By Jason Norman
MT. PROSPECT, IL (BRAIN)—Out of all the major recreational activities in 2006, bicycling suffered the worst in declining participant numbers, according to the National Sporting Goods Association annual “Sports Participation Series I and II” reports.
Bicycling, in fact, slipped to the eighth position with 35.6 million participants—a 13.3 percent decline from last year. The top three (in order) included exercise walking, swimming and exercising with equipment. Camping, bowling and fishing were all ahead of bicycling as well.
“The decline in bicycle riding was the most dramatic change in the top ten,” said Thomas Doyle, vice president of information and research for NSGA. “America’s youth appears to be opting for other forms of wheels—scooters, skateboards and wheeled footwear. Even off-road mountain biking, which had been strong in recent years, declined more than five percent.
For more on this story, check out the May 15 Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
