good, especially when taking the Big Dam Bridge over the AR River. I find it a more bike friendly area than Hot Springs. Not sure when you're making the trip, but the long range weather forecast (ten days out) looks ideal, lows in the 50's, highs in the 70's. Enjoy.


----------



## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

Memphis is not too far from Hot Springs! I'll be going to MS for Thanksgiving, but the Friday after has always been a favorite of mine for long rides.


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

hey Bob... a few hours North of Hot Springs... man that sounds like Ozark country... also some great riding, and the hills are even bigger and steeper. Man I love that stuff. 

I did one ride near Clinton Ark one year, it was like 32 miles but it took me 4 hours b/c there were just these huge steep hills. Greatness.


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Andrea138 said:


> Memphis is not too far from Hot Springs! I'll be going to MS for Thanksgiving, but the Friday after has always been a favorite of mine for long rides.



are you inviting me over? what will people say?


----------



## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

No way- I imagine riding around Memphis is probably barely less boring than riding in Texas!
If Mr. 138 is off work on Friday, I wouldn't mind going for a ride in the Hot Springs area and camping a chilly night @ the state park Friday night.


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Well ping me if you do head that way. Some awesome rides await. Bring your gravel-compatible tires and low gears.


----------



## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

My CX bike is a SS... it's a 42x17 right now, but I can swap the rear cog to a 20t if it were necessary


----------



## bianchi bob (Mar 23, 2008)

Yes, it's Ozark country, in the far NW part of the state near the OK and MO stateline, many of the rural roads are ideal and the climbs can be very challenging, mostly short (less than a mile in length), but they can be quite steep (15% or more gradient is not uncommon).


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

Hello Creakyknees,

I will be going to my folks house in Hot Springs Village for turkey day. I can bring road, fixed, or MTB for a ride in either Hot Springs or somewhere else in the central AR area. 

Have you checked out the Womble Trail on MTBR?

Flyn G


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Hi Flyn,

Cool, I'm bringing my cx bike with low gears and fat road tires. Suitable for road, fire roads, and light singletrack. 

I've done part of the Womble several years ago - super fun stuff. But I don't have room for 2 bikes and the Womble really deserves an mtb.

If you know any good routes in the HS Village area, I could meet you up there. From looking at the map, looks like some good hills to the North in the NF....

Cheers,
Creak


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

If you want a long ride, just enter the rat maze they call Hot Springs Village without a map!

I can bring a geared roadie for riding in the village or nearby roads. Something I've been wanting to do but haven't yet. From my house to Nana's house, over the river and through the woods would be a perfect metic century.

If you want to ride forest service roads, I'm more familiar with the ones up around Lake Sylvia. We did a 20 there yesterday that left my knees aching last night. There is a 40 mile loop that has even more climbing involved. I would be on a mtb though and probably not as fast as you.

I was on a section of the Womble during the Classic that came into the Fishing Village that wasn't too bad. Also there is a section up around Hwy88 that would probably be good for the cx too. 

Flyn G


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

From looking at Google etc, it looks like there are a couple of backroad exits from HS Village, to the North, that connect to Lake Winona then Sylvia. I'd like to explore those, and then loop back if Hwy 7 can be avoided. How's 9 to ride on?


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

Hilly, twisty, a few places with no shoulders. Pretty much like any other AR secondary highway. I would ride it on my roadie from HSV to Conway. 

In fact, I have done some loop with others on a portion of 9 if you look on google maps and make the circle from Paron, Williams Jct around by the lake on 10 and back to Ferndale. That is a good ride. 

Beware of the Google maps around Lake Sylvia, it doesn't show some of the roads I was on yesterday. I'm sure there are others not on there too. 

I haven't thought of taking the forest service roads all the way down to the Village. That might be fun.


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Yeah I've found that to be a problem in the area - roads that are on the map, are not there for real - or they're overgrown. And vice versa, especially logging / forest roads. 

But, that's half the fun, right?


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

That is true, it is fun to explore. But not much fun being lost.

I remembered an old map and found it in just the second box! It is an old weather resistant forest service map of the eastern Oauchita Nat'l Forest. But doh! it is blank from the Village east and from about 6 miles south of Lake Winona. There are thousands of miles of dirt roads on it though. I'm sure We could come up with something.

Flyn G


----------



## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

I know some of the fire roads around Lake Sylvia/Winona because I've worked an aid station out there for the AT100 trail race for the last 3 years. There are some fire roads out there that are a difficult hike because of washouts, etc, so be careful!

/I also have an OK mapmyride.com route for a ride from the Lake Sylvia campground. It doesn't include fire roads, and it's a little flat and boring except for a couple of short climbs, though. Here's the link: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ar/little-rock/611575178615

//Here's a map of the AT100 race course- anything labeled as "crew road" is gravel forest service road and suitable for a well-equipped bike with some fatter tires and a good climbing gear or two. The roads on the south side of the course are the ones that are hit or miss- especially the one between Club Flamingo and Lake Winona called "Pig Trail." It's got that name for a reason  AT100 Course Map


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Cool thanx Andrea.

IMO, the more nasty climbing, the better. It's why I go to Ark instead of FL for vacation.

That AT100 course confirms what I suspected - that you can do a West loop from Winona and back. I know the ridges run E-W thru there, so a loop with Pig Trail and FSR 114 or 132 would be quite hilly, and about the right length. 

Somewhere I also have a Ouachita NF map, need to dig it out.


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

Oh, I was thinking that you wanted to ride up from HS. If you want to go from Lake Sylvia, we were riding part of the course shown by Andrea138 last Sunday. I'm pretty familiar with the road across the S. side of the Flat Side Wilderness Area and it could be made into a loop back to Sylvia easily. 

I'll get with my buddy who has a 40 mile loop out of Sylvia with a killer 5 mile climb! I was in low-low on my 29er just on the easy 2 mile climb. 

Flyn G


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

I'll be staying on the S side of Lake Hamilton, so I'd have to drive into HS anyway. So I might as well drive up to HSV or Lake Sylvia while I'm at it.

I guess what I'm saying is, the ride could start just about anywhere in Central Ark!


----------



## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Creaky, you might want to check in with Parkside Cycles in HS. http://www.parksidecycle.com/

I took my bike to HSV when visiting the in-laws once, and a call to Parkside got me going on some road rides in the area. They also rent decent bikes, in case you want to change modes from your CX bike. There are some excellent MTB trails right in town, but you'd really want a mountain bike.

Have fun. It's a great area to ride.

JSR


----------



## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

Creakyknees said:


> Cool thanx Andrea.
> 
> IMO, the more nasty climbing, the better. It's why I go to Ark instead of FL for vacation.
> 
> ...


srsly... don't plan on the Pig Trail road, because there are frequent stretches where it will be hiking w/a cyclocross backpack. FSR 2 heading north is a much better option, and it includes some killer climbs.


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

Creakyknees said:


> Cool thanx Andrea.
> 
> IMO, the more nasty climbing, the better. It's why I go to Ark instead of FL for vacation.
> 
> ...


Our last 20 out there was from the Ouachita trail head S. of Lake Sylvia north to 805 up Flatside Pinnicle on 94 to 132 to 154 back to Sylvia. 

It looks like a ride down 132 and looping back across 114 N. of Lake Winona to 179 to 152 and Lake Sylvia would be a nice long ride. 

Or from my Lake Sylvia ride instead of turning on 94S continue west to 86 S on 124A to 132. 

Those are both count out at over 30 boxes on the map. I'll get with my buddy and find out the route of the 50 miler he has out there.

Flyn G


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

JSR said:


> ... in case you want to change modes from your CX bike. ....



lolz.... why would I want to do that?


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

*Here is a 40 mile hard climbing route.*

Park at the Ouachita trail head just past Lake Sylvia.

Ride North back up the paved road to the first Left onto 805

At the next Junction straight onto 94

next Junction a 5 way cluster, Left onto 86

Left onto 124

Left onto 132

Stay on 132 all the way back to the trail head near Lake Sylvia.

I haven't ridden all of this. But I've been told that 124 is about a 5 mile uphill with a couple of wicked steep sections. It is also at the 1/2 way point of the ride. Level and straight are not words used to describe any of the roads out in that area.

Let me know when you want to ride. I may be able to get a couple of others to go along, but we are/will be on MTBs. 

Flyn G


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Cool. 

I'll be there Tues night late, so I'll be riding Wed, Thur and Fri. How about meeting at the mtb trails off Cedar Glades (forgto the name)? They were pretty non-technical as I recall.


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

I'm off on Thurs-Friday.

The Cedar Glade trail sounds good and it is a ride that I have been wanting to do. I loaned my SS29er to a friend to try out there and he said it was a nice ride. There was also a race this weekend so the trail should be fairly well cleaned off.

I won't know my T-day schedule until a bit closer, but I suspect I could work out a ride either before or after. 

Flyn G


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

photoeaux!

at the Cedar Glade trailhead..









FlynG in the woods









FlynG at rest stop at which I realized I'd lost a bottle on that washboard downhill









Justin and FlynG at the top of one of the hills









Justin, keeping the HR under 150









Justin and FlynG at the North Fork Pinnacle overlook









FlynG and Creaky (wearing bullet repellent)









Typical Ouachita forest road









Creaky's artsy self portrait









Thanks FlynG and Justin and Shelby for the tour guide service!


----------



## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

I told you Justin only rides with me on his relaxing/just chillin/recovery/low HR base mile days. Those are the only days this aging fat guy can even stay close. 

I'm we all got to ride together out in the Nat'l Forest. That was fun and I hope you got enough climbing in. 

We will be looking forward to the next time.

Regards,
Flyn G


----------

