No other region in the Alps has developed the sport of mountain biking as professionally, authentically and successfully as Graubünden. This success did not fall from the sky by chance. The foundation was laid in 2009 with a visionary concept called "graubündenBike". It was the starting signal for a success story that made Graubünden the number one in the Alps.

Mediocrity instead of pioneering spirit

The glorious start-up phase was followed in 2023 by a follow-up project with open and participative workshops at its heart. The idea was for everyone to have a say, contribute projects and decide together what should be developed further. The result is now proving to be sobering. A look at the project list is almost self-explanatory, including, for example, the development of a measuring point concept; a car-free day on two Alpine passes; the improvement of school routes by bike; a scenic gravel event; training for trail maintenance; the production of a coffee-table book; the organization of a symposium; an event for and with regional politicians; the activation of female mountain bikers with events; the operation of a further education platform. All well and good, but this is well-intentioned average, which many other regions also offer. The pioneering spirit that once inspired Graubünden has faded into mediocrity.

The crucial flaw lies in the system of these workshops, which are based on voluntary participation. Those who take part are either there for official reasons - representatives from authorities, tourism and associations - or are hoping for funding for their own project. Or both at the same time. The motivation therefore lies primarily in opportunity. One's own benefit becomes the guiding star of the strategy. The result is not progress, but a show-off of interests.

Lead is soon lost

Graubünden has lost its mountain bike momentum with this approach, while at the same time Valais is in the fast lane, France is following suit with a huge and high-quality trail network and mountain railroads in Austria are investing heavily in downhill trails. Just to mention the developments in the immediate vicinity.

There are now rumblings within Graubünden. Important players view this mediocrity critically, even dangerously, but the truth is only ever spoken behind closed doors. Nobody dares to take a stand. The fear of offending the canton as a sponsor is too great. "Whose bread I eat, the song I sing" - the saying hits the mark in Graubünden. The mountain bike canton suffers from opportunism.

Back to a pioneering role?

What Graubünden needs now in terms of mountain biking is a strong, visionary and independent mission statement. A body that thinks strategically, acts boldly and develops perspectives. Instead, the future vision published by graubündenBike reads like an interchangeable mobility concept for a large city, in which the word mountain biking is not even mentioned.

There would be enough pioneering fields of action: no longer developing mountain biking for tourism, but as part of society as a whole. Location promotion through attractive mountain bike infrastructure. State-of-the-art digitalization strategies for user guidance. Visionary perspectives for transportation and mountain railway infrastructures. And so on. There are numerous ways to take mountain biking to the next level. Graubünden still has what it takes to take on this pioneering role again.
 
The idea of developing such a visionary body was already on the table once, but the response from the cantonal authorities in 2022 was unequivocal: "We don't need a competence center. Graubünden is the competence center." This statement is emblematic of a dangerous arrogance. Just like Kodak, Nokia or General Motors, who believed they were untouchable and were then overrun by the zeitgeist.

The Graubünden's participatory workshops are an excellent method for developing projects and offerings. However, they are proving to be unsuitable as a central strategic element. That's why Graubünden urgently needs to raise its sights again when it comes to mountain biking. And sharpen it. It needs new visions, fresh ideas, courageous minds. Otherwise the canton is in danger of sinking back to where it already has one foot in: mediocrity. What is needed is a new dynamic with a far-sighted and convincing strategy. Now would be the time for the next big step to bring back the pioneering spirit that once made Graubünden great.

A quote from former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop in his farewell speech is emblematic of the situation: "We didn't do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost." This sentence should be taken to heart in Graubünden.
 

Disclosure

In 2022, the author Thomas Giger, together with several representatives from the tourism regions, launched the idea of establishing a mountain bike competence center in Graubünden. The project was scuppered by the cantonal authorities and Graubünden Ferien. Giger had and still has no personal or professional ambitions, but rather the intrinsic motivation to further the mountain biking spirit. Due to his financial independence, he is currently one of the few people who publicly questions mountain bike developments in Graubünden.

More blog posts by Thomas Giger

ride-mtb.com/blog/giger