Buoyed by the interests of the family behind Walmart, Bentonville has become an unexpected hub for cycling.
Listen for the click of a bike gear, shifting in tune with its rider. A whoosh of air as tires lift off the ground, then a satisfying thud as the bike returns to earth. The clack of a cyclist’s cleats, fresh off a ride, in the downtown square.
This is the soundtrack to Bentonville, a city of about 60,000 near the state’s border with Missouri that has dozens of immaculately kept trails for every level of biker.
“Pure joy — it’s the reason I got up at 6 o’clock this morning to be out here,” said Dani Shamburger, 33, pausing during an early Sunday ride in the woods a few miles from the city’s center. “It’s my sanctuary.”