Insincere voice: We can’t think of a better spectator sport than watching a group of mountain bikers trying to ride up a ski lift line. And you get to go to Arkansas to see it. Double win. And it’s sponsored by Bosch, makers of… like, microwaves and shit. Sounds magnificent.
As part of the upcoming Bentonville Bike Fest, Bosch eBike Systems has signed on as the title sponsor for a brand-new evening spectacle: the Bosch Hill Climb Challenge. We were probably a bit harsh on it in that previous paragraph, because we do love hill climbs. Look, we’re mean about everything and everyone, then wonder why we keep getting removed from the PR mailing lists.
ANYWAY. Taking place on Friday, June 12, the event will double as the grand opening party for the newly minted OZ Trails Bike Park in Bella Vista, Arkansas.
No Dabbing on the Lift Line
The rules of the Hill Climb Challenge are simple. Competitors get two attempts to claw their way up a steep, technical mountain face on Class 1 (20mph max assist) pedal-assist eBikes.
The goal is to see who can make it furthest up the lift line route without putting a foot down. The rider who clears the most technical features the fastest without a dab walks away with a slice of the $1,500 total prize purse. It is free to enter, free to watch, and open to both men and women who think their balance can match their battery output.
We mean. Sure, whatever. Have fun.
An Entire Festival
For those who prefer to keep their tires on flat ground, Bosch is embedding itself across the entire festival weekend from June 11–14:
- e-Mobility Day (Thursday, June 11): Located in downtown Bentonville, featuring industry panels with advocacy groups like PeopleForBikes and a look at the Walmart Bikeshare system alongside its Bosch-powered servicing trike.
- The Bike Fest Expo (June 12–14): A massive tech footprint where riders can demo Bosch-equipped frames from Trek, Orbea, Pivot, and Santa Cruz. The booth will also showcase the latest updates to their Flow App—including “Performance Upgrade 2.0” and something intriguing called “Trick Check.”
- Celebrity Guided Rides: Cyclist legend Hans Rey, alongside Ryan “RDog” Howard and Rachel and Kyle Strait, will be floating around the booth for autographs. Rey will also lead four guided eMTB skills rides throughout the weekend on the Slaughter Pen and Coler trail networks, with all proceeds benefiting local charity FAST (Friends of Arkansas Singletrack).
Bosch cycling division, if you somehow found this page from a pingback, send us something to review. Not a microwave.
