10 years ago it would have ben hards to imagine quite what the MTB landscape would look like now. Back in 2010 long, low and slack was merely a whisper, 29 inch wheels were used by xc racers and weirdos and the idea of having a battery powered boost up and (occasionally) down the hills was unheard of.
But now it is pretty common place, with what feels like almost half the bikes now on the trails being E-Bikes, it is a booming market. But it is still an easily misunderstood and often maligned area of the sport. Fortunately we have couple of rather progressive universities in the city that understand the need for wide ranging research. Sheffield Hallam University has long been a supporter of the Outdoor City and is now conducting a body of research and here is a little more about it and how you can get get involved…..
Jim Cherrington, a researcher from Sheffield Hallam University, is looking to recruit participants for a study which examines people’s experience with e-mountain bikes, and the social, cultural, and political implications of this emerging technology. Throughout the study he will also be addressing wider environmental issues and concerns, as well as the impact of such technological developments on our relation both to and with our ‘natural’ environments.
In order to explore these issues he is inviting anyone who currently owns an e-mountain bike and lives in England, to take part in an informal interview either in person or over ‘Zoom’, depending on your preference and location (and subject to changing government guidelines regarding Covid-19). The interview will last approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour, although the length of interview is entirely dependent on the amount of time that you are willing to offer.
Anyone who is interested should contact Jim Cherrington directly at: j.cherrington@shu.ac.uk
As well as awesome trails and a great cycling community, Sheffield also has some pretty impressive research going on as well too. Sheffield Hallam’s Centre of Sports Engineering Research are looking for volunteers to take part in a study on body size. It does not take much time and you will get some pretty cool information about yourself at the end of it. For more information read on…..