The Arkansas Democrat Gazette's weekly magazine, Sync, did a story on the fifth annual CARTI Tour de Rock on June 14. The author, Shea Stewart, spent a lot of time at the west Little Rock store getting information and equipment for the event.

From the article:

Arkansas Cycling and Fitness owner Richard Machycek offered me a boost of confidence when I recently went to his store to find a bicycle. He looked me over and assured me that I could ride 30 miles right now. Considering that I didn’t even own a bicycle a week ago, that’s good news.

Choosing the right bicycle is essential to completing the grueling, 50-mile ride that will take me out to the farmland west of Keo and back. So Rob Ayers, a salesman with Arkansas Cycling and Fitness in west Little Rock, spent about 15 minutes helping me find the right bike for my frame.

“We’re all built differently,” said Ayers, also known as the Grand Poobah of Sales. “I don’t like to call it a custom fit but a correct fit.”

When fitting customers for bicycles, Ayers first takes into account the type of terrain they will be riding on. He also takes into consideration the rider’s height. He had me sit on three different road bicycles while he measured my reach. He finally settled on a Trek 1.2 Series road bike. After helping me choose an Arkansas Cycling jersey and shorts (you have to look the part, after all), Ayers offered a few words of advice.

“Drink lots of fluids the week of the ride, and that doesn’t mean beer,” he said. “And to practice for a 30-mile ride, you just need to go out and ride.”

Read the full article here.

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