Have you ever turned down the offer to ride due to anxiety that your friends were faster or better than you? What if that friend were former World Champion cyclist, Brian Lopes? With an electric bike, the answer is always a resounding “yes, let’s ride!” Nick Troutman jumped at the opportunity to take on the assortment of trails Bentonville has to offer with Brian and his pro athlete friends. “The biking was incredible! We did some flow trails, pump tracks, steeper downhill style, some big jumps and everything in-between. It is truly amazing what has been built in Bentonville, and yet they continue to expand as they add 3 miles of trails every week indefinitely.”
Troutman brought his BULLS COPPERHEAD EVO AM 4, equipped with the Kiox, Performance Line CX, and PowerTube 625, to help him keep pace with the professional bikers he was riding with. Interested in learning more about Bulls eBikes? Find a Bulls eBike dealer here.
Troutman joined an all-star crew that consisted of riders from many different disciplines and sports, ranging from BMX medalists to Downhill and Enduro Cross champions – including Austin “Bubba” Warren, Kialana Hines, Rahsaan Bahati, Eliot Jackson, Colton Haaker, Corey Martinez, and Mike “Hucker” Clark. “Let’s just say I felt like a fish out of water with this crew, but everyone was extremely encouraging and supportive. They all taught me so much.”
“I even was able to help 'tow' some of the guys up the hills while they held onto my shoulder. I was the only athlete that was on an eBike and it was cool to be able to swap out with some of the crew and let them try the eBike too! Everyone who tried it had a smile on their face immediately - as they are just so much fun to ride.”
Troutman didn’t just tackle trails in Bentonville – he also helped kids learn how to bike! Troutman and the crew of riders he was with spent time assisting All Kids Bike, a nationwide movement led by the Strider Education Foundation to place Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride programs into public schools for free.
What was the most impactful part of his visit? “Learning about the confidence that this program was giving to these kids at such a young age, as well as getting them outdoors, off screens, and in a healthy active environment.”
The crew was able to visit two schools. At the first school, they brought bikes they built for the students and introduced the bikes to the class. At the other school, they were able to witness the success of students that were finishing up the 8 week course zip around an obstacle course with the bikes.
“It was so cool to see these children and the smiles they had on their faces. The program goes beyond just teaching kids to bike, as it also gets these kids outside, into and caring for the outdoors, as well as being active and on a path to continue living a healthy lifestyle. It was mind blowing to think about how this program literally has the potential to change the future of this country by simply implementing and teaching kids to ride bikes at as part of gym class.”
