Mountain biking popularity is good news for economic impact in northern New England

Mountain bikers take advantage of brilliant conditions and a bit of solitude in the Maine high country. (Andy Gagne Photography)

With gas prices rising above $5 a gallon in some places in late May, the thought of driving nearly 200 miles probably left many feeling like they were out of fuel themselves.

Not Chris Scott. Not when it comes to mountain biking. Not when there’s an opportunity to ride on scenic, challenging trails.

The Amesbury, Mass., resident gladly will fill his tank for the chance to drive to one of his favorite destinations: two-and-a-half hours north to Vermont, home of the Kingdom Trail Association, or three hours to Sugarloaf Mountain Resort in Maine. 

“If you’re really into biking, the ride is nothing,” Scott said. “You’re just looking forward to getting there.”

Scott, a cycling enthusiast for decades, is hardly alone in his love of northern New England mountain biking.

There are more trails than ever in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and more mountain bikers are heeding nature’s call to experience the outdoors in some of the most scenic spots in New England.

“I do believe the popularity of mountain biking, and all outdoor recreation for that matter, is due to the pandemic,” said Abby Long, executive director for the Kingdom Trail Association. “The value placed on the outdoors has proven to help community members and visitors during this time of uncertainty. Recreation has provided critical mental and physical health benefits as people flocked to trails to safely lift their spirits, clear their minds and fortify their bodies during this isolating pandemic.”

Thanks to 104 private landowners who generously allow trails to cross their properties, the Kingdom Trail Association, based in East Burke, Vt., offers more than 100 miles of multi-use network trails.

“There has been a rise in popularity of trail networks in New England, and especially in rural communities,” Long said. “I believe this popularity in New England’s rural communities is due to the economic impact of mountain biking and other trail uses, as it has proven to be significant in many communities in the Northeast Kingdom, especially those located adjacent to or near trail infrastructure such as KTA.”

Bicycle sales skyrocketed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest spike in the U.S. since the 1970s oil crisis.

The Coos Cycling Club, based in Gorham, N.H., also is experiencing mountain biking’s popularity surge.

“Obviously, there’s a lot going on (with the pandemic), but I do think the sport is growing leaps and bounds,” Aaron Gorban, the club’s executive director, said. “There’s no doubt the usage is going up and up. Obviously, we welcome that. With the pandemic, we’ve seen people relocate to our community and other rural communities. We definitely have a lot of folks from southern New England. I think there’s more trails than ever. There’s just more and more trails being built. More people have trails close to home.”

A lot of veteran cyclists prefer more technical and challenging trails, while many mountain biking newcomers lean toward taking on “flowier,” less technical trails.

“One of the reasons I like to ride here particularly is we basically have everything,” Gorban said. “It’s a pretty broadly appealing sport.”

The Coos Cycling Club, which builds and maintains the Coos Trails network, had 220 members as of last year, a “pretty decent size” for a community of 2,000, Gorban said.

“Every year we’ve seen a 15 to 25 percent growth in membership, which is great,” Gorban said.

To meet the growing demand, the club offers group rides on Wednesdays and kid-specific rides during the summer on Thursdays. It’s common to see 30 or so kids, ages 6-14, turn out and hit the trails.

“That’s another example of the growth we’ve seen,” Gorban said of the rise in popularity of the kids’ ride. “I think we’re on a steady growth curve here.”

The Coos Cycling Club has ambitious plans to nearly double the size of the trails it offers, from the current 22 miles to 40, by 2025, on a mix of private and public land. Due to the rising popularity of mountain biking, congestion is a concern, even in rural communities like Gorham.

Gorban said there’s little in life that brings him as much joy as cycling in woods. No stress. No time scanning his cell phone. Mountain biking offers the chance to unplug and escape life’s pressures.

“Everyone has got a different reason for getting out there. For me, it’s mental health. There is a fitness component,” he said. “When you lock in, you’re in the moment. It definitely helps to recharge and refocus. Obviously, we’re blessed to be here in the White Mountains. It’s a beautiful area. I think we’re spoiled in some ways.”

Scott isn’t just an avid cyclist. He’s a salesman at Riverside Cycle, a Massachusetts company that has stores in Newburyport, Haverhill and Manchester-by-the-Sea. Scott sees first-hand the demand for mountain bikes.

“Mountain biking has really taken off throughout the region, throughout New England,” he said. “It’s all over the place. A lot of the bikes we sell, people say, ‘Hey, do you have any mountain bikes?’ Without question.”

Some mountain bikes sell for $1,200. Others, the high-end carbon fiber ones, can go for $12,000.

“The demand is there for those kinds of bikes, from the low end to the high end,” Scott said.

Finding trails to ride is not a problem. Finding a bike, however, may be, as supply chain issues continue to make it difficult for many to purchase a new bike. For many people who purchase bikes in Massachusetts, northern New England trails are the mecca. 

Scott raves about cycling on the Kingdom Trail Association.

“It’s got something for everybody. It’s quintessential Vermont. You cycle near farms and big barns,” he said.

As for Sugarloaf, Scott enjoys the terrain there so much that he’s participated in the 100-kilometer portion of the Carrabassett Backcountry Cycle Challenge (held in July) with his son, Andy, several times.

One of the most popular destinations for cyclists is Kingdom Trails. According to Long, visitor numbers for a six-year span, starting in 2013, increased by 132 percent. A Vermont Trails and Greenways Council report in 2016 found that KTA experienced 94,000 visits that year. Those visits generated an estimated $7.8 million in direct spending per year and $3.8 million in indirect spending.

“We know these numbers have increased significantly since the study in 2016, as Kingdom Trails experienced over 140,000 visits to their trail network in 2019 prior to the pandemic,” Long said.

Northeast Kingdom community members joined to develop the multi-use system in 1994. Today, the network spans more than 100 miles.

“On a broader scale, trail networks portray a welcoming and healthy environment, elevating communities as an exemplary place to live, work and play,” Long said. “Kingdom Trails helps in showcasing Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom as a desirable place to be, assisting area industries’ need to recruit a workforce that is passionate about the outdoors, innovative in their skills in developing products and services, and invested in their local communities. Therefore many rural New England communities are investing in trail networks.”

Ski areas, which once became dormant in the spring when the last of the snow melted, offer trail options throughout northern New England, including Bretton Woods and Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. The options — and trails — are nearly endless in New England’s three most northernmost states.

As the summer ramps up, the price of gas is still a shock to the system. But Scott would happily fill his tank for a chance to head north and check out some of his favorite trails in New England with his wife, Cathy.

When he’s in the great outdoors, pedaling his bike past scenic vistas, the 60-year-old Scott feels the years peeling away.

“It’s like you’re a kid again,” he said. “It’s just a blast being out there.”

Barry Scanlon can be reached at [email protected].