Craig Kuepper English 2010-421

Mountain bike Perceptions

Mountain bikers and hikers have always had conflict that ruins the experience in nature for

most trail users. When discussions about mountain biking arise it is inevitable that trail erosion

will arise and the pointing of fingers begins. The reality is that any use within nature is bound to

cause erosion to the trails used, despite the form of transportation on the trail. The more

prevalent issue seen is anger and stereotypes among the different trail users. Most

advertisements and videos about mountain biking focus towards the downhill mountain bikers

who tear down the trail and cause major damage to trails. The people who participate in this

area of the sport are in the minority among bikers but the publicity they receive is far reaching.

This form of mountain biking is exciting and dangerous which is attractive to many people but

skews what mountain biking really is. The issue is how others perceive mountain biking as

destructive and dangerous. Changing the perception among trail users through education will

provide less conflict on our trails. This will unite trail users and enable a more peaceful

experience in nature.

Conflict is inevitable when new forms of recreation are introduced which overlap with

other activities in nature. Conflict arose when snowboarding was introduced to the slopes

which threatened the monopoly that skiers held. The new clothing and lifestyle of the

snowboarders was foreign and distressing to people who had been skiing for years (Carothers).

Conflict also arose because the style of riding was different which took time to adjust too. This

issue is the same for anything that is new and different in society. When skateboarding

surfaced there were many people who rebelled against it and saw it as evil. Furthermore, in a

study done by the University of Liverpool they saw conflict when one user-group felt that
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another group is interfering with their goals (Osbaldeston). The conflict arises when any new

user-group is introduced, the lifestyle which accompanied the new recreation feels threatening.

The difference in lifestyle creates a conflict which feels like a disruption of their goals. The

perception of the user is what creates the conflict even when no physical conflict is present.

The strong views present lead to conflict if they arent taken care of.

The way mountain biking is portrayed skews the perception for the majority of people,

thus creating conflict. The majority of people when asked about mountain biking think of

Redbull Rampage, a mountain bike event in Moab, Utah. The riders are very skilled, go very

fast, slide their tires around corners and hit big jumps. The issue is that this is the way mountain

biking is advertised by many companies because of how glamorous it appears. The dilemma

with this type of advertising is that there are more forms of mountain biking that are less

dramatic and harmful to the environment (Heil). Trail users who arent familiar with mountain

biking dont know the different types such as: dirt jumping, cross country, trail riding, all

mountain and downhill biking. Most of the people who ride bikes are doing either trail riding or

cross country which is much slower and focused more towards endurance. These types of

mountain biking are less destructive and enable the rider to enjoy nature as a hiker sees nature.

This is why when people see this

Craig Kuepper English 2010-421

(Heil)

they term mountain biking as dangerous and reckless. This perception of mountain biking

creates the conflict on the trails. In a study done in the Santa Cruz Mountains, they

interviewed trail users and park rangers/ managers to see where the conflict was coming

from. Through interviews with the park rangers they found that State Park officials indicate

a very low rate of actual physical incidents involving Mountain Bikers and Hikers and all of

those interviewed, (with the exception of Mayor Cecilia Scott), suggested that the conflict

issue was largely perceptual.(Osbaldeston). The amount of actual conflict is minimal but

the anger is still prevalent. The major issue is not in the physical contact but in how the

different user-groups perceive each other. The perceptions held are very potent and create

bitter feelings toward all parties involved. Many tactics have been applied to eliminate the

conflict but the perception is the key.

Craig Kuepper English 2010-421

The one main approach that has been applied to most nature parks is zoning, which is

not always effective (Carothers). Through a study done in the National Rattlesnake Recreation

Area done by the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration they found that the conflict

between hikers and bikers is generally asymmetrical. This meaning that the conflict is majorly

pointed from the hikers towards the bikers. Through a survey of 211 people they found that 4%

of bicyclists thought that hikers interfered with their experience whereas 23% of hikers thought

their experience was interfered with by bicycles (Watson et al). This one way conflict has led to

segregation of mountain bikers and hikers on the trails. The hikers dont like the cyclists which

creates conflict, which in turn creates policies to ban bicycles. The majority of parks only ban

bikes on certain trails, referred to as zoning. The major concern with zoning is that people will

rebel especially when they dont see it as fair. Zoning policies have led to the illegal building

of trails which exponentially damages the environment because it is not regulated. The other

side of zoning is many users dont see the signs or ignore the signs which lead to more conflict.

This conflict arose on a trail near East Bay, California. They found that stakes had been placed in

the ground to catch bicyclist as they were coming down the trail (Alleyne). If the sign was missed

and a user hit those stakes, they would have been seriously injured. The practice of banning

certain trails may be effective in certain areas but can cause harm if taken to the extreme.

Zoning has worked as a temporary fix but doesnt appear to be the answer to our problems.

The best option available to reduce conflict is education. Changing how people view

mountain biking along with bicyclist being more courteous is the key. Both of these suggestions

will spark change and provide less conflict and anger. Education is the answer to most issues in

society, ignorance creates a great deal of conflict. Greg Heil an author for Singletracks which is a
Craig Kuepper English 2010-421

website widely used mountain bikers, suggested that we need to redefine mountain biking.

Mountain biking wears many hats, in that there are many ways to experience mountain biking.

As stated earlier there are about 5 different ways to experience mountain biking. Educating

others on the different types of mountain biking will alleviate some of the pressure put on

cyclists. Most of the destructive forms of mountain biking are done on private property in

controlled areas. Redbull Rampage is held on private land owned by Redbull (Heil). The majority

of cyclists who participate in the destructive mountain biking here in Utah go up to Park City

on the resort trails. The trails located at resorts such as The Canyons are regulated and built

specifically for that type of riding. These trails are designed so that the least amount of erosion

and trail degradation are present. Encouraging bikers who want to go fast and hit jumps to

move towards the resorts along with teaching hikers that this is where it takes place will greatly

reduce conflict. Along with education with the hikers comes the education of cyclists. Having

good manners on the trails prevents a great deal of conflict. Confirming the negative perception

of mountain biking only furthers the issue and creates greater prejudice/conflict. Showing

respect for each other makes a big difference. Education on both sides of the conflict will

encourage unity and peace on the trails

Peace will prevail as we change our attitude and perception of other trail users. The

conflict on our trails can be change through concerted effort. Many different methods have

been tried by park managers to decrease the amount of conflict in our parks. Changing

perception is a useful option to discuss along with other regulations to control the anger and

provide a peaceful environment for all users. The method of furthering this education can vary

depending on the needs of the area affected along with the best way to reach each person.
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Other forms of education can be effective in spreading information about changing perception.

Despite how the information is spread how we perceive things shapes the way we respond to

other users. Generating more peace and less conflict is bound to come through a shift in how

each trail user views the people around them.

Craig Kuepper English 2010-421

Works Cited

Alleyne , Tsering. Social Conflict Between Mountain bikers and Other Trail Users in the East Bay. Trail

Conflict, 12 May 2008, nature.berkeley.edu/classes/es196/projects/2008final/Alleyne_2008.pdf.

Accessed November 17, 2017

Carothers, Pam, et al. Social Values versus Interpersonal Conict among Hikers and Mountain Bikers.

Leisure Sciences, 2001,

www.researchgate.net/profile/Jerry_Vaske/publication/263558223_Social_Values_versus_Inter

personal_Conflict_among_Hikers_and_Mountain_Bikers/links/55f2cb1308ae336d49887dc4/Soc

ial-Values-versus-Interpersonal-Conflict-among-Hikers-and-Mountain-Bikers.pdf. Accessed

November 22, 2017

Heil, Greg. Mountain Biking Has an Identity Crisis... And it Affects Us All. Singletracks Mountain Bike

News, 5 Dec. 2016, www.singletracks.com/blog/trail-advocacy/mountain-biking-has-an-identity-

crisis-and-it-affects-us-all/. Accessed November 22, 2017

Osbaldeston, T.P. Studying recreation attitudes among hikers and bicyclists. Trail Maintenance and

Management, 16 Mar. 2007,

www.americantrails.org/resources/ManageMaintain/MgmtSantaCruzConflicts.html. Accessed

November 25, 2017

Watson, Alan E., et al. Sources of Conflict Between Hikers and Mountain Bike Riders in the Rattlesnake

NRA. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, vol. 9, no. 3, 1991, pp. 6070.,

nstrail.com/carrying_capacity/sources_of_conflict_between_hikers_and_mountain_bike_riders

_rattlesnake_nra_watson_1991.pdf. Accessed November 25, 2017