I THINK THE INDUSTRY IS WAKING UP TO HOW IMPORTANT THESE TRAILS ARE
Manon isn’t a sponsored athlete. Ambassador would possibly be a better title, but she prefers trail advocate, a subtle difference but one that comes with a different set of expectations. “I’m good at carving out niches. I’m a mountain biking geologist who talks about climate change!”
These days, rather than turning up for races, she’s turning up for dig days and screenings of films, chairing discussions and helping to join some of the dots that make up the UK riding scene. “I had no idea when I quit racing that this would be a growing area of mountain biking. It’s cool to see it. I think in the industry there’s more awareness of the need to get people interested in our trails.”
HONEST CONVERSATIONS
Soil Searching seems a natural partner for Manon. It started out with the premise that Specialized supported athletes, so why not the people behind the trails that everyone rides? It’s now expanded to holding dig days and fundraisers around the world. A big part of what it, and indeed Patagonia, does is share stories – presenting proactive ways of looking after trails and the places where trails are built, and giving recognition to the people who make riding possible. This is a big part of what Manon does in her ambassador and trail advocacy role. “I had some good conversations with them that I maybe wouldn’t have had with sponsors in the past. Honest conversations about what I wanted to do.”
Sponsors like results. They like winning. But the idea with trail advocacy, regardless of who is putting money behind it, is we all win. “Supporting trails shouldn’t be a marketing exercise. There’s talk of whether a proportion of bike product sales should go into a pot to support recreation. Something similar happens in the US with the outdoor industry, with money going towards conservation in the areas that recreation takes place in.”
Manon points to how Trash Free Trails has managed to get support from three large bike brands: Specialized, Trek and Santa Cruz. Pulling together competitors for a common goal is how it should be. “There shouldn’t be brand politics in supporting trails.”
From supporting films that talk about wild trails and climate change to getting involved with dig days, Manon points out that these are huge brands that could have kept their hands clean and shied away from thorny topics without affecting their bottom line. But the fact that they stepped up to see conversations take place and help trails get maintained is hugely encouraging. Manon sees this as a trend that will continue to grow.
“That’s the thing, right? The industry relies on these trails so much. If you didn’t have wild trails, in the UK at least, there wouldn’t be a lot left to ride. I think the industry is waking up to how important wild trails are and recognising we can support trails in different ways.”
A racer relies on the structure of a team to win races and trails also need a team to manage, maintain and fund them. A trail association gives a way for that to happen but creating one is often easier said than done. Manon says there are discussions taking place about creating a national framework to help new associations form and joining up existing trail organisations, helping unite riders for a common purpose.
With a unique and wide ranging overview of the issues riders are facing, Manon is well placed to be the facilitator for the discussions needed to make this happen – both on and off camera. “I think that’s where I can be of most use.”
Trails don’t exist in isolation and Manon is just as passionate about the places trails exist as the trails themselves. She points out that getting mountain bikers
actively involved in the places they spend time in, and getting them to appreciate them for more than just somewhere that trails can be found, will mean they are much more likely to advocate for the environment on a larger scale.
HUGELY EXCITING
which looked at the storms of 2021-2022 and the damage they caused to trails in the UK, has enabled Manon, and other organisations like Protect Our Winters, to sit in a room of mountain bikers and talk about climate change. Something that hasn’t happened before. Manon finds this hugely exciting, especially when the reaction has been so positive with riders wanting to be part of the discussion and keen to find out more. “Part of the evolution of mountain biking is broadening the conversations it’s having but without taking anything away from what it’s always been.”
Playing in the dirt will always be fun – it’s why most of us ride – but being mindful of the issues around trails and the environment can happily co-exist with that hedonism.
It’s probably not surprising that having grappled with some big issues Manon is now looking at one of the most contentious of them all: political action. “When you’re an athlete you’re not supposed to be political. But there’s a general election next year and I’d like to be a bit more vocal around that. What that will look like I don’t quite know yet, but I want to encourage people to have their say. That’s the biggest thing, right? How are you going to vote? What are your priorities? I care about how our environment is managed, but also things like climate change as well. A lot of conversations around climate change get shot down in mountain biking and people don’t want to talk about it, but there’s no reason why we can’t or shouldn’t talk about it. The more everyone talks about it the better. I want to normalise having those conversations.”
And what about the next film? Manon has some ideas, but is having a much needed break before sitting down with Tommy and deciding what topic to cover next.
Back in 2013 mbr described Manon as “a storm-force blast of fresh air”. While she’s moved from successful racer to passionate trail advocate, filmmaker and conversation facilitator, that statement still very much stands, and her winning streak continues.