Arkansas High Country Race: Bikes & Tracker

And they are off! As we post this, the riders of this year’s Arkansas High Country Race are on the road. Headed by well-known racers like Tour Divide winner Justinas Leveika, Matt Pike, Nick Elliott, Andy Zolyak and Bryan Dougherty, they are racing not just for the win, but also for the coveted FKTs (Fastest Known Times) on the three courses.

Some are riding the Full Course (1000 miles), others the Central Loop (430 miles) or the Ozark Odyssey (250 miles). All are in for a great adventure—and a lot of fun. The roads in Arkansas are challenging and rugged, but also scenic and beautiful. And the community around this race is truly something special.

When Bikepacking.com ran their ‘Rigs of the Arkansas High Country Race’ feature, we were (pleasantly) surprised that roughly a quarter of the bikes roll on Rene Herse tires this year. (23.3%, to be exact.) Considering how many tire brands there are, this is a great vote of confidence from the racers.

Most riders chose our 29″ x 2.2″ Fleecer Ridges (including one who saved the all-black Limited Edition for this occasion), plus there are 48 mm Oracle Ridges knobbies and the new Poteau Mountain semi-slicks. As one commenter mentioned, it’s a remarkably stylish (and well-thought-out) collection of bikes. The photo at the top of this post is Brian Dougherty’s full-suspension mountain bike. Above is Nick Elliott’s prototype Wilde titanium rig.

Below is the live tracker, where you can follow the progress of the racers as they make their way around Arkansas. We wish all of them good luck—and a lot of fun!