Rigs of the 2025 Arkansas High Country Race

Since the inaugural event in 2019, the Arkansas High Country Race (AHCR) has expanded each year to offer more route options. Last year, three route options were offered: the full Arkansas High Country Route, the Central Loop, and the Ozark Odyssey. These routes have carried over for 2025 with riders evenly split among them, which makes dot watching that much more entertaining. The AHCR is also attracting some big names, including Scotti Moody, Abe Kaufman, Xavier Chiriboga, Jan Heine, Meaghan Hackinen, and others. Some familiar names are lining up this year, but seeing Justinas Leveika (2024 Tour Divide winner, 2025 Accursed Race Winner, and 2025 Trans Balkan Race Winner) on the roster means we’re about to get a show.

The race returns to its host city of Russellville, Arkansas, for tomorrow morning’s grand depart. With help from the organizers and the riders, we’ve rounded up rig details for many of those signed up for the event, featuring bike, bag, gear details, and their GPS device, as well as what route they’re planning on riding. Dig into each of them below, then head over to our Tracker tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. to follow their progress live.

Katherine Anderson

Age 50 / Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: My little pony “Dewdrop Dazzle”is a standard 2025 Salsa Cutthroat SRAM Rival GX AXS trans build, 1×12 drivetrain with a 34T chainring and 10-52 cassette. She sits on 29 x 2.2” Teravail Sparwood tires, DT Swiss wheels, and Profile aerobars.
BAGS: Beautiful custom full frame and top tube bag from South City Stitchworks. Apidura 7L saddle bag, USWE hydration pack, and Revelate Designs feed bags for carrying up to 3L. Mussette bag for ALL the gas stn snacks. Snuggling up in a Spark bag and Helium bivy.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: New and improved cockpit with Unicorn horn (thanks Bicycles of Tulsa), Doom bell, custom message board and lots of Voile straps.

Jim Belcheer

Age 61 / Pea Ridge, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Allied BC 40.
BAGS: Tailfin Handlebar bag, Tailfin Long Top Tube Bag, USWE MTB Hydro 3L Hydration Pack.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Borah Ultralight Bivy, Rain jacket, and Wind jacket.
GPS DEVICE: Hammerhead Karoo and Garmin 1040 Solar.

Ryan Clark

Age 47 / Noblesville, Indiana (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: I’ll be riding the Central Loop on a Ti Chumba Yaupon. The bike features a pair of Vittoria Mezcal 2.25″ tires, a Fox 34 Stepcast 120mm fork, a Shimano GRX mechanical 1×11 drivetrain with a 34T chainring, Shimano XT four-piston calipers, and Reserve wheels with Onyx hubs. I’ll also be using Profile Designs aero bars with 50mm risers mounted on Thomson alloy drop bars.
BAGS: The Dispersed frame bag with a 3L hydration bladder is the absolute best. A Tailfin AeroPack and a Rogue Panda top tube and handlebar bag will keep the bare essentials safe and secure.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: A Nemo Hornet ultralight tent with a Big Agnes Rapide pad and Western Mountaineering bag will serve as my sleep set-up. Fenix lights will help me see and be seen. Lastly, the Doom bell should still have some gremlin deterrent power since I left the Ozarks with some unfinished business.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin Edge 1040.

Bryan Dougherty

Age 36 / Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Trek Supercaliber with drop bars, SRAM XX1 and Force Di2, Rene Herese Fleecer Ridge tires, and Sinewave Beacon II dynamo light, It’s a drop bar full-suspension mountain bike. Dual lockout is still functional and accessible.
BAGS: Old Man Mountain Elkhorn rack and Atlas bag out back, Rhinowalk top tube bag, small Banjo Brothers saddle bag for tubes and tools (not pictured).
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: A sleep kit, something I usually leave at home.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 1030 and RWGPS on a Pixel phone for backup.

Nick Elliott

Age 36 / Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Wilde Ti Prototype frame, Berd Sparrow Wheels, laced to a SON 28 Dynamo front hub and Talon rear hub, Sinewave Beacon V2 light and power, SRAM Red shifting a Transmission SL rear derailleur, and Rival XPLR crankset, Wolf Tooth chainring, Enve en-route aero stem and G-series bars (44mm), Thomson Ti Seatpost, saddle is a Selle Italia SLR Boost. Rolling on Fleecer Ridge Endurance 700 x 55mm tires.
BAGS: Revelate Designs Terrapin 8L Saddle Bag, Revelate Pitchfork Aero Bar bag, Apidura Long Top Tube Pack, Apidura Race Hydration Vest.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Oooh! SON28 Dynamo hub powering a Sinewave Beacon V2. I have my USB and tail light heat-shrinked together up to the frame bag’s Nitecore power bank and my GPS device. Stoked to have consistent power and front/rear lights. Takes quite a bit off the mental load!
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 1030.

Earl Evans

Age 52 / Rogers, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: Sklar PBJ single-speed 36/20T with Vittoria Mezcal Trail 2.6″ front and rear.
BAGS: South City Stichworks Frame and Top tube, Tailfin AeroPack with 10L panniers, Sea to Summit dry bag on Pass, 2x Revelate Designs Feed Bags, and Stow 3 rail front rack.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure Lighting; Toro MK15 and HT1000 headtorch lighting the dark night.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin Edge 1030.

Chris Farney

Age 41 / Saint Joseph, Montana (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: Ti Chumba Yaupon on Fleecer Ridge 2.2″ tires. Flat bars with bar and inner ends. Feeling slightly over-biked with front suspension. 32x18T singlespeed gearing. Mica Rat Tail rear rack.
BAGS: Dispersed (frame and full length TT bag), Revelate Designs (feed bags x2 and dry bag), and South City Stitchworks (rear rack harness).
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: SOL Bivy bag and inflatable pillow, Garmin InReach Messenger and head unit, Platypus water filter, Outbound lights, King Cages, and a special Doom bell.

Joe Fox

Age 42 / Kansas City, Missouri (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: Out for a third High Country on my Slow Southern Steel. Made with love in Fayetteville by Jesse Turner. 34/18T single speed, fresh set of Rene Herse Fleecers, Lupine headlight, and that nice rack also made by Jesse Turner.
BAGS: Frame bags by Buckhorn, rear rack bag by Dispersed. Long time favorites.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Doom bell for the gremlins, poppyseed loaf for the fuel, and zero sleep setup this go round.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin Edge 1040 Solar.

Tanner Frady

Age 34 / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Otso Fenrir with an Enve Mountain fork. Fresh 29 x 2.25″ Rekon Race tires. Sinewave Beacon light. Son 28 dynamo hub. 34-18T gearing.
BAGS: South City Stitchworks full top tube bag, frame bag, handlebar bag, and 2x Lebarski stem bags. Porcelain Rocket seat bag harness with a Restrap dry bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Cane Creek bar ends for extra hand positions. Cane Creek eeSilk suspension stem to absorb a little bit of chatter. I’ll be wearing a hydration vest with a 2-liter bladder.
GPS DEVICE: Wahoo Roam V3.

Aiden Holmes

Age 20 / Russellville, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: My bike is a 2023 Salsa Cutthroat GRX.
BAGS: The bags I’m running this year will feature a top tube bag and frame bag from South City Switchworks. The bar bag is a Rapha all weather bag, and my pannier bags are Salsa Fork bags
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: This year I’m excited to run a lighter set up than I did last year on the Central Loop. As a result making the bike easier to manage after a few days in the saddle.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin inReach Messenger.

Myles Honicker

Age 43 / Bentonville, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: I’ll attempt to complete the AHCR on a 2024 Santa Cruz Highball cc. I’ve got Salsa carbon cow chipper drop bars and Profile Design aero bars with 70mm risers. I’m rocking SRAM Red shifters, four piston Level brakes, and an Eagle XO transmission derailleur with a 10-52T XO cassette and 34T front chainring.
BAGS: Tailfin aero pack carbon, Restrap front aero bar harness with a 13L Sea to Summit compression sack. Custom Buckhorn frame, top tube, and feed bags. Restrap downtube bag for tools.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: 29″ NOBL TR33 wheels, 32 holes with Berd spokes, DT Swiss 240 hubs and Mezcal 2.25s, rear insert. Eewing 165 cranks, black. I have blips on the aero bars and under the elbow rest. Cane Creek eeSilk carbon seat post with Prologo Scratch M5 PAS CPC saddle. Magicshine Monteer 8000 front light and Garmin Varia Radar rear light. SID Ultimate 100mm fork.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 1040 solar and Inreach Mini II. Ride with GPS and Google maps for fine tuning the navigation.

Jeremy Hornberger

Age 40 / Fayetteville, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: I’m riding a Salsa Cutthroat, built it up with Shimano GRX 30T front chainring 51T mountain bike cassette. I’ve experimented with different chainring sizes and for the Ozarks, 30T chainring is perfect! I’m running a mix of bags, Orlieb, Rinowalk, REI, and more. Reserve carbon wheels. The Rockshox Reba suspension fork was a nice addition to the bike this year, it helps on the really rough stuff!
BAGS: The Ortlieb rear bag has proved to work very well when I can successfully get it mounted. I’ve got two feed bags holding two 32oz water bottles.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I have a Camelbak for extra water storage and extra food for long stretches of the course.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 540, phone for backup, with Zoleo tracker.

Jeremy Houchin

Age 52 / Bentonville, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Ozark Odyssey
BIKE: I’ll be riding the Ozark Odyssey on a Otso Warakin Ti. The bike features a SRAM mullet setup with some 50mm tires on some ENVE 3.4 wheels.
BAGS: I am using an Ortlieb rear seat post bag with some Salsa fork mounted bags. The frame bag is from Lead Out and top tube is from Arundle. I will running three water bottles as well.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Big Agnes two-person tent will be the sleeping quarters for this ride along with a Big Agnes sleeping pad. Got a Marmot sleeping bag in case it gets cold.
GPS DEVICE: I am using a Coros Dura to navigate, and will have the route loaded on my phone as back up.

David Lambert

Age 50 / Russellville, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: The HUNTRESS is a 2025 Salsa Cutthroat with a 1×12 SRAM GX AXS Transmission on a pair of 2.35” Vittoria Mezcal XC tires built for me by the guys at Jackalope Cycling. This bike also has a dropper post for fast gnarly descents, and for the long haul we added Profile Designs Aero bars with a mounted AXS POD for shifting.
BAGS: The Front Bag is from Route Works and holds my electronics and other quick access items needed on short stops. The Top tube bag is from Tailfin for on-the-go snacks. The Frame bag is from Salsa and holds my tools, pump and more snacks. On the back I am using the Ortlieb Gravel Pack panniers and Dry Pack mounted on the Ortlieb Quick Rack XL. I can carry up to 4.5L of water with the majority of that on Fidlock mounts for the fork and frame with the help of the Wolf Tooth B-Rad Double Bottle adapter. The feed bag is just a cheapo from Amazon.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I have a Durston X-Dome 2 with a Zen Bivy sleep system. The Click-Stand is my favorite non-essential piece of kit.
GPS DEVICE: I will be using a Garmin 1040 to Navigate but will have the route loaded on my phone with RWGPS as back up.

Ken Leeson

Age 59 / Cottage Grove, Minnesota (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Titanium Motobecan Ultegra road bike repurposed for ultra gravel rides with 38mm Teravail tubeless Rutland durable gravel tires along with SP dynamo front hub. Triple crank and carbon rims with classic rim brakes. Aero bars lifted 70mm for comfort. Brooks B17 saddle with 12,000 miles for additional comfort. Glamping every night with single-person tent and Nemo air mattress. Goal is 120 miles per day and 7 hours of sleep each night. Minimized night riding so I can see the state.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Nemo air mattress is my most important piece of gear besides my indestructible tires. Used same brand and model tires on Great Divide last year without a single flat.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 540 bike computer will be primary nav devices. Second small computer for metrics, and Osmand app on the phone for backup nav and route details.

Justinas Leveika

Age 36 / Tolga, Norway (Lithuania)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Trek CheckOut. Newly released full suspension gravel machine. With Rudy XL at the front providing 60mm of travel and RockShox SIDLuxe at the back with 55mm of travel. A mix of SRAM road/MTB components. Road Force cranks with 34T MTB chainring on a Quaq powermeter. XO rear mech with 10-52T cassette. Force shifters with blips on aero extensions. Hunt Limitless gravel wheels with 55mm Betasso RSL tyres on them
BAGS: My beloved Tailfin long top tube bag and lovely custom frame bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: bike and bags combo.
GPS DEVICE: sun and stars.

Jay Lewis

Age 27 / Centerton, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Ozark Odyssey
BIKE: I’ll be taking on the Ozark Odyssey route on my 2021 Scott Scale. Most of the bike consists of stock components, with the addition of a 2.2″ Continental Race King in the rear and an Ergon SMC Core saddle. I’ll be using Bontrager aero bars and bar ends for extra hand positions on the ride.
BAGS: On the seat, I have a 9L Apidura Saddle Pack that will carry my sleep setup. In the frame is a JPaks custom full-frame bag where I will carry a 3L hydration bladder, extra gear, and my Spicy Cheetos. I have two packs on the top tube, one JPaks and the other my trusty ROCKBROS pack that hasn’t let me down yet. I will also be carrying two bottles in cages mounted to my fork.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: My sleep setup consists of an OR Helium Bivy, Big Agnes Rapide SL, and Zenbivy Light Quilt. I will use a NiteRider 1200 to light the way, along with my trusty Coast Gx15.
GPS DEVICE: For navigation, I will use my Garmin 830 and have the route loaded in my Garmin Fenix 6 Pro as backup.

Zach Loudon

Age 36 / Russellville, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: I will be touring Central Loop in the partner category with my bro Brendan.
BIKE: 2021 Salsa Cutthroat with Bontrager Line Elite wheels, RockShox SID Brain Fork, Redshift Aero Bars, Marin Bedroll Flat Bars, SRAM XO1 AXS Eagle drivetrain 32T front 10-52T out back. Panaracer Gravel King SK+ tires, Aeroe Rear Rack, Son Dynamo hub, and Sinewave lights front and rear.
BAGS: Full compliment of South City Stitchworks bags (Zach is the man) with a Ride Forward Designs rear bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Durston X-Dome 2 tent, Big Agnes sleeping bag, Nemo Tensor Elite pad. USWE pack and Hydroflask filter.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 1040 Solar with phone backup.

Jeffrey Paase

Age 39 / Woodward, Oklahoma (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: 2022 Trek Checkpoint ALR 5, Shimano GRX 2×11 drivetrain, Maxxis Rambler 45mm HYPER-X tires.
BAGS: Rear rack and REI panniers, Cedaero top tube bag, Outer Shell half frame bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Rechargeable Cygolite front/rear lights.
GPS DEVICE: Wahoo ELEMNT Roam (x2) with Ride With GPS app on phone as a backup.

Andy Phillips

Age 51 / Topeka, Kansas (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Chumba Stella singlespeed 34x20T.
BAGS: South City Stitchworks 3/4 frame bag and Revelate Designs seat bag and Sweetroll.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Three Cygolite metros.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 1030.

Stan Prutz

Age 68 / Baton Rouge, Louisiana (USA)

ROUTE: Ozark Odyssey
BIKE: I’ll be racing the Ozark Odyssey on a 2023 Canyon Grizl. The bike features a new pair of Teravail 38mm tires, 40T chainring, DT Swiss wheels. One other modification is a Bar Yak Expedition with arm rests on the handlebars.
BAGS: The top tube has a Rhinowalk direct mount bag setup containing power pack and snacks. The saddle bag is generic. Two of the five water bottle holders are used for gear.
GPS DEVICE: I’m using a Garmin 1030 to navigate, but will also have the route loaded on the RWGPS app on my iPhone as a backup.

Zachary Reimer

Age 26 / Middlebury, Indiana (USA)

ROUTE: Ozark Odyssey
BIKE: I’ll be racing aboard my All-City Gorilla Monsoon. The bike remains unchanged except for a ridiculous 150mm stem to account for my ridiculous body, Profile Design aero bars, and a swap to tubeless for the 27.5 x 2.4″ WTB Riddler Tires.
BAGS: Up front, I have dueling Revelate Designs Mountain Feed Bags for quick gels and such. On top is a Lead Out! Racelite Top Tube Bag. In the frame is a Revelate Designs Tangle Bag for tools, mixes, a battery pack, and other misc. In the back is an 8L Sea to Summit Dry Bag, which houses my sleep system and sits atop a Mica Rattail Rack.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: The One Bottle Hydration system gives me a straw and remains durable and lightweight using a Nalgene. Also, an Outbound Lighting Detour light will keep the party lit. For sleeping, I’m loving my custom Enlightened Equipment 30-degree quilt. I’m lying on a Big Agnes Air Core Ultra sleeping pad beneath an Outdoor Research Helium Bivy.
GPS DEVICE: A Garmin 540 Edge for all intents and purposes.

Craig Schulz

Age 45

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Race
BIKE: I’ll be heading out on my Wilde Rambler. Running Rene Herse Oracle Ridge tires. Dynamo hub to keep the lights on. SRAM XPLR drivetrain to keep it moving.
BAGS: Tailfin frame bag, top tube, and handlebar bags. Cedaero feed bags and fork Mounts.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Outdoor Research bivy, Nemo Tensor air mattress, and a Big Agnes merino liner for sleeping.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 1040 and inReach to keep me on track.

Shaun Sava

Age 53 / Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: Total credit goes to BIKEPACKING.com and Neil Beltchenko for reviewing the bike I didn’t know I needed: the Surly Grappler. It was built up from the frameset, skillfully combining new parts and a deep dig into the old parts bin, yet committed entirely to a full mechanical setup. Few things I can’t fix. The heart of the machine is the Microshift Sword 1×10 drivetrain with dependable BB7 stopping power. A 32/46t climbing gear should get me up most climbs without issue. Wheels are Sunringle 27.5, featuring a Shimano dynamo hub and wrapped with 2.8″ Schwalbe G-One Allarounds (again, a nod to the Bikepacking.com review team). While the wheel/tire choice might seem large for gravel terrain, they are new, untested, and will be rolling again at the AMR in February. Cockpit comfort comes from the wide and shallow Ritchey Venturemax handlebars paired with a Redshift suspension stem. The ultimate highlight, however, is the very well broken-in Brooks saddle, pulled from a Long Haul Trucker. Finally, gold accents are provided by the fine crew at Wolftooth, just down the street from Surly HQ, keeping it local.
BAGS: Custom Rogue Panda frame bag, Revelate Designs saddle bag, Salsa Anything cradle, and Oveja Negra lunchbox.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: As a first timer to the Ozarks with bugs unknown, bringing the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV2, Nemo pad, tiny alcohol stove, and instant coffee to start the morning off right. A Backcountry bidet will get its first use.
GPS DEVICE: Navigation provided by Edge 530 and RWGPS App as backup.

Keo Singkhek

Age 55 / Benton, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Race
BIKE: I will be riding the AHCR on my 2025 Salsa Cutthroat. The bike features a new pair of Vittoria Mezcal 2.25” tires, 1×11 drivetrain with a 34T chainring, and Industry Nine Hydra carbon wheels. For comfort, the bike is equipped with Shockstop Pro Suspension bar stem, Shockstop Pro Endurance Suspension seat post, and Redshift Quick-release clip-on aerobars.
BAGS: a custom Top tube and frame bags from Buckhorn Bags. I’m also running a Tailfin Aeropack setup, two Apidura Stem bags for extra water bottles, and a Restrap aero bar bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Outdoor Research Helium bivy will serve as my shelter, along with a Therm-a-Rest Vesper quilt.
GPS DEVICE: I will be using a Wahoo ELEMNT Roam v2 and I also have the route loaded on the RWGPS app on my iPhone as a backup.

Joe Slavich

Age 34 / St. Louis, Missouri (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: I’ll be trying my hand at the Central Loop in 2025 riding my CRUST Bombora fit with the Rock Shox Rudy suspension fork with 30mm travel. Wheels are the Hunt Limited Gravel series (amazing) and Rene Herse Oracle Ridge 48mm tires with endurance casing. I’ve got a fair amount of carbon on this bike to try and save same weight. We will see if it works!
BAGS: My main carrier is a sick custom 3/4 frame bag from the legendary South City Stitchworks. Zach is a buddy and we belong to the same bike team (viva la KewlBeanz Cycling). Other bags are Apidura front bag and saddle bag.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: The only component not pictured is an Old Man Mountain front thru-axle pack for carrying water bottles.
GPS DEVICE: I’ll be using the Wahoo ACE unit as long as it doesn’t turn on me.

Tiphane Want

Age 35 / Conroe, Texas (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: Taking on the Central Loop with my Salsa Fargo. My little TankGirl has some glorious White Industry hubs on some Whisky hoops. SRAM Transmission and a 34 chainring to help my gams keep spinning, when I should probably be walking! Aerobars for riding comfortably and Ergon SR saddle for the butt comfort. And of course, rocking those Vittie-Mezzies 2.1″ tires.
BAGS: Dispersed bags full top tube, frame bag and stem bags. They don’t just look pretty in photos y’all, these bags are beautifully crafted! Apidura bags on the forks and saddle for the things I don’t want wet!
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: My gravel glitter for that emotional morale when things get tough!
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 1040 Solar. It loves the Texas sun.

Jacob Waterman

Age 33 / Springfield, Missouri (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Mosaic GT-2X with SRAM AXS drivetrain, rolling on 2.1″ Vittoria Mezcals. 34T chainring, compact aero bars with blips, and a MTB shifter.
BAGS: Full frame bag and top tube bags from Dispersed Bikepacking.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I’ve always been frustrated with where to put my tracker so I reached out to jefe.bike for some guidance. A few connecting pieces later and I now have a secure saddle mounted tracker.
GPS DEVICE: Coros Dura.

Preston Williams

Age 40 / Bonner Springs, Kansas (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Route
BIKE: Otso Fenrir Ti. Going bigger on tires (Bontrager Sainte-Anne 2.2″) and gear ratio (34x19T) because I’m going for the singletrack this year!
BAGS: Custom frame, top tube, and stem bags from South City Stichworks. Tailfin bags on the front and back.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: The guardian bell at the top of the seat stay has been repaired with JB Weld. It’s been with me for thousands of miles racing, it’s too important to replace.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin 840 solar head unit and Garmin inReach tracker.

Randy Windle

Age 46 / Hot Springs, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: I’ll be racing the Central Loop on my custom Rare Earth “Righteous Gemstone”. Outfitted with Ultradynamico Mars Robusto 2.2” tires. One gear (32 x 18T).
BAGS: Keeping things light and sturdy with South City Stitchworks bags throughout.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Rare Earth Ti Bullmoose bars. Primo for AR chunk.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin Edge 1040 solar.

Pat Worthley

Age 40 / Bentonville, Arkansas (USA)

ROUTE: Ozark Odyssey
BIKE: I’ll be riding the Odyssey on a 2020ish Soma Juice. 30x19T gearing.
BAGS: South City Stitchworks full length top tube bag and hip pack.
GPS DEVICE: Coros Dura.

Andy Zolyak

Age 35 / Brooklyn, New York (USA)

ROUTE: Central Loop
BIKE: Rodeo Labs Flaanimal 5.0 with Campagnolo Ekar, Ekar GT, and assorted hacks. 9-48T cassette and a Wolf Tooth 30T chainring. SON 28 laced to an eThirteen TRCR rim in front, Roval Terra CLX II in the rear New Rene Herse Poteau Mountain tires front and rear. Redshift Shockstop stem, PNW Components Coast dropper. Profile Design aerobars. (not pictured) rack removed for this race.
BAGS: Ghost Cat Bags custom half frame bag and top tube bag, Revelate Designs Pitchfork aerobar bag, Arkel Seat packer 15L (seat pack, top tube and aerobar bag not pictured).
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Clever Wolf Tooth chain guide and bottle mounting let’s me carry loads of water. Not a light bike, but very plush.
GPS DEVICE: Garmin Edge 1040. Backup: RWGPS.

Josh Zuhlke

Age 44 / Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (USA)

ROUTE: Full Arkansas High Country Race
BIKE: Esker Hayduke, Vittoria Mezcal trail 2.35″, SRAM GX Transmission.
BAGS: Rogue Panda full frame bag with Apidura 1.5L bladder. Revelate Designs 16L Spinelock saddle bag. Revelate Designs pronghorn handlebar bag with two of their feed bags. Tailfin top tube bag. Will wear a USWE 2L Airborne vest.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Using Outdoor Research Helium Bivy along with Big Agnes UL40 sleeping bag. For night riding have Fenix BCR26 on handlebars and helmet.
GPS DEVICE: Coros Dura.