This year's Biketoberfest has four group events between Oct. 4 and Oct. 29. Three of them include a spin class or stationary bikes, and the mountain bike rides are on a trail its organizers rate as green, the beginner level. Nearly every road ride lets you choose how far you go. You don't need a gravel bike, a long-distance riding habit or a feel for technical singletrack to finish the month with a prize entry. Conway's October cycling calendar starts from three places most people don't connect with bikes: a hospital fitness center on Salem Road, a trail inside a tech park and a car dealership on Exchange Drive.
That's on purpose. Conway Regional Health System is the title sponsor. Caldwell Toyota, Meridian Investment Advisors and The Ride, the bike shop at 911 Chestnut Street, are the presenting sponsors. The Chamber's event page says the month promotes local cycling in "four different riding formats: road, mountain, gravel, and stationary." Stationary is listed right next to the others, and the schedule backs that up.
The October Dates, in Order
- Sunday, Oct. 4, 3 p.m. Kickoff at Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center, 700 Salem Road.
- Saturday, Oct. 10. Conway Fall Classic, starting at Antioch Baptist Church, 150 Amity Road. This one is separate from Biketoberfest.
- Sunday, Oct. 18, 3 p.m. MTB "Choose Your Own Adventure" ride at Meadows Tech Park Trail on Ledgelawn Drive, plus an indoor cycling class at the fitness center.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, evening. Taco Ride at Caldwell Toyota, 1355 Exchange Drive.
- Thursday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. Glow Ride, back at Meadows Tech Park Trail.
Two of these times differ by source. The Biketoberfest rides page lists the kickoff at 3 p.m., and the Chamber page says 2 p.m. For the Taco Ride, the rides page says 5:30 p.m., while the Chamber page and the organizer's Ride with GPS event list 5 p.m. Check the Biketoberfest site the morning of each ride before you load up the car.
The Kickoff Offers Three Ways In
The Oct. 4 kickoff offers three ways to ride at once. "The Pink Ride" is a 50-minute spin class inside the fitness center, and riders are asked to wear pink. The family ride stays on Tucker Creek Trail, and the organizers say riders can "stick with the group, stay and play on a feature, or circle back at your convenience." Road riders can pick a 15- or 30-mile group loop that leaves from and returns to the fitness center. Everyone meets back up afterward for snacks and giveaways.
On the organizer's Ride with GPS kickoff event, the mapped routes are a 6.3-mile paved family ride and road loops of 16 and 28.6 miles. The 16-mile description mentions the Conway Airport and Donnell Ridge. Erik Leamon is leading road cycling and Amanda Castillo is leading spin.
The family ride is the easiest place to start. According to the City of Conway, the Kinley Trail along Tucker Creek runs 3.1 miles from Tyler Street to Hogan Lane. A paved, out-and-back route with a group that lets you peel off early is about as easy as a group ride gets.
A Beginner Trail Gets Both Mountain Bike Nights
You might expect the off-road dates to go to Conway's tougher trails. Both mountain bike events are at Meadows Tech Park Trail instead. The organizers call it "a perfect introduction to mountain biking" and a "green" level beginner trail of 3-plus miles. A 2024 Conway cycling feature describes it as a 3.1-mile loop through woods and meadow. The City of Conway's 2024 year-end report says the trail hosted two NICA youth mountain bike events.
The Oct. 18 ride is set up so beginners don't get left behind. Experienced trail riders will be on hand with tips and directions. Conway Regional Health System is running a "boo-boo station" for spills, and there will be refreshments and giveaways. Faster riders get a nudge too. The event copy invites them to "try to take a KOM on Strava." Ride with GPS lists the route at 3.4 miles, and riders choose how many laps to do. On the same afternoon, there's an indoor cycling class at the fitness center for anyone who would rather stay off the dirt. Space is limited and registration is on Eventbrite.
On Oct. 29, the Glow Ride uses the same woods after dark. Glow accessories will be provided, but you need to bring your own bike light. There are Halloween treats after the ride or between laps. Because both rides use the same trail, someone who tries it for the first time on Oct. 18 will know the loop by the Glow Ride.
The Taco Ride Sets Up Spin Bikes in a Dealership Lot
The Chamber calls the Taco Ride the final ride of Biketoberfest and says, "It's always a favorite because…TACOS!" The ride's format is the same idea as the rest of the month. Conway Fitness Center spin bikes are set up outside at Caldwell Toyota for a stationary sunset ride. The group road ride is a 5-mile circuit, and riders do as many or as few laps as they want in an hour before heading back to the dealership. Both groups finish with tacos and prizes.
The Ride with GPS event describes the course another way, as one, two or three loops of a mapped 13.2-mile course. Either way, you choose how far to go, so the lap count is up to you.
The evening also closes out the month's challenge. The grand prize winners are named live at Caldwell Toyota at 6:30 p.m.
Indoor Miles Count Toward the 200-Mile Prize
The Strava challenge has the clearest rule. The two grand prizes go to riders who log at least 200 miles in any format between the kickoff at 2 p.m. on Oct. 4 and the Taco Ride at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 28, with winners picked from the Biketoberfest group on Strava. The page lists the formats as "Gravel, Indoor, Mountain, or Road." There are also four weekly drawings. To enter, you sign the waiver, ride and sync to Strava. If you can't make a group ride, you can check "Virtual Participant" on the waiver.
That window is a little more than 24 days, so 200 miles works out to about 8.3 miles a day. Here is how the group rides cover part of it:
| Date | Ride | Mileage toward 200 |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 4 | Kickoff long road loop | 28.6 miles mapped |
| Oct. 4 | Kickoff short road loop | 16 miles mapped |
| Oct. 4 | Tucker Creek family ride | 6.3 miles mapped |
| Oct. 18 | Meadows Tech Park MTB | 3.4 miles per lap |
| Oct. 28 | Taco Ride circuit | 5 miles per lap |
The scheduled rides cover only part of the 200 miles, so most of it comes from riding on your own. Because indoor counts, a stationary bike at home or a regular spin class qualifies. Helmets are required for outdoor rides.
Where to Ride Between the Group Dates
For outdoor miles between group dates, the city's network near Tucker Creek is the closest option for many riders. Pompe Park has a one-mile bike flow trail with berms, jumps and drops, built in 2021. Bunny Slope is a separate one-mile beginner mountain bike trail behind Walmart on Dave Ward Drive, reachable from the Tucker Creek, Pompe and Veterans Park area. Conway's cycling guide says not to ride it after rain. Stone Dam Creek Trail runs from UCA toward South German Lane. It crosses under South Donaghey through an underpass the city finished in 2022.
If you'd like company on weeknights, Conway Advocates for Bicycling holds Monday and Wednesday evening rides from Pompe Park. Its 2026 schedule says they run until daylight saving time ends in November, so October is the last full month of the season. For self-guided miles, The Ride publishes road and gravel loops on its route pages, including the Holland Loop, a 33-mile road route that circles Lake Beaverfork. None of those routes are on the Biketoberfest schedule.
The Fall Classic Is the Long-Distance Ride
The calendar's one distance-focused event isn't part of Biketoberfest. Conway Advocates for Bicycling moved the Conway Fall Classic to a new date, Saturday, Oct. 10. It starts at Antioch Baptist Church, 150 Amity Road, with 23-, 40- and 62-mile routes on country roads. First Security Bank is the presenting sponsor, and proceeds benefit Conway Advocates for Bicycling and the Boys and Girls Club of Faulkner County. Riding the 62-mile route would cover close to a third of the 200-mile goal in one day, and those miles fall inside the Strava window. Registration and route maps are on the Fall Classic page.
Most of October's rides let you choose a spin bike, a beginner loop or a lap count, and the Fall Classic is there on Oct. 10 if you want a long road day.
We know Conway from more than one side of town, including its fitness centers, trailheads and Exchange Drive. If you're thinking about how your own corner of Conway fits the way you want to live, the team at Capital Sotheby's International Realty would be glad to talk it through. Schedule a complimentary market consultation.
