Despite cycling knocking rugby off the top rank of ACC injury claims during the first 19 weeks of this year, mountain bike injury claims then plummeted in the Queenstown Lakes district.

Data supplied by ACC on injury claims during the first eight weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic response (March 26-May 16) has pleased Mountain Bike NZ president Chris Arbuckle, who lives in Wanaka.

Chris said mountain biking had not turned out to be a big drama during lockdown and cycling had got a boost.

“I am pleased the perception of mountain biking being dangerous during COVID didn’t become the reality,’’ he said.  

“What was interesting was cycling became the number one injury because rugby had about four percent of the injuries it would normally have,’’ Chris said.

ACC divides cycle claims data into two categories: “mountain biking” and “cycling’’.

Nationally, during the first 19 weeks of the calendar year, cycling claims rose from fifth highest ranking in 2019 (4,878 claims) to first ranked (3,835 claims).

Mountain biking rose from 17 in the rankings (1,050 claims) to eleventh (345 claims). Rugby dropped down from top ranking (16,965 claims) to seventh (627 claims) during the same period.

The perception of mountain biking being dangerous during COVID didn’t become the reality, Chris Arbuckle said.

The major shift in rankings occurred during the first eight weeks spent in COVID-19 levels four, three, and two.

In that period (March 26 to May 16) there were fewer than four mountain biking claims a week in the Queenstown Lakes district, except for week two of the alert level four lockdown, when 12 claims were lodged.

Last year, mountain biking claims ranged between six and 14 per week during the corresponding eight-week period.

In the rest of New Zealand, there were 302 mountain biking claims during the eight-week period, compared with 939 claims for the same period last year.

Prior to lock down, there were more than 100 mountain biking claims being lodged each week in the rest of New Zealand.

“The perception was that mountain biking would go up and put stress on health services but the numbers were actually lower than last year, even though there were heaps more people out on their bikes. Obviously, cycling is a proportionally safe activity and mountain bikers were adhering to our messages and guidelines about not riding the rough stuff,’’ Chris said.

Chris said he gained “COVID kilos’’ trying to do the right thing and sticking to short loops on his local trail.

He did not have a problem with people going longer distances on the Newcastle and Clutha River tracks or the Hawea River Trail.

“You might argue that being out there longer on the bike, the more chance of an incident, but it didn’t really happen.

The ACC data is based on the accident location, not where the person lived.

The data relates to claims that had been registered and accepted by May 21 and therefore could change later on.

The top three types of injuries for the first 19 weeks of this year were lumbar sprains (11,193), followed by ankle sprains (5,323), then sprains of upper shoulders and arms (4,536).

PHOTOS: Supplied