Manon Carpenter is a downhill mountain bike world champion and advocate for the environment living in Caerphilly, Wales . She recently premiered a documentary film titled Trails on Trial that explores how trails connect the land with communities and various stakeholders.

In this interview we ask:

• When did you first get interested in the idea of environmental protection?
• Was the connection between biking and the environment always pretty clear to you, even as a professional racer?
• What are your local trails like? Who builds and maintains them?
• Why do you think mountain bikers have a bad reputation among some environmental groups? What can we do to change that?
• If "trails come and go," what does that mean for us as mountain bikers?
• Where are some of your favorite places to ride around the world?
• Should we be concerned about the potential impact over-tourism might have on places? How can this be mitigated or offset?
• Do you see a connection between climate change and trail conditions?

Check out some of Manon's videos, including Trails on Trial, on this Youtube playlist. You can follow her on Instagram @manoncarpenter.

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