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PROFILE AND INTEREST OF MOUNTAIN BIKERS IN THE MOUNT MAKILINGFOREST RESERVE
PAOLO S. MENDIORO
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOLUNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOS BAOS
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FORTHE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE(Natural Resource Conservation)
APRIL 2013
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The thesis manuscript attached hereto, entitled PROFILE AND INTEREST OFMOUNTAIN BIKERS IN THE MOUNT MAKILING FOREST RESERVE, preparedand submitted by PAOLO S. MENDIORO, in partial fulfillment of the requirements forthe degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE (NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION), ishereby accepted.
ROBERTO P.CERENO ELSA P.SANTOSMember, Guidance Committee Member Guidance Committee
________________________ ________________________Date Signed Date Signed
DIOMEDES A. RACELISChair, Guidance Committee
________________________Date Signed
Accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OFSCIENCE (NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION)
Dean, Graduate SchoolUniversity of the Philippines Los Baos
_________________________Date Signed
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Born on December 27, 1985 in Los Baos Laguna, the author was born to
Engr. Luis M. Mendioro and Dr. Merlyn S. Mendioro. He is the eldest of three siblings.
Described as precocious as a little boy, the author repeatedly badgered his parents with
questions about many things in life, and his curious nature continues on until today.
Having a knack for memorization he memorized car brands and models, history dates,
people, events, geographical locations, and license plates of family members, relatives,
and friends. He studied pre-school and elementary days at the Morning Star Montessori
School in Los Baos Laguna, where he was in his element at quiz bees, winning in
Science, Spelling, and Sibika (now Makabayan). He became the Quiz Bee Grand
Champion in Grade 6. He completed his high school education in South Hill School Inc;
and his college education at the University of the Philippines at Los Baos in 2007 with
a Bachelors degree in Forestry. He passed the Foresters Professional Licensure
examination the same year. He also became a CFNR College Student Councilor in 2005
and also a ROTC Non-Comissioned Officer. The author is an avid mountain biker,
hence his topic. He has competed in a few events, namely downhill and four cross
events and somehow ended up in the middle all the time. He has met a lot of friends
from mountain biking, and he made this thesis in gratitude to the people who bike.
PAOLO S. MENDIORO
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank God for the strength and will to keep going even if mymotivation wavers, a human can only go so far.
I would like to thank my family for being there for the whole time this thesis was
being made.
To the 4th Light Armor Battalion, I thank you for helping me out with the datacollection and introducing me to the huge mountain bike groups we have in Quezon andin Northern Laguna. You deserve to be called Masigasig.
To the many different mountain bike groups I talked to: TBAC, Haooh,OneIlocos, MAKBOYS, Elbi Bikers, Team Groundzero, and the many others, thank youfor being honest and willing to answer, I remember the overwhelmingly positive reactionwhen I mentioned New Bike Trails once this thesis is complete. I tell you I will do mybest to make this happen. Makilings too good a mountain to let this pass. Thank youagain for all your help.
To Green Planet Bikeshop, Ulyby Bikeshop, and Endless Bikeshop, these shopssell not only good bike parts, and they are also helpful to my thesis. I thank you deeply. Ilearned even a thing or two in organizing an event from Ulybys owner, UlyssesLiquigan. I owe you my future parts purchases
To Dr.Diomedes Racelis, Prof. Elsa Santos and For. Roby Cereno, thank you forbeing patient, with me. I sure need all the help I can get, and the way we organized thethesis last December gave me a clearer picture on what to do. And to Sir Medic thank youfor accepting me on such short notice.
To the Makiling Team Gravity boys: I decided to do this as a way of saying thankyou for the rides, the races, and the alcohol we all shared. We will get a Mudspringreplacement soon, and then some.
To Ybet, who I dedicate all of this to. I decided when I got serious into finishingthis thesis, my mantra was: Do it for her. It was the thing I was looking forward towhen I finally finish this and get that Masters diploma. Not the job, not the money, notthe shiny new bike parts, or that go kart. I did this not for myself this time. I chose dothis for you. I love you Ybet.
For Tita Cecille.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
TITLE PAGE i
APPROVAL PAGE ii
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
LIST OF TABLES vii
LIST OF FIGURES viii
ABSTRACT x
INTRODUCTION 1
REVIEW OF LITERATURE 8
Mountain Biking 8
History 8
Classification of mountain bikes and mountain biking 10
Cross Country and All-Mountain 10
Downhill and Free-ride 11
Peculiarities of mountain biking 11
Benefits of mountain biking 12
The mountain biker 14
Mountain biking in the Asia-Pacific Region 19
The Mount Makiling Forest Reserve 19
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Organization and Personnel 24
Ecotourism in the MFR 25
Mountain biking in the MFR 25
METHODOLOGY 28
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 36
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 91
RECOMMENDATIONS 94
LITERATURE CITED 95
LIST OF ACRONYMS 96
APPENDICES 99
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
1 Breakdown of respondents from their home provinces 37
2 Age Profile of Mountain bikers 353 Gender Classification and Civil Status of Mountain Bikers 36
4 Highest Educational Attainment of Mountain Bikers 37
5 Chi-square test for civil status, age range, and educational 42attainment.
6 Chi-square test for gender and income of respondents. 46
7 Estimated cost/s of mountain bikes of mountain bikers 46
8 Length of mountain bike riding experience 48
9 Preferred riding discipline by mountain biker 49
10 Mountain biker skill levels 49
11 Racing experience of mountain bikers 50
12 Preferred MTB racing events 51
13 No. of days allotted for mountain bike riding by bikers 51
14 Primary usage of MTB 52
15 Reason for starting MTB 52
16 Chi-square test for rider skill level and primary use of MTB 53
17 Chi-square test for riding days and primary usage of MTB 56
18 Chi-square test for bike configuration, estimated costs, 59preferred discipline
19 Chi-square test for MTB config,, racing experience, and MTB cost 61
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20 Social network of mountain bikers 63
21 MTB orgs willingness to assist in trail work 63
22 MTB orgs method to promote MTB riding in MFR 6423 Chi-square test for MTB org membership, willingness to help, 67
and promote MTB riding
24 Chi-square test for traveling, awareness of MFR 68and what the MFR needs to be a MTB destination
25 Travel to MTB destinations by mountain bikers 68
26 Awareness of the MFR as a MTB destination by MTB riders 69
27 Mountain bikers opinionon what MFR needs to 70be a MTB destination
28 Hazards encountered by mountain bikers in M.Makiling Trail 71
29 Opinion on trail sharing by mountain bikers 71
30 Mountain bikers opinion on new MTB trail 72
31 Mountain bikers opinionon what a MTB trail should have 72
32 Mountain bikers preference to trail exclusivity 7333 Mountain bikers willingness to pay for access 73
34 Accepted price range for access fee 74
35 Mountain bikers willingness to pay for a yearlong pass 74
36 Price range for a year long pass 75
37 Other facilities desired by MTB riders in the MFR 76
38 Chi-square test for traveling, awareness of MFR, and 76what the MFR needs to be a MTB destination
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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1 Location map of the MFR 20
2 Conceptual Framework of the Study 31
3 Frequency of single respondents and their age bracket 41together with educational attainment.
4 Frequency of married respondents from different provinces 44and their average income.
5 Frequency of female respondents from different provinces and 45their average income.
6 Rider skill level and primary use of mountain bikes 54
7 Riding days and primary use of mountain bike. 56
8 Association between mountain bike discipline, cost, and the 57
hardtail bike configuration.
9 Association of full suspension bikes, bike discipline and 58estimated costs.
10 Bike configuration, costs, and mtb racing experience. 60
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11 Full suspension bikes, racing experiences, and estimated costs. 61
12 Association of willingness to help, promotion of riding, 65and active membership in an MTB organization.
13 Association of willingness to help, promotion of riding, and active 66membership in an MTB organization.
14 Travel to MTB sites, awareness of MFR, and 76
what MFR needs to be a MTB destination.15 Hazards, sharing, and opening a trail in the MFR. 77
16 Hazards, trail sharing and not opening a trail in the MFR. 78
17 Trail exclusivity, trail features and payment for access association. 79
18 Non-exclusivity of trail, willingness to pay, and trail features 80
19 WTP for a year pass and other non-MTB facilities in the MFR. 82
20 Map of the Mariang Makiling Trail. 84
21 Mountain biker visits to the MFR in the year 2012 86
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LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX PAGE
I Survey Form used in data collection 72
II List of mountain biking clubs and organizations 76
III List of MTB events organized by clubs and organizations 77
IV List of popular mountain biking destinations 78
V MCME Organizational Chart 79
VI
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ABSTRACT
PAOLO S. MENDIORO. University of the Philippines Los Banos. April 2013. Profile
and Interest of Mountain Bikers in the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve
Major Professor: Diomedes A. Racelis
To determine the compatibility of the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR) and
the outdoor recreation activity of mountain biking, this study used basic interview design
and secondary data collection. The results showed that mountain bikers mainly consist of
young (60.54%) to middle aged men, of working and professional backgrounds , have
higher educational backgrounds (96.95% ), a family , and due to the lower costs of entry
of mountain biking in the past decade or so, have one to five years of mountain biking
experience, and most are beginners (44.46%) with no racing experience (71.59%). Cross-
country riding is the dominant form of mountain biking (67.24%). The Mountain bikers
are also aware (80.18%) and willing to help out promote biking in the MFR (77.25%).
Using cross tabulation and using chi-square, there are several strong associations with
mountain biker attributes. The MFR however, is mainly unaware of the mountain biking
phenomenon despite its growing numbers. The only place to ride for mountain bikes in
the MFR, the Mariang Makiling Trail was recently paved leaving mountain bike riders
out in the cold. Also, the Maquiling Quest, despite the use of mountain bikes is advertised
and deemed as an adventure race and is not a mountain bike centered event. Hence, the
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MFR needs to work with the growing group of mountain bikers to create a different,
mountain bike-centered event and facilities in the MFR.
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INTRODUCTION
Mountain biking (MTB) is growing as a veritable form of outdoor recreation. It is
a popular physical activity on an international scale, with participation rates continuing to
increase (Tourism Tasmania, 2008). Despite the inevitable link to road cycling, mountain
biking has branched off into something more specialized and diverse. This diversity
among mountain bikes and the mountain bikers themselves pose a whole new challenge
to managers, policy makers, and operators of parks and other outdoor recreation areas.
The early 1990s saw an explosion of the popularity of mountain biking and mountain
bikes itself.
A 2010 survey by the Outdoor Foundation indicated that bicycling in the US
creates a major economic growth. Its annual contribution to the economy is worth $133B,
supports 1.1 million jobs across the country, 53.1B annually in retail sales and services,
46.1 B in bicycling related expenditures and provides sustainable growth in rural areas
(American Trails, 2012). In the Rocky Mountain region alone, bicycling contributes
$6.2B annually to the regional economy and supports 60,000 jobs across the region
(Kaliszewski, 2010).
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) estimated around 2.5
million to 3 million avid trail riders in the United States alone (Morey et al., 2002). A
decade or so later, the trail riders in the US reached an estimate of around 14 million
riders, which is around 4-6% of the US population (Tourism Tasmania, 2008). In
Europe, the United Kingdom and Germany boast of high and growing mountain bike use
and purchases. The UK has 11.8 million mountain bike owners with 1.3 million avid trail
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users, while in Germany the number is at 3.5 million (Tourism Tasmania, 2008). In
Australia, an approximate 70% of new bicycle acquisitions were mountain bikes
(Tourism Tasmania, 2008).
The Resort Municipality of Whistler in British Columbia in Canada is home to the
worlds most famous mountain bike park, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park; and the
community is more than capable in the handling of tourists (approx. 100,000 visitors
every summer), yet remain highly conservationist. Despite the creation of the park,
wildlife has flourished, as well as mountain bike trails.
The Philippines with its rugged terrain consisting of vast natural formations of
hills and mountains is already well suited for various outdoor recreation activities, and
are located close to major urban centers like Manila. Compared to temperate countries
where most of the riding season is done a couple of months in summer, the Philippines
can truly boast of almost year long riding. Planners, administrators, and even local
government units should be able to recognize and utilize these new partnerships and
markets. Unfortunately, there has been no hard data on mountain bike activities and sales
in the Philippines.
The Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR) is an interesting case. It is used
primarily as a laboratory for research and instruction of the University of the Philippines
Los Baos (UPLB), but it is also an integral watershed and is also well known as an
ecotourism site. People who hike the trails in the MFR are either there for scientific
purposes, or for tourism. To travel around the MFR, the main path is the Mariang
Makiling Trail. The trail is considered multi-use. For hikers, mountain bikers, and the
people of Barangay Bagong Silang, the Mariang Makiling Trail is the only way of access.
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Conflict among trail users can happen when travelling along the Mariang Makiling Trail.
When a mountain biker rides downhill at a high amount of speed meets a group of hikers
standing or walking along in the middle of the trail then an accident can occur.
Trail use and access is a hotly contested issue in foreign countries, where
different interest groups lobby against each other for sole access of trails. Mountain
biking gets a bad reputation among fellow trail users, especially on its supposed
environmental impacts. But the statistics show that though bikes are perceived to be
dangerous, they do not significantly add up to the tallies of accidents listed and known by
managers of such parks (Cessford, 2002).
Statement of the Problem
The study will attempt to look at the state of mountain biking in the MFR, and to
look at mountain biking as an ecotourism activity. Specifically, the study will try to
address the following questions:
1. Who are the mountain bikers?
a. What are their educational background, age, location relative to the MFR,
income, riding experiences and skill level, etc.?
b. What are their bike-related social networks, if they have one
c. What are their motivating factors to ride mountain bikes, specifically in the
MFR?
2. What is the state of mountain biking in the MFR?
a. What attracts bikers to the MFR? What are the things that do not attract bikers
to the MFR?
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b. What kind of mountain biking experience appeals to bikers who go to the
MFR?
c. How can it improve the protection and conservation practices in the MFR?
3. What is the capability of the MFRs management system to handle mountain biking?
a. What are the current policies and rules in the management of the MFR, that
cover ecotourism and mountain biking?
b. Is mountain biking being given any attention by MFR management? That the
MFR management is willing to work with bikers in the future for mutual
beneficiation?d. Are there any programs initiated by the MFR management to increase
awareness of mountain biking in the MFR (i.e. contests, marketing, etc.)?
Objectives of the Study
The study was conducted to create a profile of the mountain bikers that travel to
the MFR, know their interest in the MFR according to the mountain bikers point of view
and to assess the level of compatibility of the MFR and mountain biking.
The specific objectives were as follows:
1. to characterize the mountain bikers, their socio-economic standing, preferences
and motivation, and their social networks;
2. to identify the programs and initiatives of the Mount Makiling Forest
Reserves management system that supports or hinder mountain biking, and
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3. to recommend management strategies and actions to provide bundled services
in support of ecotourism that incorporates mountain biking.
Scope and Limitations
The study focused on the mountain biking activity in the MFR and the attendant
management system applied by the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME)
to deal with mountain biking.
The qualitative nature of data gathering by means of survey and other primary
data collection may be subject to the resource persons availability and reliability. It may
be biased, and it can affect the reliability and accuracy of the data. Hence, it is proposed
that more diverse group of resource people will be tapped for the surveys and key
informant interviews.
Ideally, a sample needs a sampling frame or a listing for it to be statistically
significant. However, a true listing of all mountain bikers is not feasible due to logistical
reasons and mountain bike organizations, though having membership; do not account for
non members. Therefore, this study uses a non-probability sample and can only use
descriptive statistics. A true listing of all mountain bike owners and riders is needed.
Significance of the Study
Despite the presence of mountain biking in the Philippines, studies about the activity
itself and the people who ride are non-existent. Most studies about mountain biking has
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been done in developed countries, where mountain biking is more widely practiced and
common. The mountain biker in the Philippines is still very much an unknown entity.
There have been no studies on the individuals who ride mountain bikes, from the people
who ride them for fun, for work; or for competition and sport; in recent years or even at
any given time in the Philippines. Park managers, especially those who do not offer
mountain biking trails, are clueless on what to do when these tourists arrive. Managers
should have a database on which to plan a course of action to accommodate mountain
biking, be it for trail access and/or access fees.
In the case of the MFR, the MCME has no study and no data on the mountain biking
population that enters the MFR. The lack of information on this particular group of
tourists may slow down any move by the MCME to improve its existing ecotourism
facilities and to plan actions built to the specifications of mountain bikers. Ecotourism is
mentioned in Chapter 11 of the Makiling Conservation and Development Master Plan
(EO 349), in which one of the goals is to establish and provide quality outdoor recreation
opportunities and tourism facilities with the requisite services to the public. Hiking and
camping are already well known, and recently bird watching. The EO 349 listed
ecotourism and outdoor recreation as one of the major management objectives.
In terms of natural resource conservation, ecotourism is a very useful tool to
increase awareness and appreciation towards nature, as well as other benefits. Developing
countries in particular have looked to tourism to help increase national foreign exchange
earnings, GDP and employment rates, and to improve socioeconomic conditions in
peripheral regions (Weaver, 1998, as cited by Stone, 2002). Ecotourism is activity-based,
and one of these activities is mountain biking. Mountain bikers ride because they believe
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it is fun, healthy, it provides a physical challenge and it is a social activity (Goeft and
Alder, 2001). The last point is important because social networks can help in the
dissemination of information related to conservation. The goal here is twofold: one is to
provide recreation and physical activities for people, and the other is to educate and to
make more people appreciate nature. Mountain biking as an ecotourism activity can also
be used to help in community development, with spinoff support services that can
provide employment and business opportunities.
In the MFR, stores near the Mudsprings provide food and refreshment not just to
hikers but to mountain bikers as well. However, these stores are the only auxiliaryservices found inside the MFR. Mountain biking provides a different challenge to the
tourism industry, where the biggest and most profitable form is beach-based tourism, but
ecotourism and other nature-based adventure tourism ventures are gathering momentum
and mainstream attention.
This study attempts to link up the mountain biker, the mountain biking activity,
and the area together with its management system to find how these information will fit
in the grand scheme of ecotourism inside the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve and how
these information will be coherent with the existing situation in the MFR and will give
tourism researchers, managers, and conservationists the right product mix, the right
management plan, and especially, the best conservation strategies that can accommodate
mountain bikes and still achieve the overall objective in managing the MFR. For the
stakeholders, understanding and harmonizing the different traits and parameters is critical
if a mountain bike specific product will be introduced in the MFR in the future. For the
mountain bikers, awareness that they are part of the grand scheme of nature conservation
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will encourage them and their existing social networks to promote the cause of nature
conservation.
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REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter will explain about mountain biking, ecotourism, and the MFR. The
history, kinds, and peculiarities about mountain biking will be looked upon in this
chapter. Ecotourism and its peculiarities and potentials will be reviewed, as well as the
current state of the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve.
Mountain Biking
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle (abbreviated MTB or ATB (all-terrain
bicycle)) is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of
rocks and washouts, and steep declines, on dirt trails, logging roads, and
other unpaved environmentsactivities usually called mountain biking. The bicycles
have evolved rapidly through the introduction of different technologies, and have
therefore branched out into several different specialist disciplines.
History of mountain biking
The history of the mountain bike and mountain biking is not as long as other
forms of outdoor recreation, but the origins are earlier than most think. Off-road bicycles
have been referenced a lot of times in the 20 th century, it was a derivative of the road
cycling and obstacle event called cyclo-cross in France, and the Roughstuff Fellowship in
the United Kingdom in 1955 (Griffith, 2010). In Oregon, one Chemeketan club member,
D. Gwynn, built a rough terrain trail bicycle in 1966. He named it a "mountain bicycle"
for its intended place of use. This may be the first use of that name (The Chemetekan,
1966).
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In the United States in the 1970s, there are several groups of riders who claim that
they contributed to the sport and hobby known as mountain biking today. In Crested
Butte, Colorado and Cupertino, California, bicyclists got old cruiser bicycles of 1930-
1940s vintage, fitted fatter tires and bigger, improved brakes. To add, gearing and
motocross-like handlebars were fitted. These bikes were called Klunkers, as the term
mountain biking or even the term mountain bike was not invented yet (Amici
Design, 1999). Early forms of racing these klunkers would be downhill, as the riders
would ride down fire roads and use their hub brakes so much they had to repack the
bearings after every run, giving these races the name Repack Races. (Berto, 1998)
In 1978 however, the first bicycle purpose-built for mountain biking was created
by Joe Breeze. The first mountain bikes were basically road bicycle frames (with heavier
tubing and different geometry) with a wider frame and fork to allow for a wider tire. The
handlebars were also different in that they were a straight, transverse-mounted handlebar,
rather than the dropped, curved handlebars that are typically installed on road racing
bicycles. Also, some of the parts on early production mountain bicycles were taken from
the BMX bicycle (Crane and Kelly, 1988). The trend continued on until the 1990s, when
the popularity and technology of mountain bikes exploded. Disc brakes, suspension
systems, and new frame construction has pushed mountain biking to something that is
today.
Classification of mountain bikes and mountain biking
Classification of mountain bikes are dependent on the suspension used,
specifically suspension travel. There are hard tails, mountain bikes with front suspension
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but a rigid frame, Full-suspension, where both front and rear suspension are present, and
rigid, which is a mountain bike but with no front and rear suspension. A rarer kind is the
soft tail, wherein their frame allows for some flex to act as suspension. In classifying
mountain bikes and mountain biking, the amount of suspension travel and the preferences
of the rider are the references to look into.
Cross Country and All-Mountain
The most common form of mountain biking is Cross Country (XC). These bikes
have the lightest weights and lowest suspension travel (80-120mm) of all mountain bikes.However, with the improvements in bicycle technology more sophisticated bikes offer
more travel yet has lower weight relative to XC bikes (McCormack and Lopes, 2010). In
XC racing, lightness is paramount, and bike companies are already offering frames and
parts made of carbon fiber instead of the usual aluminum or steel. Trail bikes, being
slightly beefier and heavier than XC bikes, are the next step in the ladder. They offer
moderate travel (110-150mm) and have frame geometries that can handle downhill
terrain slightly better than XC bikes (McCormack and Lopes, 2010). However this is
being blurred by the appearance of the All-Mountain (AM) category. These bikes are
capable of handling downhill trail sections a lot better except the most dedicated downhill
bike, but have the climbing ability of an XC bike. They offer the most variations of
suspension travel (120-170+mm) and most of these bikes suspension travel can be
adjusted by adjusting the existing components found on the bike and its suspension
characteristics (McCormack and Lopes, 2010).
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Downhill and Free-ride
Downhill (DH) and Free-ride (FR) bikes represent the extreme spectrum of
mountain biking. Both bikes offer extremely robust frame construction, advanced and
robust suspension systems and travel (170mm- above 200mm), and specific downhill
oriented geometry to handle the most technical of terrain in high speed (McCormack and
Lopes, 2010). Free-ride bikes however, are more diverse as it can include dirt jumping
hardtails to short travel frames with DH frame construction and geometry, to full
Downhill racing frames with slightly shorter travel and modified geometry for better
maneuverability in tight trails (McCormack and Lopes, 2010). In terms of difficulty,Downhill and Free-ride are the most difficult and advanced riding disciplines because of
the terrain features used and technical features like large jumps and drops. In downhill
racing, speed is also the most important factor: a race against the clock from the top to the
bottom.
Peculiarities of mountain biking
Mountain bike riding, by its very nature, is an activity mainly pursued on trails
and similar features like old logging roads or fire tracks (Goeft and Alder, 2001).
Mountain biking is regarded as a form of adventure recreation (Priest and In developed
countries, mountain biking is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreation activities,
with 25 million Americans owning one in 1992, andith an estimated 2.5-3 million trail
users in 1994 (Morey, et al, 2002).
The range of riding opportunities in such settings is one of the main reasons such
natural settings have experienced such biking growth (Cessford, 2002). However,
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creating trails solely for mountain bikes is a very expensive affair, so managers opt for
the incorporation of bike use through shared use tracks (Cessford, 2002). This setup
causes conflicts among the trail users because of the concept of recreation conflict (Goeft
and Alder, 2001). The theory of goal interference is the foundation of this theory
(Geoft and Alder, 2001). The theory proposes that conflict arises when the presence
and/or behavior of one group of users is incompatible with the social, psychological, or
physical goals of another group (Goeft and Alder, 2001). User conflict, as a concept, is
fairly well understood and demonstrably real (Sprung, 2004).
Most of these conflicts are centered on the perceived negative impacts of
mountain bike riding, and it is peculiar that most people regard mountain biking as one of
the worst, if not the worst offenders. In developed countries, lobbying from hikers and
environmental groups have caused some land managers to ban trails to mountain bikes
because of that perception, though studies have demonstrated that all forms of outdoor
recreation cause impacts to the environment (Sprung, 2004).
Benefits of mountain biking
Like other forms of outdoor recreation, mountain biking can prove to be a wise
investment for the communities in which they pass, as it can stimulate local economies
by attracting fellow mountain bikers and other outdoor recreationists to an area. Opening
trails and facilities attracts and revitalizes businesses, creates jobs, and increases public
revenue. In the United States, many people prefer to visit places such as greenways and
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trails that are safe, yet offer scenic recreation and transportation. Businesses that can
thrive and succeed with a trail or trail network include: restaurants, convenience stores,
bicycle shops, campgrounds and bed-and-breakfast establishments.
Traveling and access fees also contribute to the economic gains of having
mountain biking. The study of Loomis and Fix in 1998 showed the potential economic
impacts of a mountain biking trip to a well-known place for mountain bike riding, Moab,
Utah. In 1998, a mountain biker has an estimated per trip value of $197-$205. And with
an average number of visitors totaling 158,681 people yearly (Loomis and Fix, 1998), the
estimated annual impact is around $8,422,800- $8,770,300 (Loomis and Fix, 1998).Adjusted for 2010 inflation, the single bikers estimated per trip value would be $262.19-
$272.84, and the total annual economic impact would be $11,209,947-$11,672,436. In
one year, the site; Moab, Utahs Slickrock Trail has produced a very good amount of
income, considering that riding in temperate countries is more limited by the seasons.
Bike trails and other related facilities improve the quality-of-life among
individuals as these places are meant for outdoor recreation, as well as encouraging
people to use non-polluting transportation alternatives when it comes to short trips. This
change of mindset among people improves the local environment and a healthier
population. In some cases, it can be a source of local pride among the community, as the
case of popular resort towns such as Whistler, B.C. in Canada, as well as Los Baos,
which is already well known for other tourism activities. People who live close to these
trails also benefit the same way as tourists, and more people living in suburban and urban
areas want to have these kinds of recreation facilities nearby.
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The mountain biker
Perceptions
In developing a mountain bike-specific ecotourism product, the mountain biker
has to be taken into account. Particularly important are bikers motivation and
preferences when riding. Multi-use trails where hikers, bikers, and other users have to
share the road can be a mistake for land managers, due to the concept of perceived
crowding (Cessford, 1995). Mountain bikers tend to get a bad reputation for other trail
users, and these perceptions remain. These perceptions are listed as the following:
perceptions of environmental impacts, perceptions of safety hazards, and the perceptionthat mountain biking is inappropriate (Cessford, 1995). For environmental impacts, this
perception would come from several factors, such as tire tracks, which are distinctive,
which may lead to a conclusion that mountain biking is causing the most damage without
objectively looking at the other important processes taking place in the trail (Cessford,
1995). This can also be looked upon as scapegoating, where perceived conflicts were
disproportionately attributed to particular groups (Cessford, 1995).
When it came to the perception that mountain bikers are safety hazards: There
were safety concerns about mountain bicycle use on trails, first would be cyclists going
too fast for the conditions, cyclists not slowing down when going to blind corners, and
mountain bikes move quietly and fast, surprising other trail users (Cessford, 1995). In a
widely cited study in 1989 known as the Los Padres Study, the safety issues came from
the habit of a few rogue bikers that go to the top of the trail and go downhill as fast as
possible. Education (in the form of a brochure) and supplementary trail design dealt with
the few rogue bikers, but out of the 1400 trail users surveyed, most of the mountain
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bikers they saw were polite and not safety hazards (Cessford, 1995.). To add, familiarity
with mountain bike riding and cumulative experience with off-road encounters with bikes
can change the perceptions of non-riders (Cessford, 1995).
The third perception is the complex claim that mountain biking is inappropriate,
even wrong. The earlier two concerns mentioned may be in part reflections of an
underlying feeling that mountain biking should not be permitted in this area (Cessford,
1995). This third main type of conflict perception is based upon assumptions by walkers
and also managers that personal characteristics, motivations, behavior types,
environmental attitudes, and activity styles of mountain bikers are fundamentallydifferent from their own (Cessford, 1995). To add, conflicts arose when the presence and
behavior of other users was perceived to be disruptive to the physical and social
components of recreational experiences (Cessford, 1985). How conflicts arise between
outdoor recreationists depend on their individual and/or group interpretation of the
actions, motivations, preferences, and appearance of others. Simply put, the perceived
conflict depends on how different others are perceived to be (Cessford, 1995).
Profile
Visually, mountain biking appears to be very different, the difference mainly is in
the use of bicycles and associated equipment (Cessford, 1995). The difference in
equipment can or is the basis of the perceptions of difference between people of different
activities, or perceptions of different experience levels and commitment within the same
activity (Cessford, 1995).
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1.1 Age
Though very generalized, mountain bikers are over represented by males and
younger age groups more often than all but the most extreme walkers (Cessford, 1995).
Although stereotypical, this descriptive difference has been associated with the wild
teenager image of mountain biking in many comments and commentaries (Cessford,
1995). The average ages though would be around 30-38 years old, and with a wide range
of ages, from 15 to 39 years of age (Green, 2003; Morey et al, 2002; Goeft and Alder,
2001).1.2 Personal assessment of experience
When it comes to riding experience, mountain bikers tend to categorize
themselves as intermediate to advanced, and would claim that they are mountain bikers
(Green,2003; Morey et al, 2002). An average cost for a mountain bike would be $831,
and would be 2-5 years old (Morey et al, 2002).
1.3 Income and education
In the market study by Donna Green in 2003, fifty percent of the riders she
interviewed are earning more than $75,000 a year in their respective households, which
makes them part of the upper middle class in America, which are mostly white collar
professionals most of whom are highly educated, salaried professionals whose work is
largely self-directed. Many have graduate degrees, with educational attainment serving as
the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed
$100,000 (Thompson and Hickey, 2005). In the same study, most of the respondents own
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multiple bikes. Canada, particularly the British Columbia region has similar numbers in
the income and educational brackets, though the Canadians are much younger (18-34)
when it comes to their American travelling counterparts whose majority of ages range
from 45-54 (Tourism British Columbia, 2009).
1.2 Social networks
Social networks in the form of clubs are also noted, and the people who joined
clubs tend to be more competitive and join more races compared to non club members(Goeft and Alder, 2001).
Preferences
The various styles of mountain biking gives a very confusing picture for managers
who would want to offer a mountain biking specific product, as these various styles
would also have different preferences. The range of riding opportunities is one of the
main reasons why natural settings have experienced such biking growth (Cessford, 2002).
2.1 Criteria for site selection
People do travel to certain areas just to ride their mountain bikes, a significant
trend in developed countries (Green, 2003). When it comes to trends of choosing a
mountain biking destination, word of mouth and existing reputation deliver the strongest
recommendations, and travel agencies are the least likely to help (Green, 2003).
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2.2 Trail feature preferences
As mentioned earlier, mountain bikers prefer the variety of terrain and difficulty
found in a destination, with downhills, curves of various radii, slopes, jumps, rocks, roots
and some climbing sections (Green, 2003; Goeft and Alder, 2001). The number of trails
are also important, as well as scenery (Green, 2003).The reputation of the area for riding,
as well as the mountain biking community scored also quite high (Green, 2003).
Mountain bike riders would also prefer to see wildlife, and avoid mechanized
transportation (Goeft and Alder, 2001). Muddy, sandy, and paved surfaces areundesirable to mountain bikers, as well as overhanging branches (Goeft and Alder, 2001).
Mountain bikers also tend to perceive that there are not enough mountain bike trails and
that mountain bikes should be allowed in all trails. Single track trails were desirable for
recreational riders who race, and they also consider plantation forests to be desirable
settings. Plantations are also desirable for purely recreational riders but dont prefer
single track trails compared to others Recreational riders are more open to where they
ride, be it on plantation forests or natural settings, and stay away from artificial,
plantation forests (Goeft and Alder, 2001).
2.3 Riding style preferences
Preferences also vary with age. Younger riders aged twenty four and below
preferred downhill racing and freeride, while older riders aged fifty-five and above liked
riding on cycle paths and touring, and the middle range of 25-54 prefer cross country and
all-mountain riding (City of Kelowna et al., 2007).
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Mountain biking in the Asia-Pacific Region
Asias biking routes are constantly redefining itself to cash in on the demands of
visitors. Here you will find not only the highest mountains in the world, but isolated tribal
regions, lush jungles, and dense forests. The terrain in Asia is very diverse and could be
tapped for mountain biking, not to mention major bicycle and bicycle component
manufacturers like Shimano and Giant Bicycles are founded and based in Asia, the
former in Japan and the latter in Taiwan. Most European and American bicycle
manufacturers have factories based in Taiwan or China or in Shimanos case, Malaysia,
to outsource their manufacturing duties. Unfortunately, there has been no clear cut studiesabout mountain biking or the mountain bikers in the Asia-Pacific Region aside from
Australia and New Zealand. Though mountain bike tours based in Asia have arrived and
are now offering tours in various places like Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and many
other countries.
The Mount Makiling Forest Reserve
Located in Luzon and is 65 kilometers south of Manila, Mt. Makiling is an
inactive volcano 1,090m in height (Figure 1). Regarded as one, if not the most well
known biological area in the Philippines (Lapitan, et al., 2010) Mt. Makiling is well
known as the home of the University of the Philippines Los Baos as well as other
important offices and facilities like the ASEAN Biodiversity Centre headquarters, a
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Figure 1. Location map of the MFR (photo from MCME)
geo-thermal energy resource, a watershed and water source of industrial, agricultural, and
residential sectors of the CALABARZON region and as a major ecotourism site (Lapitan,
et al., 2010). The mountain also serves as an important catchment area for SE Asias
largest freshwater lake, Laguna de Bay (Lapitan, et al., 2010).
Landscape
The Mount Makiling Forest Reserve has a total land area of 4,244.97 hectares,
and is delineated by law to have a buffer zone (1,652 ha) to protect the existing forest
reserve inside (Lapitan, et al., 2010). The buffer zone is located from the areas with 0%
slope to the maximum of 18% slope. Any higher than 18% makes it part of the forest
reserve itself. Prior to the 1998 declaration of the buffer zone however, fringe areas of the
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reserve have already been encroached either by farming or real estate (Lapitan, et al.,
2010). Generally, the MFR is rugged and mountainous.
Being a watershed, the MFR is further divided into 4 subwatersheds, each of them
located in a municipality inside the MFRs borders. These are the Molawin-Dampalit,
Tigbi, Greater Sipit, and Cambantoc subwatersheds. All of these subwatersheds provide
water for many purposes among the populace of the 4 municipalities in 2 provinces
where the MFR is located: Calamba, Los Baos and Bay in Laguna, and Santo Tomas in
Batangas.
Climate
Mt. Makiling has 2 main seasons: A rainy season starting from May to December
and dry months are from January to April. Wind patterns are dry, and it causes the lower
elevation areas to be dry but the higher elevation areas wet due to continuous light
density precipitation and vapor condensation (Lapitan, et al. 2010). During the wet
months, the southwest monsoon will provide most of the rainfall in the area due to its
circulation of cyclonic winds (Lapitan, Fernando et al., 2010). Temperatures in 2006
show a mean temperature range from 26.2 to 28.8 degree Celsius. April is the warmest
month, with a maximum of 36.1 and low of 22.2, while January was the coldest with the
lowest at 20.4 and a high of 31.8 degree Celsius (Lapitan,et al., 2010). The
measurements were taken in the National AgroMet Station in UPLB.
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Rainfall
In 2006, the annual rainfall recorded by the National Agro-Met Station in UPLB
was 2,299mm. According to the CDM-SSC-PDD study of 2007, the reading for 2006 was
lower than the average taken from 3 areas in UPLB which was 2,397mm in the 1990s
(Lapitan, et al., 2010). The same study also mentioned that the MFR got a total of 188
rainy days in 2006, with the heaviest rains falling in September, and the most number of
rainy days a month is July, with 22 days of rain. Extreme events have yet to happen in
these areas, according to the study.
Soils and Geology
Mt. Makilings soil belongs to 4 series: Lipa, Macolod, Gulugod, and Makiling.
Macolod is the dominant series in the area, which is a clay-type of soil (Lapitan, et al.,
2010).
Legal Framework
Under Republic Act 6967 of 1990, the MFR is under the control, jurisdiction and
administration of the University of the Philippines Los Baos (Lapitan, et al. 2010). The
law stipulates that the reserves primary role is to be a training laboratory for scientific
and technical knowledge on the preservation, conservation, and development of the forest
and natural forest therein, including the flora and fauna (Lapitan, et al. 2010). Another
source of information is the MFR and Laguna de Bay Master Plan created in 1996
through EO 349 of then President Fidel V. Ramos (Lapitan, et al. 2010).
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Another legitimizing action is Presidential Decree No. 705, or the Philippine
Forestry Reform Code. This law governs forest management in the country, while
Proclamation 1257 of 1998 sets the guidelines on the activities inside a buffer zone to
ensure the integrity of these areas from further damage and encroachment.
Biodiversity
Flora
There is an amazing amount of flora present in the MFR. Both endemic and
foreign, it has been estimated that 2,038 vascular plant species are present in the MFR
(Lapitan, et al. 2010). Dipterocarp species are found here, even IUCN-listed as critically
endangered ones like Parashorea malaanonan, and Myristica philippinensis, and
vulnerable species (Diospyros blancoi, Diplodiscus paniculatus, Artocarpus rubiovenius,
Celtis luzonica, Macaranga bicolor, to name a few). Undergrowth species found in all of
the MFR include Arenga pinnata, Donax cannaeformis, Neotrewis cumgii, Selaginella
plana, and Strombosia philippinensis. The Rafflesia manillana, thought to be extinct in
the MFR was found again in 2002 (Lapitan, Fernando et al., 2010)), but it is only found
in Molawin-Dampalit and the Greater Sipit subwatersheds only.
Fauna
The MFR also boasts of impressive numbers of fauna. Prior to 2004 it was
reported to be home to more than 45 species of mammals, 181 species of birds, 65
species of reptiles, and 22 species of amphibians, together with at least 7,000 species of
insects (Lapitan, et al. 2010). A survey done in 2004 in just the Greater Sipit Watershed
yielded a surprising amount of endemism: 62 species in this subwatershed are known to
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be only endemic to the Philippines, with 14 only endemic to the Greater Luzon faunal
region (Lapitan, et al., 2010). Some species found are considered rare or threatened: the
Philippine Eagle-Owl (Bubo philippinensis), the Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippnensis)
is considered endangered, and the Philippine Pygmy Fruit Bat (Haplonycteris fischeri)
(Lapitan, et al., 2010).
Human
The MFR has its own share of people living inside its borders, and it has been
legitimized by the municipality of Los Baos by giving it official status as a barangay.
Ecotourism is also seen as a tool for development, and an activity such as mountain
biking can give these people different means of income to supplement whatever they
have by means of services to mountain bikers and the maintenance, construction and
improvement of trails. There is a caveat however; especially in the case of the MFR.
Protected areas (like the MFR) are important destinations for a growing tourism like
ecotourism given that it uses diverse nature, landscapes and biodiversity as major
attractions. In these protected areas, there might be a potential threat to, and an
opportunity for conservation of natural resources.
Organization and Personnel
The Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME) is the specific unit of
UPLB to handle the responsibility of managing the MFR. It was designated in the
meeting of the Board of Regents in 1998 (Lapitan, Fernando et al. 2010). Aside from
management of the MFR, the MCME aims to conduct research and demonstration
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programs on mountain ecosystems development, and to develop and execute plans of
sustainable management of the MFR. MCME is also partially responsible to generate
resources and income for its continued operations and management of the MFR. The 4
subwatershed divisions are MCMEs doing. They have 50 people working in the
institution (Appendix V).
Ecotourism in the MFR
Ecotourism is present in the MFR. Activities like hiking and camping are the most
popular activities, and recently bird watching has become popular (Cereno, 2010). Peakseason comes during summer months, as many people climb and trek during the Holy
Week gatherings. Another attraction is the Makiling Botanical Garden (MBG), a well
known picnic spot and park. With new and existing facilities built and repaired, the MBG
is a favorite nature viewing spot away from Manila, and a favorite destination of
educational trips. The MFR also has some events that encourage people to come. The
Makiling Challenge, a trail running challenge, and the Makiling Quest, a long distance
adventure race has been a fixture among nature enthusiasts. During the Holy Week
period, an initiative called Make It Makiling is done to encourage hikers to keep the
MFRs hiking trails clean and safe.
Mountain biking in the MFR
Mountain biking in the MFR is present the whole year, as the Mariang Makiling
Trail is multi-use. The only time that it is closed for mountain bikes during the Make It
Makiling event in Holy Week to prevent unwanted accidents between hikers and bikers,
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and when typhoons come. XC up to DH riders go to the Mariang Makiling Trail to ride,
so varying speeds and skills of mountain bikers are seen in the trail. With the variety of
bikers coming up and down at various speeds, it is imperative that conflict be managed in
the form of trails that branch off the multi-use Mariang Makiling Trail.
An example of government intervention to develop a trail network for mountain
bikes is the work done by the Hong Kong SAR Government to develop trails for the Tai
Lam Country Park. Mountain bicycling in Country Parks is controlled under Regulation
4 of the Country Parks and Special Areas Regulations (sub. Leg. A of Country Park
Ordinance, Cap 208 of Hong Kong Laws), any person interested in cycling on thedesignated mountain bike trails in country parks can apply for a permit from the Country
and Marine Parks Authority. No permit fee is required. At present, there are about 7,000
valid permits. With mountain biking getting more and more attention in Hong Kong, the
SAR government decided to assess the existing trails at the Tai Lam Park with the help of
the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA).
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METHODOLOGY
Descriptive research was used for this study, using primary and secondary data.
The primary data comes mainly from a mountain biker survey and key informant
interviews, and the secondary data coming from records of the MCMEs Botanic
Gardens, Parks, and Ecotourism division. For comparison, foreign based mountain biking
studies coming from journals were also used. A simple survey form is used because it can
provide direct answers to the questions relevant to the objectives.
Data collection was carried out from September 2012 to February 2013. The end
of the wet season is when mountain biking starts to pick up again, and mountain biking
events like races and fun rides come up to take advantage of cooler weather. The most
number of respondents came in the months of September and October 2012. Prior to
this, permission from the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME) was
obtained to check on existing primary data, particularly the visitors log of the MFR from
2012.
Mountain biker Survey
The information taken from the different kinds of mountain bikers in the area was
the focal point of this study. The socio-economic profile and opinions of the mountain
bikers, the future beneficiaries of this study were considered. Their opinions on trail
design, trail facilities and amenities, ecotourism, and willingness-to-pay for these kinds of
facilities were accounted for. No restrictions and criteria to respondents were
implemented, as long as the person has a mountain bike. Riding style was also not a
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restriction, as mountain bikers tend to follow different riding styles and disciplines, each
of them requires a certain mountain bike for the task. To ensure better participation of the
mountain biker population, grouping them by riding style was not done.
Survey description
Survey research is a commonly used method for collecting information about a
population of interest and to describe its characteristics. It is mainly used for its
versatility, efficiency and ability to generalize data. For this study, the group of people
who is the focus of this study are the mountain bikers. These people were found in social
areas like rest stations and eateries like in Baker Hall in UPLB, bike shops like Green
Planet Bikeshop in San Pablo and Los Baos, Laguna; and Ulyby Bikeshop in Manila.
To characterize mountain bikers and mountain biking; a questionnaire with open ended
questions was given to the respondents (Appendix Table I). Survey forms were also
distributed through mountain bike related events like the Nuvali Dirt Weekend in Santa
Rosa, and the Spyder Downhill Cup in Binangonan, Rizal. Social media sites like
Facebook and mountain biking forums like Philippine Mountain Bike Forum
(www.philmofo.org) was also used to distribute survey forms and get feedback.
The mountain biker survey was designed to assess and look at the different points
and views and opinions of the different mountain bikers that travel within and inside the
MFR. Their choices and preferences were considered, together with: possible future trail
design, features, and access (Goeft and Alder, 2001) to the MFR. It also assessed the
awareness and possible cooperation of the mountain biker to possible current, and future
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MTB-centered activities like trail building and maintenance, and MTB-related nature
advocacy.
First, the survey tackled the demographics of the different mountain bikers, such
as their name, age, gender, and address. Their cycling experience, bicycle type; and
number of bikes can tell a lot on how a mountain biker takes this activity seriously. Their
experiences in mountain biking competitions were looked upon, as well as their favored
events (Morey et al.,2000; Goeft and Alder, 2001).
The estimated cost of their bicycle/s and their average yearly income were
considered for this information can tell on how much mountain bikers want to pay for an
additional mountain bike specific facilities and amenities in the MFR. Mountain biking
can be prohibitively expensive, especially with the amount of sophistication of modern
and contemporary mountain bikes, and people who can pay for such bicycles can also in
theory pay for such facilities. Also a direct question on the mountain bikers willingness
to pay by the means of a price range was used.
Another question set tackled the awareness of the mountain biker on his/her
known riding areas. A mountain biker will have knowledge of trail networks that he/she
can use, not just travelling by bicycle to a certain location by road (disparagingly called
XC-road by some). Is the MFR a well known enough place for mountain bikers? And if
mountain bikers are aware of the MFR as a mountain bike destination, do they think the
existing Mariang Makiling trail is enough for them, or do the mountain bikers want
something for themselves? Opinions on what mountain bikers want in a trail were also
considered.
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A trait of mountain bikers is a presence of a social network; many would band
together to form a club or organization. A question set delved into the social aspect of the
mountain biker. The name of the MTB groups and organizations was listed, together with
the activities done by the said groups and organizations, if there are any. The survey also
asks these groups opinions on assisting the MFR in creating and maintaining a mountain
bike trail inside the MFR, and how these groups will promote MTB riding in the MFR.
Key Informant Interview
People who work inside the MFR have the best sources of information on how the
situations unfold in the field. Therefore key informant interviews were done to know the
workings of the MFR and how can a future manager worked on this to cater to mountain
biking inside the MFR and provide these services to their target audience. Interviews with
the Botanic Gardens, Parks, and Ecotourism Division head, For. Leilani A. Castillo and
For. Roberto P. Cereno were conducted. Their opinions and experiences with mountain
biking were noted. For. Castillo also has access to the logbook of entries to the Mariang
Makiling Trail, and the entries of mountain bikers in the logbook are also duly noted.
Secondary data collection
Together with the mountain biker survey, the records of the MCME especially
mountain bike related visits was checked and analyzed. The time frame was from January
2012 until December 2012. The number of mountain biking visits provided information
on existing traffic of mountain bikers to the MFR and their potential earning to the
MCME and the MFR. There was a 100% increase in the access fee of the trail, from 5
pesos to 10 pesos starting in 2011, and its effect on mountain biker visits was looked into.
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Conceptual framework
Based on the general objective to create a profile of the mountain bikers that
travel to the MFR, the study will look into the side of the mountain biker, and the side of
the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve. The mountain bikers characteristics l ike age,
income, and the various preferences will be examined together with the characteristics
present in the MFR which is divided into two: physical features, which comprise of the
trail, the terrain, the access to the trail, the trail users and their perceptions; and the
administrative features, which comprise of existing policies, amenities, organization and
management, and partnerships. These two sides will be analyzed to create a working
definition and profile of the mountain biker in the MFR, as well as to propose new
policies, strategies and management schemes to accommodate mountain bikers in the
overall scheme of ecotourism and outdoor recreation in the MFR (Figure 2).
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Feedback Feedback
Figure 2. Conceptual Framework of the Study
THE MOUNTAIN BIKERS
Age
Income
Location relative to MFR
Riding experience
Preferred trail features
Motivation for riding
MTB design
Current trends in riding
Social networks
THE MOUNT
MAKILING FORESTRESERVE
PHYSICAL
FEATURES
Trail difficulty andfeatures
Trail access
Traffic flow insidetrails
Competing trail users
Perceptions on other
trail users
ADMINISTRATIVEFEATURES
Existing policies
Amenities
Links with private
sector
Mountain bike
related events
Conflicts among trailusers
METHODS
Mountain biker survey
Statistical analysis
Key informant interviews
Purposive Sampling
RESULTS
Creation of a mountainbiker profile for MFR
Assessment of MFRcompatibility withmountain biking
Give suggestions andnew courses of action toMFR to accommodate
mountain biking
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Statistical analysis
As mentioned earlier, the lack of a true sampling frame or the total number of
active mountain bikers makes this study use non-probability sampling, specifically
judgmental or purposive sampling. Purposive sampling is used when the researcher
chooses the people to be sampled in the study. This is primarily used when there are a
limited number of people that have expertise in the area being researched, and is
synonymous with qualitative research (Palys, undated). Since this study focuses on
mountain bikers, purposive sampling is used. This study used criterion sampling, where
individuals and cases are selected if a criterion matches the said individual or case (Palys,
undated). In this study focused on mountain bikes, the respondents are grouped into one
specific criterion; which is the use and ownership of a mountain bike. The criterion is
enough for a mountain biker to be involved in the study. Purposive sampling however
is limited to descriptive statistics, so the mean, median, percentage, frequencies and
distribution of percentages are described, as well as contingency tables to describe the
relationships between variables. The computer program IBM SPSS Statistics is used to
calculate the data found from the mountain biker survey.
In order to determine the right sample size the formula presented below was used.
n = z x p x qd2
where : d is the margin of error from unknown true value
p and q are proportions both set at 0.5
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n = (1.96)2 x 0.5 x 0.5 z= 1.96 (obtained from the z Table)(.05)2
n = 384.16
In this type of study, what is critical is the sampling size. Hence, the formula
presented above to compute for the sampling size was used. The answers to the questions
in the survey were converted into percentages. The same procedure was followed by
Barry G. Tiedeman in Central Michigan University, where they analyzed the
characteristics of the typical mountain bike enthusiast, and to measure the involvement of
the mountain biker using descriptive analysis. Another study done by Nadia Kaliszewski
in 2010, also used survey forms to analyze the economic impacts of mountain bike trails
in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in the USA. The relevant sample population was composed of
bikers who own mountain bikes or at least have some interest in riding mountain bikes.
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
General Personal Profile of Mountain Bikers
Based on the survey conducted, the total respondents were 389. The most number
of respondents came from the province of Laguna, the most number coming from the
municipalities of Pakil (101), Kalayaan (55), and Los Baos (51) (Table 1). The next
highest number of respondents came from Metro Manila (36), and then Rizal Province
(23) . The close proximity of the MFR made finding respondents from Laguna easier than
other locations. Mountain bikers tend to live relatively close to actual mountains or
ridges, or have places of higher elevation, especially the respondents from Rizal
Province. Pakil, Kalayaan, and Los Baos in Laguna, the three biggest sources of
respondents share the same trend. Mountain bike riders who live in Metro Manila tend to
travel away to places like Rizal and Laguna to get their mountain bike fix.
Age groups of mountain bikers are also defined through the survey. The biggest
numbers come from riders coming from the age group of 31-40 years of age at 31.54%,
then the 21-30 age group at 23.18%, and the 41-50 group 20.49% (Table 2). It paints the
picture of a mountain biker as a young adult or a relatively young adult activity. Cessford
(1995) in New Zealand, and Tourism Tasmania (2008), show these characteristics in age,
majority of active mountain bikers are in ages from mid 20s to mid 40s, with a high
percentage in the mid 30s age group (Tourism Tasmania, 2008). In New Zealand, the
most numerous are found in the under -20 until the 30-39 age group (Cessford, 1995).
The same trend showed up in another study by Tiedeman (2002) of the Central Michigan
University, where 69% of the respondents are from the 20-29 and the 30-39 age groups.
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Table 1. Municipalities of respondents
MUNICIPALITY OFRESPONDENTS
FREQUENCY %
LAGUNA
Alaminos 6 1.54Bay 7 1.80Bian 2 0.51
Cabuyao 5 1.29Calamba 11 2.82Calauan 3 0.77Famy 2 0.51
Kalayaan 55 14.13Mabitac 1 0.25
Magdalena 2 0.51Los Baos 54 13.88
Pakil 101 26.0Pangil 3 0.77Paete 6 1.54
San Pablo 8 2.05San Pedro 1 0.25Santa Cruz 1 0.25Santa Rosa 3 0.77
Siniloan 25 6.42Total 296
RIZALAntipolo 5 1.29
Binangonan 6 1.54Cainta 3 0.77Taytay 9 2.31Total 23
METRO MANILAParaaque 1 0.25
Taguig 1 0.25Pasig 2 0.51
Quezon City 8 2.05Las Pias 2 0.51
Makati 6 1.54
Marikina 3 0.77Manila 13 3.34Total 36
BATANGASBatangas City 2 0.51
Tanauan 7 1.80Total 9
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Table 1. Continued.
PROVINCE FREQUENCY %COMPOSTELA VALLEY 1 0.25
BULACAN 1 0.25
ILOILO 1 0.25ZAMBALES 1 0.25PAMPANGA 1 0.25
DARAGA, ALBAY 2 0.51CAMARINES SUR
Naga City 2 0.51Pili 1 0.25
Total 3PANGASINAN 1 0.25NUEVA ECIJA 2 0.51ILOCOS NORTE 5 1.29
QUEZONLucena City 4 1.02Tiaong 1 0.25Tayabas 1 0.25Pagbilao 1 0.25
Total 7TOTAL 389 100.00
Table 2. Age profile of mountain bikers
AGE GROUP FREQUENCY %12-20 23 6.2021-30 86 23.1831-40 117 31.5441-50 76 20.4951-60 55 14.8261-70 12 3.2371-80 2 0.54Total 371 100.00
In British Columbia, a hotbed for mountain biking and mountain bikers,
American and Canadian travelers who go to British Columbia to ride mountain bikes are
mostly people who are 18-34 (Tourism British Columbia, 2009).
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Mountain biking is totally dominated by male riders (Table 3), with 91.85% of the
respondents are male, with only 8.15% of the respondents in the sample size female.
Mountain biking generally tends to have male dominated populations (City of Kelowna,
Table 3. Gender classification and civil status of mountain bikers
GENDER FREQUENCY %Male 248 91.85
Female 22 8.15Total 270 100.00
CIVIL STATUS FREQUENCY %Single 115 34.43
Married 219 65.57Total 337 100.00
2007). Males thoroughly dominate the sport (Tiedeman, 2002) with his population
set getting an 88% representation rate among males. Males also dominate when the
motivation to travel and have a vacation is related to cycling; however females are more
willing participants in a cycling-based vacation (Tourism British Columbia, 2009). In
Australia, women are much closer to men when it comes to mainstream cycle tourism,
but not for mountain bikes (Tourism Tasmania, 2008). The study also mentioned that
though the majority still consists of men, there will be a considerable gender shift in the
future years, citing the increase of female participation in the US by 33.9% starting in
2002 (Tourism Tasmania, 2008). It will be interesting to note if the Philippines will
follow the trend as shown in foreign countries.
Having a family is a noticeable trait among mountain bikers in the study (Table
3), with 65.57% of the respondents having a family of their own, compared to 34.43% of
mountain biker respondents who are single. There are many cases when one family
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member will influence another member to take up mountain biking, if not the whole
family. In the US, particularly in the state of Michigan, the majority of these mountain
bikers live in a household of two to four people (Tiedeman, 2002).
In the study, the sample showed a higher level of educational attainment, with
54.24% of the respondents having college or tertiary education, and 37.28% have
secondary education (Table 4). Having formal education is a trait shared by a lot of
mountain bikers, especially tertiary or at least secondary level education (Cessford, 1995)
(Tourism Tasmania, 2008) (Tourism British Columbia, 2009) (Tiedeman, 2002).
Table 4. Highest Educational Attainment of mountain bikers
EDUCATIONALATTAINMENT
FREQUENCY %
Elementary 9 3.05High School 110 37.28
College 160 54.24Post Graduate 16 5.43
Total 295 100.00
A high quality mountain bike is expensive, and a good sized income is necessary
to progress in the activity. But nowadays, a mountain bike of good quality is more
affordable to at least the professional working class and blue collar workers, hence the
proliferation of riders in the sample earning in the Php. 100,000-200,000 range, which is
59.05% of the sample (Table 5).
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Figure 3. Frequency of single respondents and their age bracket together withtheir educational attainment.
In Figure 3, most mountain bikers with single status are college graduates and
belonging to the 21-30 year old age bracket (35). The same trend is shown in age
brackets 31-40 (17), 41-50 (4), and 51-60 (3).
The Chi-square test (Table 5) showed that there is strong evidence to support a
relationship between age, civil status, and educational attainment, as shown by the
Pearson Chi-square values of 15.377 and 41.437 for single and married respondents
respectively.
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Table 5. Chi-square test for civil status, age range, and educational attainment.
Chi-Square Tests
civil status Value df
Asymp. Sig. (2-
sided)
Single Pearson Chi-Square 15.377a
12 .221
Married Pearson Chi-Square 41.437b
18 .001
a. 14 cells (70.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count
is .04.
b. 19 cells (67.9%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count
is .04.
In Figure 4, college graduates are still the most numerous among the married
mountain bikers (105). Married mountain bikers with a college degree mostly belong to
the 31-40 years old (42) and 41-50 year old (33) age bracket (Appendix Table VI).
in developed countries however, mountain bikers are characterized as high
earners (Tourism Tasmania, 2008) (Tourism British Columbia, 2009) (Tiedeman, 2002)
with a baseline of $60,000 and above. The Philippine baseline is much lower compared
to these numbers.
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Figure 4. Frequency of married respondents and their age bracket together with
their educational attainment.
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Figure 4. Frequency of male respondents from different provinces and theiraverage income.
Male mountain bikers from Laguna have the highest frequency (86), and they
earn less than 100,000 pesos to 200,000 annually (Figure 4). The same trend can be
observed in the next range of salary (28).
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Figure 5. Frequency of female respondents from different provinces and theiraverage income.
In Figure 5, female mountain bikers from Laguna showed the highest frequency
(8), but all are earning in one income bracket. Female bikers from Metro Manila had one
respondent earning around 401,000 to 600,000 pesos a year.
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Table 6. Chi-square test for gender and income of respondents.
Chi-Square Tests
gender of respondent Value df
Asymp. Sig. (2-
sided)
Male Pearson Chi-Square 39.306a
16 .001
Female Pearson Chi-Square2.438
b2 .296
a. 17 cells (68.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .29.
b. 5 cells (83.3%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .08.
The chi-square test presented in Table 6 showed that there is strong evidence of a
relationship between income and the gender of respondents with the value of 39.306 and
2.438 for males and females, respectively.
Table 7. Estimated cost/s of mountain bikes of mountain bikers
COST ESTIMATE OFMTB (In PHp)
FREQUENCY %
10,000- 20,000 137 43.63
21,000-40,000 64 20.3841,000-60,000 30 9.5561,000-100,000 39 12.43
100,000 44 14.01Total 314 100.00
As mentioned earlier, mountain bikes are quite expensive. But the trend is that
there are more people riding mountain bikes, mainly because the cost of entry has
become lower the past few years or so. The largest number of mountain bikers on the
sample (43.63%) claims their estimated costs of their bikes close to 10,000 pesos to
20,000 pesos (Table 6). The most expensive mountain bikes (100,000 Php.) are not the
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minority in the sample, with 14.01% of respondents claiming that their mountain bike is
that expensive.
The amount that the household can earn in one year is a reflection on what kind of
mountain bike they can afford. Table 5 showed the majority of the respondents earn
100,000-200,000 a year, and the majority of the respondents in Table 6 claimed they
can afford a mountain bike worth 10,000- 20,000Php. The next highest earning range
(201,000-400,000 Php) is the second largest group. This group can afford a mountain
bike in the 21,000-40,000 range.
Mountain Bike Preferences and Experience
The survey also looked at the preferences of the mountain bikers as well as their
experience in using their mountain bikes. The variety among mountain bike riders; be it
on their length of experience, bike design preferences, and motivation were noted.
Table 7 shows that the majority of mountain bikers who took the survey are new
to the sport, or has at most 5 years experience, with 69.37% of respondents belonging in
that experience bracket. It could be that the relatively lower cost of entry to mountain
biking, as well as more places to ride nowadays has encouraged people to try mountain
biking, even at the lower income brackets. There are still long-time cycling enthusiasts
who have spent many years riding, but this influx of new blood the past few of years is
encouraging.
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Table 8. Length of Mountain Bike riding experience in years by mountain bikers
LENGTH OF MOUNTAINBIKE EXPERIENCE
(Years)
FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE
20 10 3.88
Total 258 100.00
Table 9 shows the favored mountain biking discipline by the respondents. The dominant
discipline is cross country (XC) riding, with 67.24% of the respondents share. Downhill
mountain biking (DH) the next largest group, with 18.08% of the respondents saying that
they prefer DH riding. However, the fairly new All-mountain category is not far behind
with 12.63% of the total respondents. Mountain bikers also tend to choose multiple
disciplines to improve their overall skill set. An XC rider will do some DH riding to
improve his bike handling skills, while a DH rider will do XC to improve his/her
endurance and strength. Age is also a factor in determining a mountainbikers preference
in riding style and discipline. Bikers from Kalayaan, Pakil, and Pangil, Laguna prefer XC
riding because most the respondents came from the aforementioned towns and they travel
long distances using their bicycles.
Younger groups tend to favor downhill and freeride mountain biking and older groups
favor cross country riding (City of Kelowna, 2007) but both age groups enjoy all-
mountain.
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Table 9. Preferred riding discipline by mountain bikers
PREFERRED DISCIPLINE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGEXC 197 67.24AM 37 12.63
DH/FR 53 18.08Trials 4 1.37
DJ 2 0.68Total 293
Rider skill is a highly subjective word and a point of contention among mountain bikers,
especially during competition (Table 10). In the sample, the majority of riders listed
themselves as a beginner (44.46%), which also matches the majority of the riders getting
Table 10. Mountain bike rider skill levels
RIDER SKILL LEVEL FREQUENCY %Beginner 137 44.46Novice 84 30.32
Advanced 35 12.64I dont know 21 7.58
Total 277 100.00
one to five years of riding experience (Table 8). Thirty percent of the sample size
consider themselves as novices or intermediate skill riders, and around 13% consider
themselves as advanced riders. Surprisingly there is a small group of riders (7.58%) who
dont have any idea on what their skill level is on a mountain bike. The results in other
countries show that mountain bikers rate themselves rather highly. Tiedeman (2002) used
a scale of 1 to 10 to ask mountain bikers about their skill levels on a mountain bike and
the mean amounted to 6.56, which is, according to Tiedeman is considered as a high-
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intermediate. In Canada, skill levels tend to regress when age advances, as younger
riders who prefer downhill and freeride tend to mellow down and enter cross country
and at least all-mountain (City of Kelowna, 2007).
Changes in rider age and gender did occur across different experience levels. In
age, the proportion of riders aged 20-29 increased with experience. However, this may
not reflect a stable pattern, as the activity is very new, and current rider numbers amongst
the young may be maintained into the older age-groups with time. High interest in
mountain biking by women was indicated by their high proportion amongst the
"Beginners" (42%). But their numbers declined to only 7% amongst experts. This couldrepresent reluctance amongst women to acknowledge their experience, a high activity
"drop-out" rate, or a more recent interest in riding amongst women which with time will
translate into greater numbers of more experienced women riders (Cessford, 1995)
Mountain bike racing is an integral part of the sport (Table 11). However, as the
sample shows, the majority (71.59%) does not participate in mountain bike racing or
competitions. When mountain bikers join and compete in races (Table 12), it would be
either in XC or in DH; 42.44% of mountain bikers prefer the former and 40.98% prefer
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