DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY
montcnews2@windstream.net
MOUNT IDA – The inaugural “Tires on the Trail” event held at Tompkin’s Bend Recreation Area was viewed as a success by the Mount Ida Area Chamber of Commerce with plans for next year already underway.
The mountain biking experience was the brainchild of the Chamber’s Trail Tourism Committee and local mountain biker Adam Deal. They hope to make the event an annual culmination of a month long series of events coinciding with National Bike Month.
Members of the Chamber of Commerce were on hand to share information about local businesses which serve the mountain biking community, while local mountain bikers were on hand to share their expertise about area trails.
The event took place along the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail, also known as the LOViT. The LOViT is one of three trails in Montgomery County to have been awarded Epic Status by the International Mountain Biking Association.
The LOViT, along with the Ouachita National Recreational Trail and the Womble Trail, provide several days of enjoyable trail riding. The area near the Tompkins Bend Recreation Area is a good place for novice bikers to try their hand at the trail, while still providing enough difficulty to make the ride fun for experienced bikers.
Event organizers were hoping to have six to eight mountain bikers come to the event and were pleased to have 34 make their way through as they took to the trail. Montgomery County News Editor Dewayne Holloway even got in on the fun, proving even a first timer could have fun after riding a little over four miles on the trail.
Conversations at the pavilion covered a variety of topics from trail dogs to the price of bikes.
With some high end bikes costing over $5,000 each some might view the hobby as too expensive. Riders in attendance stated that although the more expensive bikes make riding easier, they aren’t necessary.
Someone looking to try their hand at mountain biking can purchase a new bike at a department store for a little over $100. One of the bikers in attendance stated that he had known a mountain biker who only rode used bikes that he had purchased for less than $100 each.
The beautiful scenery one enjoys while on the trails and health benefits seem worth whatever cost one chooses to spend on their bike.
For more information regarding local trails contact the Mount Ida Area Chamber of Commerce at (870) 867-2723, or online at mtidachamber.com.
