‘Living in the moment’: mountain bikers’ search for flow

Abstract

As a popular adventure sport worldwide, mountain biking provides a range of challenges and opportunities for participants. This paper aims to understand whether experienced riders actively search for ‘flow experiences’ that can manifest themselves in a range of euphoric feelings, varying from the loss of awareness of time to sub-conscious control over actions. Exploring findings from research undertaken in New Zealand and England, the paper suggests that committed riders do encounter and can describe a range of flow characteristics when riding, although the findings conclude that such experiences are considered to be by-products of participation, rather than motivational factors in their own right.