ABSTRACT
Recently, there has been an increased interest in the experiences of lifestyle sport enthusiasts. In addition, there has been a growing body of sociologically inspired phenomenological research on sensory experience. To date, however, there is a paucity of research which explores the sensual experience of mountain bikers. It is against this backdrop that this chapter seeks to draw upon data from an ongoing doctoral study to explore dimensions of pain during a crash. The crash was the consequence of a miscalculating a six-foot drop, tumbling over the bars, and falling five meters down the trail. The positioning of the body and the senses as an investigative site has provided some illuminating contributions to the literature. Specifically, data from field notes provide insight into the sensual dimensions of pain, revealing how the auditory and thermoceptive senses, coupled with emotional dimensions, represent one small but important facet of the riding experience.
