A research report published by the Forestry Commission has explored young mountain bikers’ experiences at the Bedgebury Forest trail centre in Kent.

The report, Lifestyle, identity and young people’s experiences of mountain biking, published by the Forestry Commission, found mountain biking to be dominated by young men, with only a small number of young women participating.

The research shows that certain countryside spaces, especially woodlands, are important for young people because they afford a space away from the gaze of adults and from the conflicts associated with other (urban) leisure spaces.

Importantly, Bedgebury Forest offered a range of ‘ready made’ mountain biking facilities for beginners and experienced riders that participants can use without fear of reprimand. This was in sharp contrast to their experiences of other, privately owned spaces.

Among the conclusions were:

• Mountain biking in forests provides a space for young people to relax, experience freedom and exert some control over space. 
• Mountain bikers fall into a number of different categories with different relationships with the forests, and forest managers need to understand this. As an example, many riders attach importance to having the freedom to design and build their own jumps and other features, which has significant legal, health and safety implications, and possibly also environmental implications, for forest managers.
  The study concludes, however, that there are opportunities for encouraging young people’s involvement in the design and maintenance of trails at Forestry Commission sites. 
• Mountain biking represents an important tool for engaging young people in outdoor recreation in forest spaces. 
• Encouraging young women to participate might require different strategies from those that have engaged young men. 
• Mountain biking in woodland can make an important contribution to the Government’s health agenda. The report adds: “Nevertheless, in encouraging young people to visit forest spaces to take part in healthy physical activity, forest managers must account for the fact that this activity cannot necessarily be spatially confined, and youth mountain bikers have a tendency to migrate to other areas to build jumps or create new routes because they may offer different opportunities for riding.”

The report was written by Katherine King, who completed the research for a PhD, which was funded by Forest Research and the University of Brighton. It can be downloaded in full from www.forestry.gov.uk/publications