Nation-wide, mountain biking is growing in popularity. This trend is mirrored in the Northern Forest and has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many rural communities, the growth of mountain biking represents an opportunity to build a new economy centered on forest-based recreation. However, questions remain about the impact mountain biking has on forests and forest-dependent communities.

NSRC researchers will explore the social impacts of mountain biking on the Northern Forest. They will investigate social impacts already identified and discussed in science literature and on social media. They will determine what social impacts of mountain biking are currently being experienced by communities in the Northern Forest and how the social impacts are similar or different to what is discussed beyond this region. They will then assess how these comparisons inform management and expectations of trends within the region. The research team will conduct a systematic literature review, social media analysis, content analysis of regional news stories, and community surveys to illuminate social impacts at the global, national, regional, and local levels, respectively.

Results of this study will shed light on a range of social impacts from mountain biking that are affecting Northern Forest communities now and into the future. These results will be of immediate practical use to land managers and communities considering enhancing mountain biking as a recreational and economic opportunity and will help inform decision-making about planning and managing forest-based recreation in the region.

Final Products

Coleman, K., Reinhardt, E., Baran, M., and Alldred, M. (2026) Time to Feather the Brakes? The Datafication of Leisure and Concerns about Mobility Justice. Leisure Studies.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02614367.2026.2637489

Reinhardt, E., Coleman, K., Perry, E., Alldred, M., and Leahy, J. (2026) Mountain Biking and Environmental Justice: What Can the Bike Boom Teach us about Recreation Equity? Journal of Leisure Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2026.2621144

Reinhardt, E., Coleman, K., Perry, E., Alldred, M., and Leahy, J. (2025). We Have Some Growing Pains: Developing A New Regional Recreation Conflict Model Through Examination of the Growth of Mountain Biking. Society & Natural Resources, 38(8). https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2025.2466170

Reinhardt, E., Coleman, K., Baran, M., Perry, E., and Alldred, M. (2024). Chasing Informed Decisions: A Research Note on the Potential for Strava to Support Rural Recreation Planning. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 42(4). doi:10.18666/JPRA-2024-12457.

McCurdy, A., Perry, E. E., Leahy, J. E., Coleman, K. J., Doyle, J., Kiewra, L. A., Marocco, S. A., Iretskaia, T. A., Janes, M. M., and Deliyski, M. (2024). Gaining traction on social aspects of e-biking: A scoping review. Sustainability, 16(17), 7397. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177397. 

Kuklinski, K., Coleman, K., Leahy, J., Perry, E. E., Reinhardt, E. and Briccetti*, L. (2024). Scoping the Lines: Assessing the Mountain Biking Research Terrain and Calling for a Holistic Scholarship Agenda. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism. 46: 100748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2024.100748 

Kuklinski, K. P., Coleman, K. J., Leahy, J. E., Perry, E. E., Reinhardt, E., and Briccetti, L. (2022). Bibliography of Mountain Biking Research: 1990-2021. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/student_work/6/ 

Presentations

McCurdy, A., Perry, E., Leahy, J., and Coleman, K. (2024). Are studies on e-bikes gaining traction? Investigating how e-bikes are discussed across academic disciplines, with emphasis on recreational use. Paper presented at National Environmental and Recreation Research Symposium. Annapolis, MD. 

Reinhardt, E., Coleman, K., Leahy, J., Perry, E., and Sachdeva, S. (2024). Trends in mountain biking recreation span international borders: Stories from the northern forest. Paper presented at the 12th Colloquium on Quebec Studies. Sherbrooke, QC, Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCS54Ql8L5U 

Perry, E., McCurdy, A., Lee, H., Reinhardt*, E., Coleman, K., Dvorak, R., Leahy, J., and Sachdeva, S. (2024). Switching gears toward recreation: Impacts of mountain biking participation and amenities development on local communities and terrains. Poster presented at the Stewardship Network Symposium. East Lansing, MI. 

Coleman, K., Reinhart, E., Leahy, J. and Perry, E. (2024) Relations Across Generations and Migration: How Do Practices, Beliefs, and Values Towards Nature Change Through Space and Time? Presented at the North American Congress for Conservation Biology, Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Reinhart*, E., Coleman, K., Leahy, J. and Perry, E. (2023). Trail Forks and Merges: Exploring Areas of Tension, Trade-offs, and Concerns Associated with the Growth of Mountain Biking in the Northern Forest Region of the United States. Presented at the Conference of the International Association of Society and Natural Resources, Portland, Maine. 

Kuklinski, K., Leahy, J., Coleman, K., Perry, E., and Briccetti, L. (2022). A Review of Mountain Biking Topics and Trends. Presented at the Conference of the International Association of Society and Natural Resources, San Jose, Costa Rica.