After the uproar caused by the broadcast of the SRF show, you described your own behavior as naive. What do you think of it today?
It was a bit naive, I still see it that way today. But I simply enjoyed showing off my beloved and often ridiculed local mountain. If I had known how much resistance I would encounter, I probably wouldn't have dared. On the other hand, I also thought it was time to show that trail biking doesn't just take place in the mountains, but also in the forests near the city. What hundreds of thousands of Swiss women do in their free time no longer needs to be hidden away.

You just said you wouldn't have done it. What were the immediate consequences for you?
A lot of sleepless nights. It's bad when you're accused of doing something illegal. I only noticed the shitshorm on social media indirectly because I don't pay much attention to it. Personally, I've received several hundred positive reactions and three or four critical ones.

The board of the Züri Trails association attacked you in a letter. What was that like for you and how did you react? The letter was terrible. I was really pilloried. I then wrote them back and we met up in the forest a little later, had a barbecue together and discussed it. It became clear that we all wanted the same thing, namely to be allowed to ride single trails. But they still thought I had done something stupid, that trail biking shouldn't be shown, even though they all do it themselves. I was already convinced then that it wasn't forbidden to ride the single trails on the Uetliberg and in most areas of Switzerland. They then said that if that was really true, then it would put all bikers in a new position and they would then advocate it.

Then came the penalty notice with a hefty fine. Did the amount play a role in your decision to appeal against it?
No, I had already received so much support from the scene and I already had the energy to fight back. I'm not someone who looks for a fight. But when I have the feeling that someone is abusing their power, when I feel unfairly treated, then that awakens resistance in me. Mountain biking is a big part of my life, so I had to stand up for it. I had already gathered most of the facts and arguments and was convinced that we hadn't done anything wrong.

So you were convinced from the start that you would win?
Yes, we were. If we had believed that we were doing something illegal, we certainly wouldn't have filmed ourselves doing it and shown it on Swiss television. We're not speeders who post videos of themselves breaking the law on the highway. And yet I felt a lot of pressure, mostly from Züritrails and the authorities. Representatives of the authorities and press spokespeople contacted me, shamed me and reprimanded me. That made me feel quite insecure. But perhaps they also did it to intimidate us so that we wouldn't fight the fine under any circumstances, because they actually knew that the law was on our side.

Despite this, you spent a lot of time preparing your defense. What did you do specifically?
I talked to a lot of people, including friends who are lawyers and bikers. I have a lot to thank them for. I read a lot and thought it through again and again and reformulated it. It kept my head spinning, I woke up a few times in the night and made a note because I thought of another argument. On the one hand, I knew I was right, but on the other hand, I needed the right arguments because the other side lacked an understanding of biking. If you bike yourself, you have a lot of like-minded people around you. It's sometimes difficult to understand the concerns and fears of critics. I was also invited by gamekeepers and foresters from Grün Stadt Zürich to go on tours in the forest. I learned a lot from them and realized that they are not all against us bikers.

Did the first round take place entirely in writing?
We submitted our appeal in writing. We then had to go to the governor's office, answer questions and present our arguments. That was pretty impressive. Neither of us had ever had to face such an authority before and I never want to have to again.

As the first instance, the governor's office ruled that three of the five single trails you rode in the show were not prohibited. Why didn't you settle for that and move on?
We were close to giving up, but we had so much support in the bike scene. And we were convinced that none of what we had done and shown on the show was illegal. Now it was all about the details: on the one hand, bikers should be able to judge for themselves whether a trail is suitable for biking or not. And that a clearly recognizable path marked on old maps may continue to be used.

Were you also convinced that you would be proved right?
No, and we also wondered whether we might end up losing everything. But the district court confirmed to us that it was only about the two roads and facts that the governor's office had described as illegal.

How was it in court?
I don't think I've ever been so nervous or felt so intimidated in my entire school career as I did in court. However, as we were two bikers and without lawyers, they treated us strictly, but they also explained the course of the trial to us sympathetically. They let us have our say in detail and listened to all our arguments. Then they explained to us what we could face in the worst-case scenario: Fees of over 10,000 francs or even imprisonment. And they asked again if we wanted to withdraw.

Which you obviously didn't do. What happened next?
They said: Good, then we'll consult now. Matthias and I went to a Migros restaurant across the street. I was so nervous, I couldn't eat or drink. After two or three hours, they called us and said we could come back. Actually, we shouldn't have been nervous at all because we were aware of our rights. And yet we wondered whether everything could somehow tip over again. Then the judge began a sentence that had so many paragraphs, commas and brackets that I wondered whether it would even work in the end. I had long since lost my train of thought with excitement when I heard "acquitted". At that moment, I couldn't really believe it until I was sure that we had actually been proven right in everything.

How did that feel?
I think we both wanted to jump around the room cheering, but we didn't let on and remained very polite and calm. Even when we went out through the corridor, we kept a low profile. It was only outside that we made up for the jumping and cheering.

That was in October. Why didn't you make the verdict public until the new year?
We were waiting for the written verdict. They had already told us in the courtroom that the ruling was legally valid, but we wanted it in writing, also to see clearly on what grounds the court had declared it legal to ride on the single trails. We received the written ruling shortly before Christmas.

In the end, the court ruled that a trail must be marked with a sign prohibiting driving on it so that it is clear that driving on it is prohibited. Aren't you afraid that this is exactly what will happen now?
Of course, that would be the stupidest thing that could happen. But I'm not afraid. I am convinced that the authorities have the courage to leave it at this decision so that calm can return. They are not anti-bike and it is also an advantage for them that the legal situation has now been clarified. It is now also clearly regulated what bikers are not allowed to do. In addition, it has already been the case that bikes are banned where it obviously makes sense. If the authorities were to impose bans now out of spite, there would be a lot of resentment in the bike scene. What we all want now is peaceful coexistence in the forests!

Are you now campaigning for the Zurich regulation to also apply in other cantons?
No, the bikers have to do this themselves with their clubs in the respective places. You have to have very local knowledge, and as a citizen of Zurich I can't and don't want to interfere. But they now all have a valuable basis for negotiating more on an equal footing in future. I've done enough bike politics now and just want to enjoy biking on single trails again. In other words, I could still imagine a small campaign.

With what content?
Respect for pedestrians and nature. Nothing new really: we need to be even more considerate on the single trails, brake calmly, perhaps dismount demonstratively, say hello and be friendly to everyone we meet. And also admonish other cyclists who don't comply. In my opinion, these are often the "gravel road racers", usually without helmets and with earplugs in their ears. Also the many new e-bikers who lack the understanding that we have been campaigning for for decades. We need to reach them. I think the majority of pedestrians perceive them as bikers.
It is now up to us bikers to show that we can deal responsibly with the right to which we are entitled. It would be completely wrong to ride triumphantly and recklessly along the roads now.

A goodwill campaign by the trail bikers?
A campaign from the bike scene, not necessarily with municipal support, something that other forest users will also notice. Perhaps flyers or posters that everyone else who is out and about on the trails will also see. They should feel that bikers want to adjust their relationship with other people. We bikers no longer have to be the rebels to get our rights, but are on an equal footing with other forest users and can enjoy the forest and paths together as equals. But it's also up to pedestrians to be less confrontational! I am optimistic that we can manage to share our recreational areas in peace for the most part in the future. Unfortunately, there will always be a few hooligans. Everyone who spends time in nature wants to have fun and relax. But we have to initiate the positive process and change ourselves!