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Infographic: Current Attitudes Towards Flow Trails, Advocacy, and Trail Etiquette

Written by Zach Overholt
23 Comments
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mtb_trail_infographic copy

Continuing with their habit of creating interesting infographics on the state of mountain biking, the crew from Singletracks.com is at it again. The latest visual introspection into two wheeled fun comes in the form of a graphic based on a survey they ran last month that focused on trail features, advocacy, and trail etiquette. Singletracks’ Editor in Cheif Greg Heil points out that the information isn’t designed to push any agenda, but represents the results of their survey in an interesting way.

Get the big picture after the jump…

mtb_trail_infographic

Thanks to Greg for sending this over!
Zach Overholt
5,727 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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23 Comments
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Gunnstein
Gunnstein
10 years ago

Glad to live in Norway where there is no such thing as an “illegal trail”. Ride wherever you want, trail or not, and don’t pay anyone, no matter if the land is private or state owned. The law prevents land owners from banning cycling and hiking. (The flip side is that there are no prepared trails, so you must be prepared to walk/climb when the terrain gets too rough for wheels. I can live with that.)

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Tom
Tom
10 years ago

I have no affiliation with IMBA, but it always amazes me how few mtb riders are members.

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JBikes
JBikes
10 years ago

Unless I am reading it wrong, the “who should yield…” is very disappointing. Horses? – there is a huge safety reason everyone should dismount and wait for a horse to pass. If one must pass a horse, be sure to ask the riders permission. Their life and yours could be at stake. Horses can spook easily and a cyclists looks very different than someone walking, to a horse.

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Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

@JBikes – yep, v e r y disappointing. Particularly with regards to sharing trails with equestrians.

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MB
MB
10 years ago

@jbikes/topmounter – I think that section is simply adding up to 100%, which makes zero sense. No way to ask that question properly and get those results. I’m actually more concerned about the uphill/downhill pie chart. I’ve had far more run-ins with that scenario than yielding to horses/hikers/etc.

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notapro
notapro
10 years ago

Who cares if you’re a mtber who isn’t an imba member? Just volunteer your time to a local effort.

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Burnt Orange
Burnt Orange
10 years ago

68% of all statistics are made up

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Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

69% now

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General "Buck" Turgidson
General "Buck" Turgidson
10 years ago

Percent of riders who can tell the difference between hand- and machine-cut trails: Hans Rey

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Tennessee
Tennessee
10 years ago

These statistics can be misleading. Truth: These numbers don’t represent the greater mountain biking population (and if it did where is the margin of error). Why? This isn’t a random sample – it’s only a representative of the mountain bikers who use singletracks.com in July. Think I’m being picky and that it doesn’t matter? A case can be made that a certain demographic uses singletracks.com.

For example, I would guess that those bikers new to an area would be more likely to seek out trails via singletracks.com. So this study likely overestimates those riders that are connected online and looking for new trails. It makes sense then that this study’s riders are looking for fun and excitement and to explore. Those of us that know the trails and ride our local spot 2-3 times a week are probably not looking to explore (maybe a stress relief or escape) and I would guess are more likely to volunteer at the local spots they frequent. Also, it’s not a big jump to say the strava users found in this study are overestimated.

Not trying to discredit this survey, just readjusting the way it should be read. What do I know though, I’m only a statistician.

Oh, and the riders that prefer hand-built trails are expert males aged over 44? huh?

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Diesel
Diesel
10 years ago

Interesting that Downhill/Freeride make up less than 10% of riders but the DVD’s contain almost nothing but and a lot of the magazines aren’t far behind.

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Padrote
Padrote
10 years ago

How many mountain bikers will ever even get an opportunity to yield to a skier

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Jeb
Jeb
10 years ago

Equestrians are done and for good reason. Can you imagine if horse back riding was just invented? Yeah sure bring your uncontrollable animal on a narrow public trail where other users have to take extreme measures to accommodate you for fear of injury, sounds perfectly reasonable. [rolleyes]

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Al Boneta
Al Boneta
10 years ago

I am just a Mountain Biker

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Tomi
Tomi
10 years ago

I’m lost with all the categories. What is the difference between XC, Trail an All mountain ? I have no clue, I just ride my MTB on different type of paths, from gravel roads to single track in altitude.

Also, what is an illegal trail ? Are trails illegal by default out there ? I just ride wherever I want until I see a private property or specific sign forbidding bikes. I’ve yet to find one except at the entrance of an highway ! I live in europe btw.

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Big mike
Big mike
10 years ago

I would like to know how east coast riders build more illegal trail, but west coast riders ride more illegal trails.

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Benzo
Benzo
10 years ago

Wow, no mention of anything northeast or mid atlantic anywhere. I guess I’ll stop thinking about that and just go ride.

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bikemaster
bikemaster
10 years ago

and 95% of mtb’ers use an automobile to get to the trailhead/shuttle drop with their bike.

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Al Boneta
Al Boneta
10 years ago

@bikemaster. Would you prefer it if Mountain Bikers hitch hiked?

Or should I uproot my family, change jobs and move closer to the trails?

There are plenty of road cyclists in my road cycling club that drive to group rides as well. Just the way it happens sometimes.
Can you show your source for how you arrived at 95%?

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fred
fred
10 years ago

Average mountain biker spends 6 hours a week riding? Super surprising considering that majority of them also do not identify themselves as racers, xc riders or use strava. I would have guessed that this survey group would be in the 2-3 hour /week max.

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Pras y Cujon
Pras y Cujon
10 years ago

@fred – “I would have guessed that this survey group would be in the 2-3 hour /week max.”

People give answers that make them feel good about themselves. Polls are great at getting people to engage in psychological projection. Polls are useless in getting people to be honest about their level of knowledge about something, or their depth of experience in something.

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Chewey
Chewey
10 years ago

Should be spelled Etiquette (not Etitquette)

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Al Boneta
Al Boneta
10 years ago

@Pras y Cujon Well said

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