New research reveals Vermont as the best state for mountain biking

Submitted by tim on Mon, 02/20/2023 - 05:07

New analysis reveals Vermont to be the best state for mountain biking
Utah and Colorado are the second and third-best states for mountain biking, respectively
Western US states dominate the top 10 best states for mountain biking

Vermont Business Magazine New research by bike experts icebike.org analyzed the 50 states based on a review of multiple factors related to mountain biking to establish the best state, with Vermont finishing at the top. The study looked at the number of trails, the percentage of hilly terrain, the number of national parks, the state's bikeability score and the number of top destinations per state.

The study revealed that Vermont ranks number one as the best state for mountain biking. Aptly named the ‘Green Mountain State,' Vermont has a total of 2,520 bike trails which equates to 402 trails per 100,000 people, the highest of any state, and 80% of the state has hilly terrain, second to West Virginia with 88%.

Utah is the second-best state for mountain biking with a total of 6,036 trails which equates to 199 trails per 100,000 people. The five national parks, a bikeability score of 66, and 65% hilly terrain put Utah firmly in second place.

Colorado ranks as the third-best state for mountain biking, with 6,980 trails. There are 123 trails per 100,000 people, plenty of hilly terrain (66 %) and four national parks. With a score of 70, Colorado has one of the highest scores for bikeability, a rating from the League of American Bicyclists which includes factors such as safety, infrastructure and policies relating to cycling.

Massachusetts and Montana also make it into the top five states for mountain biking, taking fourth and fifth, respectively.

At the other end of the scale is Nebraska, which ranks as the worst state for mountain biking, as it has only 12 trails per 100,000 of the population. Even though it has 64 % hilly terrain, it has the lowest bikeability score of all the states at 27 and has no national parks.

Top 10 best states for mountain biking:
	State	Trails per 100,000 people	Bike-ability	Hilly Terrain (%)	Number of National Parks	Number of Top Destinations
1.	Vermont	402	53	80	0	1
2.	Utah	199	66	65	5	5
3.	Colorado	123	70	66	4	8
4.	Massachusetts	228	75	75	0	0
5.	Montana	385	34	72	2	0
6.	New Hampshire	269	40	80	0	1
7.	California	35	72	65	8	4
8.	Oregon	71	74	72	1	3
9.	Washington	93	73	75	3	0
10.	Alaska	145	35	67	8	0

A spokesperson for icebike.org commented on the study: “According to research carried out by Harvard Medical School, of all activities, cycling burns the most calories. Mountain biking, in particular, burns the same number of calories as cross-country running, so it's a fantastic way to experience nature and stay fit and healthy.

“As a complete beginner or a seasoned pro, this research provides a comprehensive guide on which states offer the best mountain biking experience with the western US states dominating, in comparison to their more eastern neighbours”.

This study was conducted by icebike.org, a bike comparison and review website for both adult and child bikes.

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State	Population	Trails	Trails per 100k	Bikeability	Hilly Terrain (%)	Num. National Parks	Num. Top destinations
Vermont	626,299	2520	402	53	80	0	1
Utah	3,161,105	6306	199	66	65	5	5
Colorado	5,695,564	6980	123	70	66	4	8
Massachusetts	6,902,149	15764	228	75	75	0	0
Montana	1,062,305	4091	385	34	72	2	0
New Hampshire	1,356,458	3646	269	40	80	0	1
California	39,557,045	13972	35	72	65	8	4
Oregon	4,190,713	2971	71	74	72	1	3
Washington	7,614,893	7048	93	73	75	3	0
Alaska	737,438	1071	145	35	67	8	0
Maine	1,338,404	2348	175	50	74	1	0
Virginia	8,517,685	2357	28	69	76	1	1
Pennsylvania	12,807,060	4246	33	64	80	0	1
Wyoming	577,737	1345	233	26	71	2	0
Idaho	1,754,208	3459	197	36	71	1	0
Connecticut	3,572,665	4193	117	56	69	0	0
Minnesota	5,611,179	1910	34	71	53	1	2
West Virginia	1,805,832	1177	65	48	88	0	0
Tennessee	6,770,010	1271	19	57	78	1	1
Arizona	7,171,646	5017	70	45	62	3	3
North Carolina	10,383,620	1750	17	58	67	1	5
Rhode Island	1,057,315	1116	106	55	68	0	0
Michigan	9,995,915	3184	32	65	61	1	2
New York	19,542,209	5263	27	63	75	0	0
Florida	21,670,000	1907	9	68	48	3	1
Maryland	6,042,718	1557	26	62	69	0	0
Delaware	967,171	334	35	67	56	0	0
Ohio	11,689,442	1733	15	59	64	1	0
New Jersey	8,908,520	3436	39	60	63	0	0
Kentucky	4,468,402	642	14	39	80	1	1
Hawaii	1,420,491	250	18	49	67	2	0
Georgia	10,519,475	1867	18	52	69	0	2
New Mexico	2,095,428	2149	103	41	62	1	0
Wisconsin	5,813,568	1656	28	47	69	0	1
Iowa	3,156,145	616	20	51	64	0	0
Alabama	4,887,871	1023	21	32	74	0	2
Indiana	6,691,878	537	8	54	58	0	1
Illinois	12,741,080	2115	17	61	50	0	0
Arkansas	3,013,825	1319	44	37	65	1	0
Texas	29,145,505	4408	15	44	57	2	0
Nevada	3,034,392	1530	50	42	57	1	0
North Dakota	760,077	704	93	38	51	1	0
South Dakota	882,235	564	64	30	60	2	0
Kansas	2,911,505	275	9	46	56	0	0
Missouri	6,126,452	873	14	31	70	0	0
South Carolina	5,084,127	536	11	33	62	1	0
Louisiana	4,659,978	117	3	43	53	0	0
Mississippi	2,963,914	325	11	28	65	0	0
Oklahoma	3,943,079	357	9	29	63	0	0
Nebraska	1,929,268	235	12	27	64	0	0

Sources: 2.20.2023. icebike.org

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights

http://www.nationalparkguides.com/parks/list-of-national-parks-by-state/

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/flattest-states

https://www.trailforks.com/trails/

https://www.bikeleague.org/content/state-report-cards

New research reveals Vermont as the best state for mountain biking

Top 10 best states for mountain biking: