Self-Identified Women Mountain Bike Research Seeks Participants

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Master of Design student Samantha Wischmeyer is researching self-identified women mountain bike communities in Northwest Arkansas for her graduate thesis. She is studying the role that community plays in lowering barriers and fostering empowerment among women who ride. Mountain biking is a sport with many barriers to entry, including, but not limited to, the physical demands, the culture that skews white and male, the psychological or "fear" factors and the cost and time factors. Wischmeyer seeks to address these barriers through her investigation.

She is currently seeking participants to complete a survey who identify as women, are 18+, either currently mountain biking or are interested in starting and live in NWA. Additionally, Wischmeyer will host a beginner mountain bike group lesson with bikes and gear provided in early March for interested women looking to learn how to mountain bike (date and location TBD). Anyone interested in learning can fill out the survey and reach out to Wischmeyer with any additional questions (sgw017@uark.edu).