Dave Benji rides at a skatepark because the closest bike park is 3 hours away.

By: Jackson Houdek

Mountain biking has been a popular sport for the past 40 years, but its support has wavered because of multiple issues. It started with a group of kids who rode old cruisers down Mount Tamalpais in Marin, California. Bike shops started customizing bikes for off roading and the sport took off. At the time bikers could ride freely with out any law restrictions. As it gained popularity legislators banned bikes from almost all dirt trails because of complaints from hikers and other groups. It took many years for people to see the benefits of mountain biking on the economy and the community. Eventually some trails were reopened. But there are still areas like Eugene, Oregon that have not recognized enough positive results from mountain biking to dedicate areas for people to ride. It is important to analyze what mountain biking has done for people from various differnt backgrounds and locations to see if it’s worth supporting the sport.