Randonneuring Gravel Rally of the Ozarks
When & Where
2026 Date TBD
Rapp's Barren Brewing
601 S. Baker St.
Mountain Home, AR
6:00 a.m. start
What & Why?
A unique gravel bike experience for you and your teammate!
Completed in teams of two (or solo if you so desire), the Randonneuring Gravel Rally of the Ozarks is a day long adventure navigating and riding some of the best gravel in north central Arkansas!
Here's the skinny:
- Teams of two solid riders
- Two gravel bikes, one vehicle capable of carrying both bikes
- Start in Mountain Home
- Strategically navigate and ride all three (or just two, or just one) gravel routes
- Routes are 20 +/- miles each
- Track your routes and progress (Strava or Ride GPS)
- Return to Mountain Home for post-event festivities
Solo participants are welcome as well, we're just partial to the idea of spending a day with a buddy!
Something New, Somewhere New.
Embrace the Adventure!
Are you ready to take on an unforgettable day in the saddle? This one-of-a-kind gravel event is is not about beating the clock—it’s about navigating, conquering, and fun with friends!
The Randonneuring Gravel Rally of the Ozarks (RGRO) is for both seasoned gravel riders and newbies alike. We want you to enjoy your day if it's just for grins or you're grinding it out! You'll be your own sag support as you make the decisions of where and what to do next. Grab a buddy to make some memories and explore north central Arkansas in a whole new way.
Packet Pick-Up / Registration
Friday, February 28, we'll have a packet pickup and meet and greet to go over some things. We'll have an abbreviated version the morning of as well.
Course Description
You've heard of the Ozarks? You're about to see an awful lot of them!
The three gravel routes triangulate Mountain Home. You choose which route(s) to conquer first, second, and third, then head back to celebrate the accomplishment. Here are the routes:
Gamaliel, Arkansas (Route A)
23.4 miles, 2,088 ft. elevation gain
99.9% gravel...lots of fun!
Gamaliel route HERE (allows for .gpx export)
Norfork, Arkansas (Route B)
17.8 miles, 1,766 ft. elevation gain
50/50 gravel and paved.
Be prepared to hike-a-bike and fly down Push Mountain Road
Norfork route HERE (allows for .gpx export)
Rea Valley, Arkansas (Route C)
20 miles, 1,897 ft. elevation gain
90% gravel with one hellacious hill in the middle!
Rea Valley route HERE (allows for .gpx export)
So many questions...and answers.
So what exactly is Randonneuring?
The French word "randonnee" loosely translates to "an organized group ride, with some emphasis on speed, but it is not a race; typically, on light-touring bicycles." Randonnees are often long but do not normally involve stopping for the night away from the start.
Is there swag?
Yes! Everyone gets one of these awesome Legacy, unstructured, low profile, trucker caps.
How much is this thing?
How much is this thing?
The cost is only $45 / team or $25 for solo riders. The team captain will register the team and pay the full amount. The teammate will then use the provided link to register him/herself under the team.
Are there awards?
How much is this thing?
By definition of a Randonneuring event, we won't do much in terms of awards, but we'll have something special to recognize the first teams in.
How does registration work?
(a race platform for all the sports)
Team captain registers him/herself, creating a new team and assigning a Team Name with accompanying password. Captain can add the next person or share a link to have the teammate join in. Check out the How-To guide below.
What if I don't have a teammate?
Single riders who want to participate with a teammate can fill out the Single Rider Form to submit some basic information. We'll collect your information and connect people. If there happens to be an odd number of riders, we'll just make a team of three so that everyone can participate.
Can I ride solo?
Yes. While we love the idea of riding with a buddy, we know that some will want to tackle this thing solo. The option for a single rider is available on BikeSignUp's registration.
Are E-Bikes permitted?
Yes. You are welcome to use e-bikes. This event is about the comradery and the overall accomplishment. If an e-bike floats your bike, then by all means ride that thing!
Gear up!
Accessories to new bikes and everything in between!
Missing anything before you tackle the course?
Completive Cyclist is the online authority for premium biking gear which offers top-of-the-line custom built bikes, apparel, components, accessories, and everything you need to get out and go biking.
Gear up for the big day! Click the logo to shop Competitive Cyclist by Backcountry.
Your Routes & What to Know
Gamaliel Loop
It's amazingly refreshing on a hot day, kind of sucky on a cold day...be prepared for Gamaliel's water crossing!
Rea Valley Loop
We know you're excited...there's an awesome hill!
Norfork / Lone Rock Loop
Norfork / Lone Rock Loop
A time sucking uphill hike-a-bike followed by a speedy highway decent!
RGRO Explained...In Detail
Welcome
Welcome to the Randonneuring Gravel Rally of the Ozarks! You’re surely aware that this is completely unique event involving three routes, two bikes, and one amazing day. You’re probably not aware of all the nuances of this event and what is fully entailed. While we’re still hammering out a few details, we give you this insight as to what your day of randonneuring through the Ozarks will look like.
Overview
Over the course of a day, teams of two riders will pack up their bikes and all their supplies and navigate their way to, and complete, each (or any of) the three routes. Biking routes are provided as GPX files but it is up to the teams to decide the order of which to complete the routes and the driving directions between them.
Itinerary
All pre-event, start, and finish events at:
Rapp's Barren Brewing
610 South Baker St.,
Mtn. Home, AR 72653
Friday 2/28
- 7:00 - 9:00 pm - Meet & Greet (Optional)
- Just come to Rapp's, you'll find us!
Saturday 3/1
- 6:00 - 6:30 am - Packet pickup
- 6:30 - Pre-Ride meeting for all participants (Mandatory)
- 7:00 - Depart from Rapp's
- 3:00 - cut-off time if you have not started your 3rd route
Safety First
Teams are intentional, there is safety in numbers.
Participants need to keep their eyes on the road: While one teammate drives, the other will be the navigator looking at GPS or paper maps. Out on the gravel routes, we recommend riders staying together and wearing visible apparel. All routes are to be considered “open courses.” While the communities you’ll be driving and riding though are aware of this event, you need to assume that any given individual you see out there has no clue that people ride bikes on gravel roads.
Don’t speed: This is a randonneuring event, not a race. Go ahead and ride fast, but drive the speed limit! We are encouraging you to drive smart and roll into the finish in one piece.
Be visible: You don’t need to wear blaze orange from head to toe, but we want riders to wear some bright colors and have functional white and red lights for each bike. Weather conditions change and you could be riding in poor visibility. Be seen, be safe!
Vehicles
All route starting points are accessible by any given passenger vehicle; no need for 4x4 or any other such feature. Transport your bikes on a rack, in the back of a pickup truck, or stuff them in a van. You’re welcome to transport your bikes your own way.
The Rules
Very few rules for the day, but one main rule is that there is only one bike per person, NO BACK UP BIKES. While a backup bike may be a good idea, it’s only fair if all participants have a backup bike and that is simply not the case. To keep it fair and to keep you on your toes, one bike per participant that you will have to maintain throughout the day.
Sag & Support
You are your sag & support vehicle. The great thing of navigating the course in your own vehicle is that you can pack all the gear you want! Change of clothes – check. Nutrition – check. Spare tubes – check. Tools and an air pump – check. Kitchen sink – check.
We encourage everyone to think through what a day of riding can look like. What you will likely need throughout the day and what you may need in unlikely circumstances. Depending on the order of routes you will drive past one bike shop but you need to be prepared virtually anything.
Stops along the way – “Way Points”
One of the driving factors in creating this event is to not only showcase the gravel in our area, but also some of our fine local establishments. As you drive to each route’s starting point, we’re incorporating at least one local establishment who will be offering some sort of service or product that we’d like you to take part in. Here is a list of the Required and Optional stops.
Gamaliel Required | Wagon Wheel Resort | RGRO Sticker | Hours: All Day
Gamaliel Optional | Rusty Rooster | Receipt for any purchase | hours: 9:30-5:30
Norfork Required | Norfork Adventure Supply | NAS Bike Shop Sticker | Hours 10:00-5:30
Norfork Optional | Heidi's Ugly Cakes | $1.00 Cookie | Hours: 10:30-2:30
Rea Valley Required | KT's Smokehouse | $5.00 Bottle of sauce | Hours: 11:00-8:00
Rea Valley Optional | Cotter Bridge Market | Any Receipt | Hours 7:00-3:00
Rider Perks:
KT’s Smokehouse & BBQ - Sauce is located in their “to go” cooler which holds many other delicious eats. RGRO riders receive a 30% discount on anything from that cooler.
Cotter Bridge Market – Vitamin Water, Gatorade, and other select drinks $2.00 out the door.
Heidi’s Ugly Cakes – House cookies and brownies $1.00 out the door.
Congratulatory Accolades
Upon completing your rides, everyone will return to Rapp’s for some vivations and merriment; let’s celebrate your accomplishments together! Now, this is a randonneuring event, not a race, so there are not trophies and medals for the first place teams. That said, we want to acknowledge the team who hit it hard and finishes early. We have some “door prizes” for those who return first but as we stated before, this isn’t a race, there is no need to speed down the highway to arrive first.
Those who come back having hit all the optional stops...we have an awesome door prize for you!
Sponsors & Partners
