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Bentonville, the "Mountain Bike Capital of the World," climbed to Arkansas' No. 1 spot on PeopleForBikes' annual best place to bike list, but NWA has ground to cover under a tougher new national standard.

Why it matters: The rankings track whether people can realistically use bikes for everyday transportation, not just as recreation.

• There are more than 200 miles of paved trails in NWA, and local governments have spent heavily on trail connections and bike infrastructure for years.