Study finds niche market for bike tours

A new report finds great opportunities for small towns in Montana to earn money from tourists who pass through on bicycles, but the state’s narrow roads and speeding vehicles might need to be addressed first.

The University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research recently completed a survey of bicycle tourists using 3,200 e-mail contacts provided by the Adventure Cycling Association.

“Results indicate a strong potential for cycle tourism in the state of Montana,” the December 2013 report concluded. “Cyclists are generally satisfied, but improvements are needed to encourage more riders. Touring cyclists fit directly in line with Montana’s geotourism marketing brand pillars.”

The Montana Tourism Advisory Council identified cycling as a possible niche market to promote in Montana, but the researcher’s review of the literature “shows that North America is by far ‘behind the eight ball’ when compared to other countries around the world,” the report states.

“Marketing to segments of the travel industry rather than trying to ‘woo’ all people has become an important tool,” the report states. “From ecotourism to cultural tourism to music tourism, new niche markets keep emerging.”

The study found that cyclists in Montana spend on average $75.75 per day, but while some cyclists stay in hotels, most stay in camp sites, which are more affordable. But bicyclists noted that camp sites in Montana tended to be expensive, typically running from $20 to $40 per night.

“The bicycle infrastructure in Montana really has to be improved if you want to attract cyclists to the state,” one rider commented. “There is a woeful lack of ... reasonably priced places to stay overnight.”

In some areas, particularly Eastern Montana, long stretches of highway between towns made it difficult to find lodging, food and water. Some cyclists e-mailed that they expect free showers.

“The long stretches of road in Montana can be fatal if you run out of water in the summer,” one bicyclist commented.

Montana’s scenic views, local hospitality, historic sites and diverse landscapes are what attract cyclists to Montana, and 92 percent of respondents to the survey indicated they were planning multi-day bicycle trips in the next three years.

But Montana’s roads — particularly U.S. 93 north of Whitefish, U.S. 2 across the state, the West Glacier and East Glacier entrances to Glacier National Park, and Highway 83 south to Seeley Lake — were considered extremely dangerous. Some cyclists said they will never return because of the hazardous roads.

More than a third of respondents said the rumble strips along the roadways were too large, often forcing bicyclists off the shoulder and into the way of speeding traffic

And while some respondents commented on courteous drivers they had encountered, others said drivers in Montana were too aggressive — especially when trucks passed too close and forced bicyclists off the road.

“It seems there are a number of unnecessarily dangerous narrow roads with high speed traffic with drivers who are in a hurry and not always careful,” one bicyclist commented.

The study also noted that potholes and debris — from blowouts, construction gravel or litter — created another hazard. One respondent reported getting three flat tires in one day, and some respondents said their experience was so bad, they’ll never return.

“The number of drunk drivers, animosity of sober drivers, non-existent cycle infrastructure, high speed limits and overall hostility toward cyclists was unbearable,” one rider commented. “Then you add in forest fires. I don’t ever plan to return to Montana.”

On the other hand, some respondents had the trip of a lifetime — especially if they rode the Going-to-the-Sun Road through Glacier Park.

“Riding up Logan Pass in the early morning was one of the great experiences of my 30 year life as a cyclist,” one rider commented. “Breath-taking.”

To benefit from the bicycle touring niche market, ITRR director Norma Nickerson and her staff recommend that local communities provide bicycle-friendly infrastructure, highway shoulders be improved and the public be educated on sharing the road with bicyclists.

“Many entrepreneurial business opportunities could emerge,” Nickerson said, “including bike retail and service shops, campground expansion for cyclists, bed and breakfasts, more small-town breweries, and maybe even the 10-year-old lemonade stands along the bike route.”