The good news: the Aargau municipality of Hägglingen now has four bike trails. The cantonal administration spread the good news in a media release, the Aargauer Zeitung reported on the opening. The four single trails have a total length of 1100 meters and are spread over an area of around 200 by 400 meters. The longest of the four bike trails measures just under 500 meters, the shortest around 80 meters. The flow on this mini-trail takes less than 20 seconds.

The Hägglingen Cycling Club fought for much longer, namely 6 years, to obtain legal status for a few single trail sections in the forest between Hägglingen and Wohlen AG. This alone shows how little leeway mountain bikers have in the canton of Aargau.

MTB race course had to be re-approved every year

This is nevertheless progress, as the past was even more complicated. Hägglingen is a venue for the Aargau MTB Cup, formerly known as the Argovia Cup. The route sections on single trails in the forest had to be publicly advertised every year, and any private individual or interest group could object to this. "This makes the organization of an annual event incredibly difficult. The result of this situation was planning and financial uncertainty for the race," says Patrick Geissmann, Co-President of VC Hägglingen, stating the obvious.

The primary concern for VC Hägglingen was therefore to obtain a multi-year permit for the sections of the course in the forest for the annual junior race. The canton responded with an actually sensible condition: "In return, the canton of Aargau demanded that VC Hägglingen deal with the 'bike problem' on a large scale," Geissmann describes in his written answers to Ride. He was referring to mountain biking on single trails. The canton and the municipalities of Aargau no longer know exactly where this is actually illegal - Ride has reported on this. This is probably why they have been communicating for years that all trails less than two meters wide should not be used.

The Veloclub then drew up a concept for an attractive, local single trail network. However, there was no majority support for this. Despite many discussions and a round table, as Geissmann explains. "The fronts were too hardened and the various interests of hunting, forest owners and neighboring communities were too great. In the end, we were only able to include the racetrack in the application."

The compromise that satisfies almost no one

So VC Hägglingen would have liked more than the 1100 meters of trail spread over four sections. It seems almost tragicomic that the hunt is not satisfied either. Unfortunately, the Aargauer Zeitung newspaper quotes a representative as saying that their minimal concerns were not taken into account. In other words, the minimal solution for mountain bikers violates the minimal concerns of the hunters - a compromise that those affected are not happy with, but which they have to live with.

The canton also maintained its expectation that the local bike club and the project would curb or even stop unwanted riding on other single trails, says Geissmann. The club representatives did not go along with this: "We have always made it clear from the start of the discussions that we cannot do this." Geissmann also does not believe that the trails will have a steering effect: "Experience has shown that the official but short trails are not attractive enough and do not cover a large enough area to achieve the desired canalization." 

The surrounding municipalities, including Wohlen AG, are home to 40,000 people, including 3,000 to 4,000 mountain bikers according to the national average. This could be a tight squeeze if they all ride their after-work laps on the four trails in Hägglingen. Nevertheless, the canton believes in it, as its communication shows: "Consensual and nature-friendly mountain bike operation thanks to sensible management", it says.

After all, the former president of VC Hägglingen expressed her joy and gratitude for what has been achieved in the report in the Aargauer Zeitung. The club board also emphasized one advantage to Ride: "It allows us to legally ride trails with young bikers during training sessions near the village." This is not a given in the canton of Aargau.