Why women ride: A survey

Women may make up a fraction of the mountain bike population, but there is no doubt their numbers are growing steadily. 

To help understand why women ride, what motivates them and what they’d like to change, Sacred Rides Mountain Bike Adventures, a tour company, interviewed 710 female riders from around the world through their Facebook page. 

Some of the key findings from the survey include:

• The vast majority of mountain biking women participate in numerous other outdoor pursuits.
• 90% of respondents got into the sport through an invitation by a friend or partner/spouse.
• Enjoying nature and building friendships wins over competition as a motivation to ride.
• Mountain biking needs to soften its image to connect with more women.
• Intimidation and fear of injury are keeping many women off the trails.
• One of the best ways to grow the sport would be through women inviting other women to give it a try.

To see the full survey, visit Sacred Rides.