What s the latest research on mountain biking in protected areas? Catherine Pickering, Environment Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Australia. c.pickering@griffith.edu.au Yu Fai Leung, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, USA. leung@ncsu.edu
Why is research on mountain biking important? Increasing numbers riders, diversity of riders & locations were riding Differences in perceptions regarding appropriateness of mountain biking among user groups, stakeholders & land managers Therefore need for research to inform debate & decisions particularly for PA s 69 abstracts on mountain biking MMV1 7 Special issue of JORT arising from MMV7
MMV 2002 2014 69 talks on mountain biking 25 20 15 10 5 0 2010 2014 2012 2008 2006 2004 2002
Special issue of JORT on Mountain biking (end 2016) Methods in 11 papers: Social science: mixture qualitative and quantitative research including: Intercept surveys in parks Semi structured interviews Phenomenological qualitative interviews Choice experiments online Mobile and video ethnography Economic value based on survey Also Case study development of long distance trail Environmental = Experimental seed 2 Technology = Volunteer Geographic Information
Many papers looked at: Who, where? Who goes riding? Mostly men, often younger, and well educated Where do they go riding? Urban parks through to remote National Parks Multi use trails, single use trails and off trail Also long distance touring trails, snow trails, adventure racing etc
Several assessed What do they want in trails? Mixed responses depending on who asked and where, but some common patterns Can differ from hikers and runners (e.g. mountain bikers want longer, steeper, single track, more technical challenges) Often want more trails/riding opportunities e.g. unmet demand can result in riding where not authorised
Where do they want trails? Maria Brito Campelo & Richardo Noguera Mendes (2016). Volunteer GIS data on different websites, for a PA in Portugal. Online public available datasets to asses visitation to PA s. Compared user posted GIS data files on GPSies.com and Wikiloc.com. Both sites provided similar data for mapping MTB use of trails. Track use data can combined with other spatial data including vegetation, topography, management zoning etc to enhance management of this and other activities
Interactions with other users Teresa Satos, Richardo Nogueira Mendes & Anarita Vasco, (2016). Volunteer Geographic Information on web sharing services, Urban park, Portugal. Mapped against official trails = lots of unauthorised use Map against other users = spatial interaction hotspots
Interactions with other users Catherine Pickering & Sebastian Rossi (2016). Intercept survey mountain bikers in urban park, Australia. Perceptions and values = mountain bikers can have ecocentric values & limited conflict with other users
Interactions with other users Katrina Brown (2016). Ethnographic research, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. Identity, emotional experience = sense of belonging Negative encounters, although less common, could have greater effect. Positive encounters reinforce behaviours. Signage and facilities also affect emotions. Issue of insiders vs outsiders
Trail types and riders Peter Zajc & Nejc Berzelak (2016). Web survey of mountain bikers, Slovenia. Identified 4 groups of riders 1. Gravity (like downhill and free riding style, speed, single track in natural areas) 2. All round riding (like single tracks but also gravel, & in natural areas) 3. Cross country single track (do not like downhill or free riding style as much, or speed, but like single tracks) 4. Cross country gravel track (like gravel tracks, but do not like downhill or free riding style as much, or speed) Some conflict with other users, particularly riders liking speed & downhill Want to help with trail maintenance Riding in natural areas common, but often unauthorised
Trail types and riders Dieter Koemle & Ulrich Morawetz (2016). Online choice experiment testing 261 riders trail preferences, Austria. 1. Single track particularly important on down hill sections 2. No problems with hikers on trails, but do not want horses 3. Want mix of long and short trails 4. Multiple peaks rather than single climb 5. Logging roads good for uphill, and ex road riders
Rider experience Scarlett Hagen & Mike Boyes (2016). Post modernist subcultural approach using semi structured interviews with 12 experienced downhill MTB riders in New Zealand. Themes: (1) mud vs dry soils, (2) ruts & shoots (3) jumps, drops & weightlessness, (4) fear, (5) speed, (6) secret trails & loam. Found obstacles on tracks with greatest affect were those that were awkward, difficult, technical, fast or induced states of flow.
Economics Mario Du Preez and Deborah Ellen Lee (2016). Non market valuation of mountain biking event in South Africa. Survey of 288 people participating in Trans Baviaans one day MTB race in the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve, Eastern Cape. Used travel cost analysis to identify non market benefit to those participating. Methodology suitable for other adventure tourism events & for MTB in other locations. US$201 per person per trip US$321,158 in total
Environmental impacts Catherine Pickering, Michael Ansong & Erin Wallace (2016). Experiment comparing relative weed seed on bike vs horse. Both had weed seed, but different combinations of seed More work needed.. Another paper published since on seed on mountain Bikes (Weiss et al. JEM, 2016) Axonopus fissifolius Poa queenslandica Bike Horse Dicantheum scericeum Vicia sativa Chloris virgata Chloris gayana
Mountain biking trails in WA David Newsome, K. Stender, R. Annear & A. Smith (2016). Case study regarding trail development & collaboration between PA, other government agencies, mountain bikers groups and tourism organisations.
New challenges fat bikes Chris Monz & Andrew Kulmatiski (2016). Review fat bikes USA. New type bike = new activity = new challenges Need to: Minimize visitor conflict & ecological disturbance Collaboration, special fat bike trails Spatial & temporal separation USA,
Overall management Collaboration including with mountain bike groups Some spatial and temporal separation among users Values, attitudes, experiences and perceptions important as emotions shape interactions Diversity in what mountain bikers want Authorised vs unauthorised is ongoing challenge Still need for research, particularly on environmental impacts
Our thanks to the editors and staff at JORT most especially Wolfgang Haider Ulrike Pröbstl Haider) Any questions? Prof Catherine Pickering Griffith University c.pickering@griffith.edu.au