Riverside Rides offers bikes for rent and real business experience for students

With more welcoming outdoor conditions and a call to connect with nature, people may be searching for fun activities to enjoy with family and friends. A great place to go is Riverside Rides. Located on the riverfront at 417 Riverfront Drive, decorated by eye-catching murals and an oil rig, Riverside Rides is a bike rental service run by the students of the Future School of Fort Smith.

Riverside Rides began in 2020 when Griffin Hanna and Phil White coordinated with the Future School to develop a bike rental/entrepreneurship project for high school students. That summer, Riverside Rides opened to the public. The student-run bike rental is now open 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-8 p.m. May-November with two students working at a time.

Options for bike rentals include tandem bikes and children's bikes. All bikes are $12 for an hour of riding and $20 an hour for special bikes. Riverside Rides has been described as a great experience and family destination, with many upcoming community events. Logan Whitaker, a student at the Future School, said he believes the bike rental is just a small part of supporting the local community and it is integral to Riverside Rides and everyone it serves.

– Guest writer Aiden Armer is a sophomore attending Future School of Fort Smith.