Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell sat down with Rich Drew, professional mountain biker and YouTuber, and founder of The Ride Series, a service to teach mountain biking skills for athletes of all skill levels. James and Rich had the opportunity to talk about all things mountain biking, pouring into the community, and of course, Bentonville.
Thanks for joining us!
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Show Notes:
(1:45) Introducing Rich Drew
(4:45) How Rich Ended Up in Bentonville
(6:59) Rich’s Ride Series
(18:55) Mountain Biking and the Brain
(34:00) Nutrition and Riding 
(41:04) Rich’s Favorite Trails(
47:55) How Cycling Companies Should Be Taking Advantage of Bentonville
(57:13) What’s Next for Rich and The Ride Series
(1:04:55) Rich’s Favorite Lesson Learned This Year
(1:09:00) Because Bentonville 
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‍Links
JAMES BELL‍
RICH DREW
THE RIDE SERIES
RICH DREW YOUTUBE

Quotes
“The success of our YouTube channel for me doesn’t come from views or subscribers, it comes from the feedback, the comments, some of the relationships we have built through that. It’s exciting because I’ve been able to try to stay true to what we wanted in the beginning, and that was making things that were positive, things that were educational, things that were entertaining, and something that I would always be ok with my son watching.” Rich Drew, (14:40)
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“The idea is we want to remove all the impediments. We want you to just be able to focus on the technique. If you can focus on the technique, you can have time under task. You can be doing it right. And then you can go to the trail and potentially do it right. So…should you just go ride? You should, but you should just go ride doing things properly.” Rich Drew (20:19)
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“When you come here you realize the vast majority of mountain bike riders, they don’t want to ride mountains. They want to ride trails that are accessible, that aren’t dangerous, but that are exciting for them and their level. They want to do it in the vicinity of amenities that are world-class and abundant. And nowhere in the world does it like this place.” Rich Drew (50:01)

“When I’ve had the opportunity to have conversations with those business leaders, all I’ve said to them is ‘do something that makes an impact.’ If you come in and your efforts are to make a positive impact on the community, I think everything else will take care of itself because people here can see through that.” Rich Drew, (51:32)

“All I did was highlight what so many amazing people have poured into. The amount of people that have put effort into making this place what it is, to be able to showcase that, and have people [and their] kids see it and come here, that’s just a true honor, and it’s a responsibility that I relish.” Rich Drew, (1:10:43)‍‍
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Boosting Your Mountain Biking Skills with Rich Drew and The Ride Series
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell sat down with Rich Drew, professional mountain biker and YouTuber, and founder of The Ride Series, a service to teach mountain biking skills for athletes of all skill levels. James and Rich had the opportunity to talk about all things mountain biking, pouring into the community, and of course, Bentonville.
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Rich Drew and The Ride Series
“The success of our YouTube channel for me doesn’t come from views or subscribers, it comes from the feedback, the comments, some of the relationships we have built through that. It’s exciting because I’ve been able to try to stay true to what we wanted in the beginning, and that was making things that were positive, things that were educational, things that were entertaining, and something that I would always be ok with my son watching.” Rich Drew, (14:40)
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Rich Drew has been on two wheels practically since he could walk. He used the skills he built, along with his affinity for keeping physically fit, to build a YouTube empire and turn his passion into his profession. What sets him apart from the rest is his drive to stick to what matters most to him and let go of the rest. Not letting his true passions be drowned out by the noise of trends, ads, and follower count is what Drew claims as his key to success.

‍“The idea is we want to remove all the impediments. We want you to just be able to focus on the technique. If you can focus on the technique, you can have time under task. You can be doing it right. And then you can go to the trail and potentially do it right. So…should you just go ride? You should, but you should just go ride doing things properly.” Rich Drew (20:19)

Rich’s passion in everything he does is all working toward the goal of teaching others to enjoy mountain biking, and to be able to do that for a long time. As he says, he wants to be out riding with his son well into retirement age, and making sure his form and fitness are in check will help him achieve that. It is this mindset that he passes onto all of his students and viewers. Handing them this confidence on a bike is his “why,” and his thousands of supporters are better for it.
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‍Why Bentonville?
‍“When you come here you realize the vast majority of mountain bike riders, they don’t want to ride mountains. They want to ride trails that are accessible, that aren’t dangerous, but that are exciting for them and their level. They want to do it in the vicinity of amenities that are world-class and abundant. And nowhere in the world does it like this place.” Rich Drew (50:01)

As someone who is not an NWA native and came here by choice, Rich is all too familiar with what drives people to say ‘yes’ to Bentonville. He has a passion for introducing people to the area and showing them not only the incredible outdoor opportunities here in the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, but the arts, culinary, and cultural attractions as well. He has a particular knack for convincing doubters in the biking space to bet on Bentonville.

“When I’ve had the opportunity to have conversations with those business leaders, all I’ve said to them is ‘do something that makes an impact.’ If you come in and your efforts are to make a positive impact on the community, I think everything else will take care of itself because people here can see through that.” Rich Drew, (51:32)

When Drew came to Northwest Arkansas, his goal was simply to pour everything he had into his new community. Investing in Bentonville is something that has always impressed him about the local Fortune 500s, and it is a quality he has already replicated with his platform and business. When speaking to anyone hoping to be successful here, he instills in them an importance to not just fake their involvement to garnish sales, but to actually acclimate and dive into everything going on in Bentonville.

“All I did was highlight what so many amazing people have poured into. The amount of people that have put effort into making this place what it is, to be able to showcase that, and have people [and their] kids see it and come here, that’s just a true honor, and it’s a responsibility that I relish.” Rich Drew, (1:10:43)
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Get Connected!
‍Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a positive impact on Bentonville’s culture, community, and lifestyle. Don’t forget, Bentonville is a place where you can have more of what you want and less of what you don’t!