‘My body was no longer a problem’: Electric mountain biking, disability, and the cultural politics of green exercise.

Journal article


Cherrington, J. and Brighton, J. 2024. ‘My body was no longer a problem’: Electric mountain biking, disability, and the cultural politics of green exercise. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. p. e12715. https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12715
AuthorsCherrington, J. and Brighton, J.
Abstract

Disability is often overlooked in discussions of green exercise. Consequently, we still know little about how ableist ideologies might play out in the context of nature engagement, or the forms of pleasure that disabled people derive from participation in green spaces. In this paper, we address this gap in the literature by exploring the relationship between electric-mountain biking, and disability in England (UK). Adopting the work of Bernard Stiegler (1998; 2013; 2018; 2020), we highlight the superficiality of existing ideologies of nature, analyse the myriad ways that e-mountain bikes can challenge ableist attitudes towards outdoor recreation and explore the freedoms and constraints that accompany the assemblages between e-mountain bikes and ‘disabled’ bodies. In subjecting data from 20 interviews to a dialogic narrative inquiry, we highlight the social contexts and interactions that shape technological choices, adaptations, and outcomes within the disabled e-mountain bike community. Specifically, the analysis reveals that, while e-mountain bikes are stigmatised in green spaces, the enhanced level of social interaction that is afforded by the presence of such technology allows participants to de-emphasise their perceived physical inadequacy and, instead, focus on promoting a more empowering image of the socio-technical disabled body in green space that is active, capable, and self-determined.

KeywordsElectric mountain bike; Disability; Green exercise; Stiegler; Online interviews
Year2024
JournalTransactions of the Institute of British Geographers
Journal citationp. e12715
PublisherWiley
ISSN0020-2754
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12715
Official URLhttps://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tran.12715?af=R
Publication dates
Online24 Sep 2024
Publication process dates
Accepted30 Aug 2024
Deposited02 Oct 2024
Accepted author manuscript
File Access Level
Restricted
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
References

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