At Club Ride Apparel, we believe that the best adventures come from blending style, function, and a love for the outdoors. Few embody this more than our ambassador, Robbie Wells. Whether he's hitting the trails or building trails, Robbie's passion for riding and his deep connection to supporting mental health through two wheels shine through. In this Q&A, we catch up with Robbie to learn more about his journey, his favorite gear, and what brought him to the bike.
I am an Arkansas native. Was born and raised in a small town just east of Bentonville called Berryville. Spent my time mostly on a some form of two wheels whether it be a bmx bike or dirt bike. But really focused in on skateboarding for 10+ years.
This is a hard one. I am pretty biased when it comes to local trails because I have either built them or had some hand in building them. I would have to say Air Raid at Huntley Gravity Park here in OZ.
I haven’t been on a bike very long compared to some. I was on a bike most of my childhood whether it be a mongoose mountain bike that was falling apart or a bmx bike. But I did eventually stop once I got into high school. I picked up mountain biking in 2018 a little while after my wife and I moved back to Arkansas.
Since I was a little kid I have always been drawn to extreme sports. Racing dirt bikes, jumping bmx bikes on homemade jumps, and skateboarding. So the longing for those kinds of sports is always there. When my wife and I moved back to Arkansas the Oz trail network was really starting to develop. I was in need of some sort of outlet for my brain and thought what better way then to ride bikes in the woods. So my wife and I both purchased hard tails.
So I am involved with two incredible organizations. I am a full time professional trail builder. I have been in this industry for years and just recently took a new gig with an organization called Veterans Future Foundation. I am the Master Trail Builder for our 500 acre campus called the University of Health and Performance. This institution is silt focused on helping veterans transition out of the military and also regain their purpose in normal life. It’s an accredited program that offers several courses for veterans. Please check them out at https://university-hp.com/
The second organization I am apart of is The Dirt Therapy Project. I have been the chapter lead in Arkansas since about 2019. Our focus is getting veterans on bikes in nature so they can find their own path to healing. We have been able to supply veterans with bikes and conduct annual retreats to places some would never have the chance to go. I can attest myself that mountain biking is saving my life. I say that in present tense purposely. If it wasn’t for bikes I would not be here with you today. PTSD and the other mental health struggles would have taken absolute control and ruined me. But here we are today all because of a frame and two wheels. Which is so rad! https://www.tdtp.org/
Well this is easy…Wrights BBQ here in Bentonville. It’s the best. There is no question. Can’t change my mind.
Man…this is hard. I am so thankful I have had the opportunity to ride in so many cool places. But I’d say the place I go to the most especially during bike park season is Angel Fire Bike Park. It has a special place in my heart. The only way to describe it is GNARLY. It has everything you could ever want in a bike park…big jumps, steep chutes, chunk, and as much speed down a mountain as you can muster. It’s a special place.
My all time favorite backcountry ride Ive done was the Monarch Crest trail over to Greens Creek. That was a wild ride. Being above tree line and just at peace with yourself. Then the decent down greens was fast and chunky. At the top it was wet and rocky then half way down it turned to almost a desert like landscape. Dry and loose. That trail is Mountain Biking.
But to end this question…the Northeast is an absolute gem. I don’t get to go there much but got to spend a week there with my previous build crew. Highland Bike Park and Thunder Mountain are sooooo good. We had the perfect amount of moisture in the trails when we were there. You could go 30mph into a flat corner, push into it, and it would immediately lock up with traction. Haven’t experienced that anywhere before. Looking forward to making it back out there!
One of my absolute favorite pieces from Club Ride is their Fat Jack Work and Ride pants. I wear mine day in and day out whether I’m building trail or riding a bike park. They are extremely durable and have room to breathe. They are literally the best pants on the market in my opinion.
The second shirt I want to mention is the Motive Ultra Breathable shirt. Here in Arkansas the summers can get absolutely brutal with humidity. This shirt does the job when it comes to keeping me cool on and off the trail.
Lastly the flannels have been a great addition to my winter trail building closet. I have put them through the test over and over again. They withstand everything I put at them without fail.