Mountain biking continues to rise in popularity in new Australian Sports Commission report

Australians of all ages are returning to sport as the sector continues to bounce back after more than two years of disruptions through the pandemic.

According to the recent Australian Sports Commission (ASC) latest AusPlay report titled ‘How Australians’ participation in sport and physical activity is adapting to COVID-normal’, mountain biking is one of a number of sports that continued to increase in participation.

Physically distanced sports such as mountain biking, kayaking and bush walking have become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 recovery for Australians 15+.

The report also shows more people are taking up more unstructured activities that can be done in a COVID-safe way

An additional 180,000 people participated in mountain biking in some format over the last two years.

AusCycling General Manager of MTB Club Development Dale Percy welcomed the report which highlighted the rise in off-road participation.

“We know people are enjoying the sport more than ever since 2019.

“The benefits of being outdoors in nature and enjoying exercise are just a few of the reasons why more people are getting out on their bikes, and we will continue to be a part of helping that number to rise.”

Participation in other activities that increased significantly in 2020 which included cycling, levelled off in 2021.

This update focuses on participation during 2021 and how it compares to a pre-pandemic 2019 baseline. It uses AusPlay data collected up to December 2021 and Community Perceptions Monitor data from October 2021-March 2022