I began a research PhD at Sheffield Hallam University in October 2023. It is the realisation of a lifelong desire to become involved in academic research, and to be able to do this in the area of e-bikes and e-mountainbiking is an amazing opportunity.
A Critical Analysis of E-Mountainbiking and its Relationship with Active Ageing
E-mountain bikes first hit the commercial market in the early 2000s, they now form the fastest growing bicycle market segment in many European countries. While electric bikes seem perfect for enabling mobility and physical activity among older adults, the reality is more complex. Outcomes for riders depend on individual skill, health and physiology, social attitudes towards e-bikes and environmental factors such as terrain and weather.
Despite the increase in e-bike studies, there's a gap in understanding specifically how e-mountain biking is being adopted by the older demographic, a group often underestimated in terms of their desire for adventure and physical exercise. This gap is noteworthy because, with the increase in life expectancy in more affluent countries, there's a need to understand different aspects of aging, including how older populations interact with technologies like e-bikes, to address social and economic challenges like healthcare demand, work, retirement, and chronic disease.
The goal of this research is to increase the understanding of e-mountainbiking and its impact on an active lifestyle in later years whilst situating it within the context of sociological theory.
Objectives
1. To examine the e-mountain bike as a form of prosthesis.
2. To contribute fresh empirical data on the experiences of older e-mountain bike users
3. To employ an embodied ethnography to obtain new insights on the relationship between older e-mountain bike users and their environments.
4. To situate the data gathered within critical sociological models of Active Ageing.
