Bentonville's Best MTB Trails: Hammer Down

[@spiro4955]

I love how he says hes never just blasted it straight through the rock garden then proceeds to blast straight through the rock garden lol nice!

[@paulsewell9849]

I am stoked about this series. I moved to Bentonville last week. This series will show me where to go! I live right by Hammer Down.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Heck yeah Paul! Hoping to bring in some solid support to keep this one going 👊🏻

[@steelwing7532]

Entered escrow on my house, out of state. Moving to Bentonville in October. See you on the trails. Edit* - I'm also a Fezzari owner (La Sal Peak)

[@ipodgolfer13]

Yo I moved to Bella Vista back in April!

[@terrybarker4373]

Another great vid Rich The quality of the vids are top notch.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Terry! Love hearing this and we’re working hard to keep this series going 👊🏻

[@damonendel4847]

Bruh, these trails are legit. I was amazed at the first time I visited NWA. I’ve never seen as many trails in such a small amount of square mileage. I’ve visited multiple times, no one believes me when I mention the trails available there. I live in the Austin area and even we don’t have as many trails available in such a small amount of space. Coler, Little Sugar, Blowing Springs, and Slaughter Pen all close together is crazy. I hate leaving when I travel there. Great showcase vid!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Damon! You hit the nail on the head dude: so much trail in such a condensed area. There just isn’t anywhere like it in the world. I’m trying to get down to Austin for a Ride Series Clinic, but it’s proving to be difficult to find a spot

[@damonendel4847]

Rich Drew Oh nice! Lot of mountain bikers here. I live north of Austin and actually avoid it, except for trails, ha! What type of set up does your clinic require? I’m assuming it’s a Saturday or Sunday? Or both?

[@joshblum6245]

This is one of your best videos yet, especially the PSA! Good Job & lets see some more trails!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Joshua! I’m pumped with this one and I’m hoping we can get this series funded.

[@ericavery6099]

Love the breakdown of this trail. Hope to ride it while in Bentonville

[@Kyle-os9zn]

Going to Bentonville for the first time this weekend! Super stoked!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

That's awesome Kyle! You're gonna love it. Hope to see ya out there on the trail.

[@teefish23]

Cant wait to check this trail out in about a week from now. All the locals will be hollering, "Old dude speed up or move out of the way!!" Great channel and video RD!

[@toddcrosby3218]

Up from Texas and rode it several times last weekend. Each time building more speed!!! Awesome track and hats off to the contractors that built it!!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

So cool Todd! It’s such a great spot to do that. I’m hoping to see more builds along these lines. Let me know when you head back and we can get a run on it 👊🏻

[@grasshopper33xx]

I live in Australia so not much chance of riding those trails but I really enjoyed seeing how you approach the trail and diff features. Makes me want to session stuff way more

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Hey Kristian! What are your home trails? I’ve seen some really cool stuff in Straya!

[@grasshopper33xx]

@@richdrewtherideseries Heya Rich, I live in Castlemaine so have this just up the road lalarrbagauwa.harcourt.vic.au/ mostly though I like the bush tracks around here. I did live for a year in Mansfield and the mountains around there have totally amazing trails kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6arq2SCbayqgpY we are a bit of a flat country though, so I don't think we've got trails like you guys have in the US

[@kkshea77]

Awesome video Rich exactly what I’m looking for. When I was there last week for the first time it was quit overwhelmingly finding the trails I wanted to ride and how to get to those trails. Even using trail forks app. Can wait for more of these videos. I’ll be back in a few months for sure.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Hey Redtop! It certainly is overwhelming and that’s why we’re trying to make this series happen at this level. So many killer trails here and the diversity is incredible.

[@Gmork-The-Nothing]

Bentonville looks great Rich but I'm gonna have to say that here in Rotorua, New Zealand (home of Crankworx) we have 269 trails, and are also known as one of the mountain bike capitals of the world!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Hmmm, I may need to take a trip out to Rotorua to check out these 269 trails 🤔. Again, it’s a marketing strategy but it makes sense. I’d say the majority of beginner riders would be more comfortable in Bentonville than Rotorua. I could be wrong though and that’s why I must make a trip there for a head to head challenge!!

[@ml.9746]

You can make a cool trail anywhere. What the view is from top means a lot.

[@MrTemporaryname]

Rich, I’ve lived in Bentonville for 12 years now and have witnessed the explosive growth in our trail system. Some of the best in the world. And cool to hear you have a Fezzari. I have one myself.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

That's crazy Eric! I'm sure it's mind boggling for you to see everything that's happening. Such an amazing place and i'm thankful to be there!

[@jeffedmisten6576]

Another great video Rich! The production team and editing is legit. Your videos are soooo good. Love all the nay sayers out there... Haters gonna hate lol. Bville is mtn bike heaven. And it's in our freakin back yard! Still wanna ride that Delano Peak...holla when ready 😉

[@nickgooding6843]

Hey Rich another entertaining and informative vid. I have no chance of getting to B-town as I’m in Australia but your break down of how to approach each feature I can apply to my local trail - love it! Peace out dumper✌️

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Nick!! I’d love to get to Australia to ride someday.

[@tonyfernandez1957]

Love it, can't wait to get up there

[@markmckenney4534]

Great breakdown, perfect primer for out of town vacationers.

[@jeffp5418]

Rode it a few times today. Fun section. That last berm at the bottom before the step up has chunks out of it and really hinders the speed, time for some trail maintenance.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Yeah man, that’s spot makes it a bit spicy!!

[@martinmcfarland5385]

Sweet manuals! We’re pretty spoiled up here in the Pacific Northwest with an abundance of amazing trails and incredible dirt. I’ve watched a few videos of Bentonville and the dirt always looks “gravelly”?? What’s your take?

[@richdrewtherideseries]

You are VERY spoiled in that regard Martin and that's a big element of what we deal with here. Very little incredible dirt locally, that's why they have to import a decent amount. It's a much different riding experience than you're used to in your part of the country, but I think it's very beginner and progression friendly. Next year's plans will have us making an early summer trip out to the PNW, I can't wait!!

[@micahpelphrey487]

Great work Rich! Just rode hammer down this morning and it was a blast. I live over by Coler creek. I’ve been riding for about a month so I’m looking forward to this series as well. Let me know if you need a beginner in your video. I’d love to learn from somebody who has riding experience.

[@aarongardner4850]

Rich, love your vids. You shred bro!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Aaron!! 👊🏻🤘🏻

[@ethanhill5581]

I was in slaughter pin a couple months ago and saw you there

[@richdrewtherideseries]

That’s awesome! Say hi next time

[@TriDaddy]

Been there, you nailed this trail. Great job Rich

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thank you so much Matthew! I'm excited to say we have six more of these coming in the next few weeks!

[@TriDaddy]

@@richdrewtherideseries We were there in August and found you in the background of our photos - Wish I would have known you before our trip. Would love for you to teach my son. I'll keep looking for class schedules on the website.

[@mtblake4591]

Love the channel dude. You inspired me to start mine. then three videos into the channel I broke my leg 😂😂 I was watching ur vids day after surgery which was sooo painfull thanks for making awesome content

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Dang Blake, that’s a bummer my man. Heal up quickly and get back out there!

[@cookrx7]

Great session spot, especially with Leopard Loop being so close... great video!!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

I agree! So many cool places near here!

[@bowtie4119]

Barn burner is just across A st. too.

[@chikatikah3838]

This advice on the hip was spot on. I overshot the whole thing.

[@trailaction395]

I had a lot of fun riding this trail but the rock gardens were rougher than I expected

[@richdrewtherideseries]

They can certainly be a bit rough if they sneak up on you. It helps to walk down and look at them backwards.

[@justing888]

Do you have any upgrade or trip plans for the Delano?! Coil shock and bike park test I would like to see 🤙🏾

[@benwigginsbikes]

Cant wait to come back in November for a week! Spent a week there last October and fell in love with it. Gong to need a place to park my van this year though. Stayed in an air b&b last year. Its worth the 12 hour drive from Asheville, NC for sure.

[@peterward2845]

Dope preview! 👍

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Peter!!

[@camhoyt7287]

Man what I aspire to be. This dude rips. I live in nwa. Have yet to meet him. Maybe I'll meet him on the trails

[@chickenclips]

digyour shades, Rich. What brand and model are they?

[@jt_footy1959]

I went to sloterpen today and saw you there and I was Jacob

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Hey Jacob! Great seeing you dude!

[@hunterwittmer9212]

question do you have a dh bike?

[@richdrewtherideseries]

I don’t Hunter. No real need for me

[@jonathanreinhardt9342]

Rich, you are the right amount of bully for every trail. Thank you bruh!!!!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thank you Jonathan...I think 🤔😉

[@highmarkcarpentry5319]

How’s the wheel set working out for you? You mentioned the rear hub in your review of the Fezzy.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Brian, I can honestly say I’ve done almost everything to blow it up and I’ve failed 🤷🏻‍♂️. Engagement is severely lacking compared to my I9s, but I’ve been riding them for going on four months this now and not one issue. I haven’t even flatted!!

[@josephawatson]

I have the same wheelset I believe on my abajo peak its an oem hub(which is a 6 pawl) and certainly has more engagement than my old bike(3 pawl). Its been good for me. Rich is certainly a more advanced rider than me. if you are on his level look to upgrade that later.

[@milktrader]

I rent a Roscoe 1-3 times a month and didn’t know we had this trail! Thanks for the vid!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

One of the coolest trails around here!!

[@jeffjacksonmtb]

Great vid! Fezzari Delano Peak FTW!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Jeff! Killer bike!!

[@CVHSAlumni]

I would love if you were on Strava so I could follow your rides around Bentonville on a map!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Haha! I am on Strava, but I don't use it very much. I'll start soon.

[@rabrumf]

Does watching this count as the pre-ride?

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Heck yeah it does Rob!!

[@sarahpaulin7758]

Hey drew saw you at the square today. Love your vids

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thank you Sarah!

[@Yip247]

Hey Rich! Long time subscriber, first time messaging. A few buddies and I are planning to spend a few days out in Bentonville in April. (Tentatively April 15-17/18) I was wondering if you could share any tips, suggestions, and or advice. Primarily where to stay and logistics. Welcome to join us! 😛

[@pcondron]

Come on down and highlight the new DH at Kessler and show the new stuff at Centennial when it opens. I wanna see how Red Rum rides!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Oh yeah Paul!! Eyeing that one up next. I’ve heard it’s super rad and I can’t wait to get down there. 🤘🏻

[@Nikejr22]

where did you get that helmet it would go good with my bike good

[@richdrewtherideseries]

That's a Kali Maya 2.0 ,awesome helmet!

[@totalchaos80]

Definitely thinking of planning a roadie down to Bentonville. What's the riding like in October down there? Still pretty warm? How abound the leaves, do they clear them off the trail?

[@TheCtrudo]

The temperature is great the first couple weeks in October, but it can also be a pretty rainy month so be prepared to check out the wet weather routes if that happens. Also, it gets dark around 6-6:30pm in October because of the time change.

[@BikeLifewithRob]

Hoping to get there within the next 8 months

[@richdrewtherideseries]

You must Rob, it’s such a blast!

[@criscox1314]

im ridding a pivot firebird is that too much for this ?

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Heck no it’s not not!! Killer bike!!

[@dreadsanddirt5966]

Rad. Kiddo and I will be out there next weekend :)

[@unafilliatedx2310]

Just heard about this place today and the channel!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Sweet, welcome!

[@Mesa3077Boogie]

So the trail starts at an apartment complex?

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Basically

[@RNicknackpaddywhack]

Looks cool but it’s still no trestle bike park. FYI trestle was designed by the same guys who designed whistler I’m told.

[@blakecornwell8319]

I'll be honest cause I've been to both. It's True, Bentonville is not a bike park... It's a town of 100k people and there's trails all over. Jump trails right along the side walks and stuff like that. There's hundreds of miles of trails you can access from the center of town, all free. And then if you zoom out of Bentonville and just consider Northwest Arkansas there is sooooooo many trails! It's just a different experience than lift access. The whole town embraces it.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Hey Roman! I’ve raced Trestle a few times and it’s awesome. However, I can’t ride any of Trestle with my 4 year old son and wife all at the same time. I’d prefer Trestles trails all day long, but I’m in the vast minority of riders 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Blake...I love you. So eloquently stated.

[@blakecornwell8319]

@@richdrewtherideseriesmy Uncle has lived in Bella Vista for the past 20 years and it's been cool to see it transform the way it has. Maybe I'll run into you on the trails sometime cause I come down often!

[@jlj547]

Maybe someday i can come down there its about 8 hours from where i live.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

I say do it!

[@kylewis330]

What I just read is that Bentonville is ONLY 8 hours from you ;) Get there, its worth it. I drove 14 hours this spring to get there and will do it again for sure.

[@jeremytaylor799]

Hell yes!!!!!!

[@tgnilsson1]

Really cool place. It's a little far away from mid of Sweden, where I live thow. 🤔 Like the series 👍👊

[@ruffdeezy]

Would love to visit one day but Whistler is the MTB capital of the world followed by Squamish.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Would love to show you the goods ruffdeezy!

[@ml.9746]

I'll take Moab.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Sweet!! Moab is rad. Not a chance I’d ever ride a Trail there with my wife and four year old son together though. It is rad though

[@mattkock]

I wish it was STILL called FLOZONE. Great video Rich.

[@darrellhambley7245]

"Start small and work your way up to larger features" Man, I keep forgetting that. I just got #9 on my punch card at Bella Vista Mercy. Next one's free.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Darrell Hambley Damnit Darrell!! I don’t like hearing that. I hope it wasn’t too bad dude.

[@darrellhambley7245]

just exaggerating. I had been there once. then, Saturday my wife cut here arm on a sharp rock on little sugar. They sutured her up and we were on our way.

[@davidwhite9817]

Nice!

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Davo!!

[@TCK71]

How cool is this guy... it’s a shame you don’t snowboard n start a cool boarding channel too.

[@gabrielsegura1530]

"tus ojos" Do you speak spanish, despite of the answer please come to Costa Rica there are lots of great trails here!🇨🇷 Sería buenísimo

[@cove.4]

hey its cove i wanna go ride with you soon

[@chrisseng9219]

When is your next “jump camp ? And wonder why you don’t rock a FF helmet

[@adamweb]

Rumor has it Rich crashed once... his face broke the rock slab and turned it into a rock garden.

[@chrisseng9219]

adamweb he can’t be no chuck Norris lol

[@shmoggy417]

Honestly probably not a difficult enough trail for him

[@ZOICclothing]

But those palm tree gloves!!! 🌴👊

[@Fever1984]

Not a chance, Peebles in the UK has half the trails and over double the decent and that's just one place. Wales will also have just as many trails close together. Great video tho

[@jdavis417]

The bell tolls for thee Slices, dices, juliennes Bring the Hammer Down

[@jdavis417]

♫You'd think that people would have had enough of terrible haiku I look around me and I see it isn't so Some people want to fill the world with terrible haiku And what's wrong with that I'd like to know...♫

[@jdavis417]

Oh... and some music for ya'... kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5mQhWmko8lgnc0

[@DW-dl7bk]

Can't wait to NOT bust my face in a month for my first visit

[@dogmatic640]

Dope! #ripitshareitgiveit

[@jedidiahwest4619]

I don’t see Hammer Down on Trailforks. I see Black Apple to Ozone 🤷‍♂️

[@jedidiahwest4619]

Never mind, I found it. It’s Flo Zone on Trailforks

[@Mesa3077Boogie]

Ok. I tuned out as soon as you complained about skid marks..

[@richdrewtherideseries]

An acknowledgment of their presence, certainly not a complaint. Furthermore, it’s an easy argument to say they shouldn’t be there.

[@Mesa3077Boogie]

@@richdrewtherideseries what about dem shrawlp marks dow?

[@richdrewtherideseries]

😳🤷🏻‍♂️

[@talberttipton8269]

Do you give MTB lessons

[@joshfoster6669]

He does! If you Google "The Ride Series" you can get in on his group sessions

[@chickenclips]

anybody got a job for me in process control there in Bentonville? I wanna leave South Africa :)

[@fullsend3631]

Ok technically hammer down, but flozone sounds waaaay cooler

[@didiksoekaryost6245]

Nice 🇮🇩

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Thanks Didek!

[@brianwilliams2907]

Sorry, man, but to say it is the MTB capitol of the world is kinda ridiculous. Try Park City, UT or some other mountain towns, and the volume and variety blows Bentonville off the map, so to speak. I mean, B-Ville is kinda cool if you live there or close to it, but it's WAY overrated. But that's JMO, one who's ridden all over the country, including B-Ville.

[@richdrewtherideseries]

Take Park City Brian, the tourism numbers related DIRECTLY to mountain biking pale in comparison. There’s literally nowhere in the world that can match the volume, diversity and accessibility. Park City is AMAZING, I’d love to ride there everyday. However, the majority of newer riders wouldn’t and they make up the largest percentage of riders. At the end of the day it’s a marketing strategy and I think it’s a great one! My role is to expose the trails in a manner that speak to that slogan and I’m happy to do it. But truth be told...I’d love to be riding Deer Valley this weekend 😉

[@brianwilliams2907]

@@richdrewtherideseries you're a great ambassador for NWA, props for that!

[@hodgestryan]

Best series yet for sure. That first step up is unusually hard for me to clear but sending that big one on the end is worth the practice. EBike definitely makes it easier to session!

[@craigzorman5785]

You hear that everybody, go to Bentonville and NOT Colorado....I repeat NOT Colorado. Mountain biking out here sucks.

[@RandO42o]

Too much talking

[@richdrewtherideseries]

randan barber I agree! I keep telling myself that every time we shoot a video, but apparently I never listen. It’s crazy, you think I would get the hint after a couple of hundred comments similar to yours 🤷🏻‍♂️. I just don’t know what it is, maybe I have this innate desire to overly complicate and overly describe things. I think it might’ve started back when I was really young and didn’t have many friends to play with. Talking and talking and talking was a form of escape. I guess it could also be a yearning for acceptance and my rationale is that if I try to be incredibly descriptive, then people will appreciate me more. Either way, I am really working hard on talking less in these videos and I think if you stay tuned you will see that. Now, that being said, I would love for you to watch the next 30 to 40 videos a few times and let me know if it’s working.