An investigation into the lived experience of recreational mountain bikers in Southwest England

Moreland, Benjamin

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An investigation into the lived experience of recreational mountain bikers in Southwest England

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Moreland, Benjamin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8013-5068 (2024) An investigation into the lived experience of recreational mountain bikers in Southwest England. PhD thesis, University of Gloucestershire. doi:10.46289/ROHV6032

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Official URL: https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/16452

Abstract

This study places important attention upon the lived experiences of male recreational mountain bikers in Southwest England. Using a sociological phenomenological approach developed by Allen-Collinson and a unique conceptual framework that integrates the concepts of flow, pain, and intersubjectivity, this qualitative ethnographic study explores how riders engage with their bodies, senses, and interactions with others during their experiences. The study addresses three key research questions that include how riders’ bodies influence their experiences on the bike, the role the senses play in riding experiences and how intersubjective encounters with others shape the experience of riding. Four key themes were developed from thematic analysis. The first theme, ‘Mountain Biking and the Senses,’ explores how riders attune to and engage with their senses during riding. The second theme, ‘Flow, Fear, and the Senses,’ examines how the body and senses contribute to optimizing flow states and managing fear. The third theme, ‘Fatigue, Exhaustion, and Pain,’ investigates how riders experience and interpret pain, both emotionally and sensually. The final theme, ‘The Role of the Other in the Mountain Biking Experience,’ explores how intersubjective and intercorporeal encounters shape the riders' experiences. The study’s conclusions highlight the significant role of the body and senses in the lived experience of mountain bikers. Specifically, it demonstrates that during flow states, the mind-body dualism is repositioned, privileging the embodied experience of riding. Conversely, during encounters with fatigue and pain, the mind assumes a central role in regulating experience. In both contexts, the senses heighten the experience and play an active role in the riders' engagement with their environment. These conclusions are significant as they represent the first consolidated investigation of the body, senses, and the "other" in mountain biking, offering new avenues for further research in this and other activity spaces.

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Thesis (PhD)

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