When mountain bikers think of Tyrol, they usually think of natural trails and iconic lines in an Alpine setting. In future, however, there will be another good reason to saddle up in Tirol's longest side valley. Austria's largest leisure park, Area 47, is converting the event hall previously used for e-motocross into a spectacular indoor bike park. The aim is for the leisure park to take biking in the region to a new level.

"The biggest benefit is the flexible use regardless of wind and weather. Our indoor bike park is open all year round and also in the evenings. So there's no excuse for your skills and bike to get rusty until next summer," says Christian Schnöller, Managing Director of Area 47, who is looking forward to offering the scene a new meeting place.

A bike park for all levels

With its various lines and areas, the bike park fits perfectly into the 3700 square meter hall. In the front area, a 1000 square meter asphalt pump track awaits mountain bikers, including a kids' pump track. The jumpline behind it promises action-packed jumps with two launch ramps (from medium to expert) including an airbag landing, while a 140-metre-long flowline with two lines ranging in difficulty from easy to medium invites you to cruise. It rides along the side of the hall over jumps and waves to the skills area. There, various sections made from natural materials such as root carpets, rock gardens, practice drops and hairpin bends help you to improve your skills.

If you don't have suitable equipment yourself, you can hire Trek mountain bikes, helmets and protectors on site. There is also a "Test & Try" station for Adidas Five Ten mountain bike shoes, a chill-out area, showers and changing rooms available to visitors.

A year-round offer with its finger on the pulse

Mountain biking is one of the most popular sports in the world today. And not just outdoors: Bike halls are already successfully operating in the USA, Canada and Australia. Europe is also increasingly acquiring a taste for the sport, with many halls being designed primarily for BMX and skate disciplines. So far, the indoor parks in Bavaria (D), Strassbourg (FRA) and Sarnen (CH) have come closest to the Alpine region.

With its current project, Area 47 is once again proving itself to be a pioneer in Austria and setting new standards for innovative sports facilities in a tourist region, according to the press release. From vacation guests to clubs and professionals, all bike fans will find a year-round option and bad weather alternative here. Participants in the Area 47 Bike Academy also benefit from the covered facilities. They can use the hall to warm up during the season before setting off on their tours with the guides.

"Biking is more than just a trend, it's our passion. The indoor bike park fits in perfectly with our mission to create action-packed sports experiences," says Schnöller. "At the same time, Area 47 is underlining the cycling and mountain biking strategy of the Ötztal, the Imst region and the whole of Tyrol with this project."

Expert partners

The partners for the development and realization of the ambitious project are absolute experts in their field with "Trailements" and "Trailtech /Velosolutions". Under the motto "Flow is in our Nature", the experts from the Austrian company Trailelements plan, build and manage tailor-made pump tracks, bike parks and trail centers. The Swiss company Velosolutions, pioneer of asphalt pump tracks and organizer of the Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships, forms a powerful team with the Tyrolean trail construction company Trailtech to create first-class and sustainable bike infrastructure in Austria.

Facts about the Area 47 indoor bike park

-    Flexible, weather-independent use
-    up to 260 opening days from January to December
-    3700 m2 hall for around 50 users at the same time
-   up to 100 admissions per day
-    Tickets for 2 hours or all day: Adults: 22,- or 32,- Euro. All tickets also available at youth rates
. -    Season tickets (October 1 to April 30)
-   Hall can be hired for events, company incentives or training sessions
-    Bike courses and training sessions for different levels and target groups

area47.at