How has COVID-19

Affected Virginia
Mountain Biking?

Brett Forbes
Introduction

Since the 1960’s, mountain biking has been a growing hobby and industry for people all over the
world. It’s continuous growth has exploded during the current pandemic, because people have
been searching for outdoor and socially distant activities to enjoy during quarantine. This surge
in popularity begs the question; How has COVID-19 affected mountain bike trail crowding and
quality? 56 members of the Virginia Mountain Biking Facebook group gave their opinions on the
issue discussed in this report.
Purpose

This study was conducted to discover what effects the pandemic has had on Virginia mountain
bike trails and their riders. It aims to discover what has changed in the trail’s quality and
crowding levels

Research Question: How has COVID-19 affected Virginia mountain biking?

How Research was Conducted

A questionnaire was submitted to the Facebook group ‘Virginia Mountain Biking,’ which has a
total of 2.7k members including our researcher. This questionnaire consisted of 9 questions; 1
short answer, 4 two-option questions, and 4 five-point Likert Scale questions. 56 out of the 2.7k
members of this group participated in the study, which represents a 2% participation rate.
Description of Research

● 10 questions focused on:

○ Crowd levels
○ Trail quality
○ MTB frequency and history
● Population:
○ Members of Facebook group ‘Virginia Mountain Biking’
● Instruments
○ Research questionnaire
○ Facebook
Research Questions
1.) Did you begin mountain biking before or during the pandemic?
a.) Before
b.) After
2.) Which park/trails do you visit most?
a.) _________________________
3.) Do you use MTB trails more or less frequently since the pandemic began?
a.) More
b.) Less
4.) Have COVID crowd levels affected your desire/ability to use MTB trails?
a.) Yes
b.) No
5.) Have trail qualities during COVID affected your desire/ability to use MTB trails?
a.) Yes
b.) No
Research Questions (cont.)
Research Questions (cont.)
Results
n=56

1.) Did you begin mountain biking before or during the pandemic?
a.) Before 71.4%
b.) After 28.6%
2.) Which park/trails do you visit most?
a.) Pocahontas Park 62.5%
b.) Bryce Park 17.8%
c.) Other 19.6%
3.) Do you use MTB trails more or less frequently since the pandemic began?
a.) More 67.9%
b.) Less 32.1%
4.) Have COVID crowd levels affected your desire/ability to use MTB trails?
a.) Yes 53.6%
b.) No 46.4%
Results (cont.)
n=56

5.) Have trail qualities during COVID affected your desire/ability to use MTB trails?

a.) Yes 17.6%

b.) No 82.4%
Results (cont.)
n=56

6. How crowded were MTB trails 7. How crowded are MTB

before the pandemic? trails during the pandemic?
 Results (cont.)
n=56

8. How would you describe the 9. How would you describe the quality
quality of MTB trails before the of MTB trails during the pandemic?
pandemic?
Result Analysis

Question 1: These results show that while the majority of bikers have been biking before
COVID-19, many people began this activity during the pandemic. This means displays that
COVID-19 has resulted in an increase in mountain biking in Virginia.

Question 2: The most popular biking destination for this population is Pocahontas Park by far.
This shows that riders appreciate the vast options of different trails and tracks available at this
recently renovated bike park within a state park.

Question 3: This question also shows that COVID-19 has increased the amount of bikers on the
trails, with a significant portion of seasoned riders biking more frequently as well. This is likely
due to the activity being outdoors and social distance friendly.
Result Analysis (cont.)

Question 4: The responses to this question were spread rather evenly between the 2 options,
showing that many people changed their biking habits, while many others remained somewhat
constant. More seasoned riders likely kept their habits constant, while the newer members of
the community have definitely had their riding frequency increase due to the pandemic.

Question 5: These responses were shockingly lopsided. This suggests that according to the
participants, trail quality has been largely unaffected, or that riders do not mind any change in
trail quality that may have presented itself during COVID-19
Result Analysis (cont.)

Question 6: The data shows that according to seasoned riders, trail crowding was not much of
an issue before the pandemic.

Question 7: Trails have been significantly more crowded during the past 8 months, with some
riders reporting the issue as being severe. This may have a direct effect on the satisfaction of
riders a cause some to lose interest in the sport. However, the industry as a whole has grown
very well during 2020. These results call for an increase in available MTB parks and trails in the
Virginia area.
Result Analysis (cont.)

Question 8: Survey data shows that trail quality in Virginia was of little concern, and most riders
were satisfied with MTB trail quality before the pandemic.

Question 9: Trail quality is still satisfactory even with the increase in use, which shows that
riders treat these trails with respect, and The Commonwealth has done a good job maintaining
these parks and trails throughout the pandemic. This is likely an attempt by park owners and
local governments to continue to increase their revenue from this sector of tourism, one of the
few that have remained profitable during COVID-19.