Why Bentonville, AR Paved Some Of Their Trails
Mountain bike trails require a lot of maintenance. Leaves, rainwater, and tires all damage trails necessitating near-constant upkeep.
To combat trail erosion, one trail system has a revolutionary idea. Watch how the city of Bentonville, Arkansas is paving its mountain bike trails below.
In this video, Seth Alvo of the YouTube channel Berm Peak shows us the trails in Bentonville. On some of their more popular trails, the city decided to pave them.
This provides multiple benefits. For one the trails are faster and have more traction than the variable dirt surface. The main reason however is that the pavement saves on maintenance. Rather than keep a crew on to maintain this trail, the pavement offers a set-it-and-forget-it solution perfect for the amount of traffic the Bentonville trails get.
If a trail is already a flow trail, paving it is one way to preserve it. Velosolutions pump tracks use this method. That way, grass, can’t grow, and moisture does not render them unrideable.
Related: YouTuber Shows Off Glow In The Dark Mountain Bike Trail
What are the downsides to paving? Some riders like a little bit of tech on their trails. For them, however, Bentonville offers many flavors of riding.
Another downside is the cost. It costs a lot of money to pave that mich trail, and expertise in shaping it is important. Luckily for Bentonville, the Walton Family (known for owning Wal-Mart) donated a lot of money to the trails in Bentonville.
Though not a lot of trail systems have megacorporations pumping money into them, Paving trials can still be a good long-term investment. As Seth said in the video, paved trails pay for themselves in four years considering what the market price is for trail maintenance. For some trails, paving might be a worthwhile way to make them last longer.
Don't miss another headline from Bike Mag! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of bike riding.
We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting, and engaging bike-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional rider or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on Bike Mag and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality bike videos.
