The Emergence of New Mountain Biking Media Practices: Toward a Culture of Inclusive Mountain Biking
Authors:
Dr Fiona Spotswood, Associate Professor in Marketing and Consumption
Professor Martin Hurcombe, School of Modern Languages
Dr Maria Moxey, Senior Research Associate
Full article available: Spotswood, F., Hurcombe, M., & Moxey, M. (2024). The emergence of new mountain biking media practices: toward a culture of inclusive mountain biking. Sport in Society, 1-24 https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2024.2424556
About the Research
While mountain biking is an action sport that is increasing in popularity across the globe, it remains male-dominated, with only 20% of female participants in the UK. The media plays a central role in shaping and informing how participants of sports form shared understandings and identities about their membership and is considered a ‘membership document’ in action sports. Historically, action sports media has marginalized women, reinforcing hypermasculinity and excluding alternative modes of participation. This study explores how media practices influence gender representation and participation in mountain biking, through content analysis of published media and interviews exploring women’s engagement with digital platforms and mountain bike culture.
Methodology
The study employed a practice theory lens to examine the interplay between published mountain biking media and the experiences of women mountain bikers. Methods included:
- Content analysis: 790 features were analysed from UK-based online mountain biking platforms, Singletrack and BikeRadar, to explore how gender was represented between 1st January and 31st December 2022.
- Interviews and focus groups: Insights were gathered from ethnographic interviews with 19 women mountain bikers aged 27-62 across Scotland, England, and Wales. A focus group was also conducted with 9 women aged 22-54 to explore women’s engagement in mountain biking and its media.
- Data analysis: Through a reflexive thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups, key themes were identified in terms of women’s interactions with mountain biking media and culture.
Key Findings
Media Representation and Practices
- Published mountain biking media includes tangible efforts to represent, appeal to, and attract women. However, despite some progress, published mountain biking media primarily caters to men, depicting male dominance and promoting hypermasculine ideals.
- Dominance of masculine narratives: Magazines and industry-sponsored content prioritise stories of extreme risk and technical prowess, largely catering to a male audience. These narratives marginalize women by failing to depict diverse skill levels, riding styles, and motivations for participating in the sport.
- Women accounted for only a fraction of published images (32% in Singletrack, 15% in BikeRadar).
- Representations often depicted women as recreational riders, while high-risk and competitive activities were predominantly portrayed as male domains.
- Token representation: When women are featured, their stories often lack depth, portraying them in secondary or tokenistic roles. This reinforces traditional gendered stereotypes and fails to engage women authentically.
- Women’s stories are underrepresented, and their portrayal often aligns with stereotypes of low skill or recreational participation.
- Language used in media reviews often alienates women, with jargon and technofetishism catering to a predominantly male audience.
- Content heavily emphasises technical gear and high-risk activities, which can be alienating to women who value inclusivity, community, and adventure.
- Published media practices are ‘anchoring practice’ that set a standard for performances on the trail, and are shaping the instability of women’s relationship with mountain biking.
Women’s Engagement with Media
Participants enacted three primary media practices:
- Disengage: Women avoided traditional mountain biking media due to its male-centric content and lack of relevance.
The lack of reference points for women in published media, and particularly the lack of representation of diverse ways that mountain biking can be enacted, can mean that female participants struggle to identify as ‘proper mountain bikers’. Therefore, seeing women in the media could help women to connect with the sport on their own terms. However, the lack of representation and diverse content means that women disengage.
2. Reject: Participants actively rejected male-dominated media narratives, critiquing their exclusionary nature.
Some women actively and angrily reject the mountain bike ‘scene’ they encounter on trails and see represented in the published media. Participants recognise that producers of media are predominantly male, reflecting a wider lack of diversity in the cycling industry. Participants are critical of the lack of effort made in the media to transform and diversify the culture of mountain biking.
3. Curate: Women turned to social media to create and engage with more inclusive, authentic narratives. Platforms like Instagram fostered connections and showcased diverse experiences, inspiring broader participation.
Participants tended to prefer to read blogs, particularly written by women, or watching short films made by women, which are curated carefully to suit their interests. These alternatives to mainstream mountain biking media, facilitated by social media, opens up new ways to perform mountain biking, which participants find inspiring.
Through these three practices; disengagement, rejection, and curation, women play an active role in rejecting and curating a new culture of inclusion in mountain biking through social and digital media.
Barriers to Participation
- Women lack relatable role models in published media, contributing to feelings of imposter syndrome and self-doubt.
- Males tend to be the gatekeepers of mountain biking. For example, recruitment pathways for women are often via male partners.
- Narrow representations of “legitimate” mountain biking discourage diverse forms of engagement, such as casual riding or group activities.
Emerging Role of Social Media:
- Alternative narratives: Social media platforms provide an avenue for women to challenge dominant narratives. Women riders and influencers curate content that represents a broader spectrum of mountain biking experiences, from beginner-friendly rides to advanced techniques.
- Community Building: Social media fosters a sense of belonging by enabling women to connect, share stories, and promote events. Online communities are instrumental in normalising women’s participation and creating supportive networks.
- Impact on identity formation: By actively participating in social media, women reshape their identities as mountain bikers, moving away from the imposter syndrome fostered by traditional media.
Opportunities for Transformation
Social media emerged as a powerful tool for fostering inclusivity. Women used it to:
- Share personal stories and alternative narratives.
- Organise women-only riding groups, which provide supportive environments for skill development and confidence-building.
- Challenge traditional norms and redefine mountain biking culture.
Implications
For Published Media
- Representation matters: Publishers should strive for balanced gender representation, moving beyond tokenism to highlight diverse skill levels and experiences.
- Transformative narratives: Media should challenge hypermasculinity and promote inclusive values to attract and retain women participants.
- Content diversification: Stories emphasizing community, nature, and adventure resonate more with women than purely technical or high-risk content.
For Industry and Policy
- Industry initiatives: Brands should support women’s storytelling through sponsorships, events, and co-created campaigns.
- Public sector support: Policymakers should fund women-only groups, training programmes, and social media initiatives to normalise women’s participation.
- Cultural shift: Collaborative efforts between media, industry, and public organisations are essential to dismantle entrenched gender norms.
Conclusion
While women mountain bikers actively curate inclusive cultures through social media, published media remains influential in shaping broader perceptions of the sport. A more transformative approach to media practices is needed to foster gender equality and unlock mountain biking’s potential as an inclusive, lifelong activity. This study underscores the power of media as a cultural anchor and highlights the critical role of women as agents of change in reshaping mountain biking culture. However, we warn against relying entirely on social media-led grassroots cultural transformation given its limitations for recruiting new participants outside the algorithm. Meaningful change toward gender justice in mountain biking and other action sports will require integrated effort and the support of organizations with power, reach and influence.
