Development of mountain biking in Europe and Austria: Impact on the trail building industry

The world is changing, and so is the sport of mountain biking. In fact, mountain biking is absolutely not the same as it was 10 years ago. The main difference is that mountain biking today is much faster, easier and more fun than it used to be. The foundation for this development has been laid by some significant technical innovations. Over the last ten years, engineers, many of whom are avid mountain bikers themselves, have developed frames and parts that enable higher speeds, faster cornering - and above all easier jumping, dropping and riding on extremely steep terrain. At the same time, the material has become much lighter, so that a modern trail or enduro mountain bike, which just a few years ago would have been too heavy to be pedaled uphill, can now climb any hill with ease. The only requirement is a certain basic level of fitness and the willingness to spend around 5000 euros on a modern mountain bike.

With optimized equipment, a new generation of riders were able to push mountain bikes to their limits and ride faster, smoother and, above all, with more style. These new riders began to jump higher and further, transferring tricks previously only possible on dirt bikes and BMXs to mountain bikes. This development in mountain biking was similar to most other action sports, such as skateboarding, snowboarding or freeskiing. Greater confidence in the equipment was always a prerequisite for athletes in the various sports to be able to push the boundaries of what was possible.

With the introduction of the elements of "flow" and "play" in mainstream mountain biking, the previously predominant drivers of "strength" and "fitness" faded into the background. Today, the relevance of fun-oriented trail and enduro mountain biking is enormous, especially for the overall perception - and of course the marketing of the sport. For this new type of mountain biking, users are demanding appropriate bike facilities that include not only official mountain bike trails, but also trail and skills centers, pump tracks and bike parks. In the following sections, we would like to provide a brief overview of the different types of mountain bike facilities.

Mountain bike trails

In many regions, the use of hiking trails is the only way for mountain bikers to practice their sport. Of course, riding bikes on hiking trails has some serious disadvantages. Firstly, the shared use of hiking trails is usually not well accepted by hikers (in Austria, for example, cycling on hiking trails is generally prohibited). This is understandable in that hikers are slower and are looking for peace and relaxation, whereas mountain bikers are more into action, at least on the downhill. Secondly, hiking trails are often not well suited to mountain biking, as these trails are either very wide and therefore rather boring to ride or the opposite, namely too narrow, too steep and occasionally exposed, making them too difficult for most cyclists to tackle. For this reason, more and more dedicated mountain bike trails are being built. This avoids conflicts on hiking trails and makes for a more enjoyable ride. In order to meet the high demands placed on a good mountain bike trail, trail builders are challenged in many ways - a good bike trail should be versatile and exciting to ride - but at the same time the rider should not be exposed to any unnecessary risks. In addition, trail building should follow strict technical guidelines to maximize longevity and minimize the necessary maintenance costs. In this context, we would like to add that The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA Europe) is the first port of call for anyone involved in trail building and bike parks when it comes to best practice examples and sustainable building methods.

A mountain bike trail, the Flow Line 402, built by Trailtech.at (and others) in Austria in Schladming/Styria

Bike parks

Stakeholders in tourism are increasingly recognizing mountain biking as an important factor for summer operations. In order to generate revenue from lift transportation, gastronomy and services, a lot is being invested in providing high-quality trails for the rapidly growing number of mountain bike enthusiasts. Developers and operators have to meet the needs of a broad target group. In a high-quality bike park, the entire spectrum of users and their wishes should be covered - be it families looking for relaxation and outdoor activities or adventure-seekers looking for thrills and challenges on their bikes. Nature-loving mountain bikers looking for an individual experience in the wilderness are not forgotten either. The products and services of a typical bike park include not only well-maintained and varied trails, but also good signage and guidance systems, safe and efficient transportation of bikes and people, high-quality rental stations, food and drink, rest areas and bike service stations.

The boys shred the Reiteralm bike park in Styria, Austria.

Trail- & Skillscenter

In urban environments, space for sports facilities is often very limited. The developers have therefore come up with concepts that not only cope with this limitation, but also take advantage of it. By fully exploiting the potential of the given terrain, e.g. by having trails run parallel, merge and branch out again and having trail sections sometimes cross under and over each other, utilizing all possible synergies between trail features, trail planners can not only save space, but also create a very attractive and action-packed place with a wide variety of trails and many riding options, even in a very limited space.

Mountain bike trail center built by Trailtech.at in Au-Schoppernau, Vorarlberg, Austria.

Pump tracks

Asphalt pump tracks with the typical waves, banked turns and jumps are the new hype. The highlight: due to the undulating design and smooth surface, a rolling piece of sports equipment can only be 'pumped' through the track by 'pumping' - i.e. moving your own body mass up and down - which accelerates the rider on the back of rollers or out of berms. More and more cities, municipalities and tourist regions are picking up on this trend. The reason for this is that pump tracks are so attractive, especially for children, young people and families - whether beginners or experts. What's more, pump tracks are genuine multi-sport facilities that can be used not only with bicycles, but also with skateboards, rollerblades or scooters - in fact with anything that rolls:) 

Indoor pump track built by Velosolutions AT/Trailtech.at in the multisport adventure park "Area47" in Ötztal (Tyrol, Austria).

Conclusion

For the growing number of mountain bikers, more special mountain bike trails and facilities such as pump tracks, trail centers and bike parks are needed. As mountain biking has become one of the most important leisure activities worldwide, we very much hope that the professional work of planners and trail builders all over the world will take this trend, which should not be neglected, into account. Especially in Austria, where climate change and the drastic increase in the cost of operating ski resorts mean that new facilities such as bike parks need to be developed for the summer season. 

For the construction of the many new bike trails and facilities, precise rules must of course be adhered to in order to minimize adverse effects on nature and the environment, but also on other nature users and recreationists. This is the only way to ensure the necessary acceptance for mountain biking.