The year was 2010 and I discovered that a mountain bike tour could be ridden right on my doorstep with a clever combination of mountain railroads and 10,000 vertical meters of singletrail descent in one day. It was the birth of the Bahnentour Davos. It was clear to me that this tour would be a hit. The combination of challenge, nature experience and fun was exactly in line with the spirit of the times.

However, I was largely alone in my enthusiasm. The offer was too extreme. The trails too difficult. There was no market for such offers. Despite all the headwinds, we developed the trail tour almost single-handedly as a bookable offer. On the day the season opened, the mountain railroads didn't know what to do with all these mountain bikers. The Bahnentour took off.

That was almost 14 years ago. The poster boy was born and the proof was in the pudding. Mountain bikers (also) expect crisp offers. But if you go through the Alps and the conurbations today, only very few have realized this. A sobering picture from the mountain biker's perspective.

Today's kids don't want flat, boring trails in the future

Municipalities are planning trails that are always the same and slick, which should also be good for the mother-in-law. Tourism experts present mountain bike routes without character so that even Klethi and Prethi arrive safely in the valley. And if a route is labeled as a family trail, then it is most certainly a flat beginner's trail. However, it is the children in particular who show how little technical understanding is displayed. This is because children now have much better riding technique. The trail kids are a symbol of the lack of perspective in the mountain bike infrastructure. Because when Lina and Luis grow up in a few years, they will have unprecedented riding skills. And they won't be fobbed off with slick flow trails. Yawning instead of grinning. Nevertheless, the number of boring trails has literally exploded in recent years. Clearly, planners, builders and tourism experts are heading towards an unsuitable mountain bike infrastructure with their eyes wide open. 

The Bahnentour is an obvious example of how it can work. And how an infrastructure can be used that will be suitable for today's kids in years to come. However, anyone who focuses too much on the father-in-law when planning offers has lost focus. 

More blog posts by Thomas Giger

ride-mtb.com/blog/giger

Report on trail building in Ride N°90

Note: The current Ride print issue (N°90) includes an in-depth article on the different philosophies of trail building that is well worth reading. The issue is available in the online store or as a PDF download: ride-mtb.com/download