The parliament of the canton of Solothurn recently passed the new forest law. Mountain bikers are still allowed to ride single trails. Lobbying by mountain bikers has worked, as just two years ago a ban on single trails was still in the draft bill.

The resistance has worked. The Solothurn government advises against a ban on bikes on narrow paths in the new forest law. But what parliament decides is crucial. The single trail ban is not yet definitely off the table.

After perhaps the longest approval phase, the bike trail on the Weissenstein near Solothurn is finally open to the public and has already been in operation for around three months. During the construction of the flow trail, the builders were really challenged by the terrain and specifications, and the operators by the rainy autumn weather. Despite all the adversity, the trail is a sight to behold - and above all, it's good to ride.

The canton of Solothurn is working on revising its forest law. The draft of the new regulations includes a ban on riding mountain bikes on narrow paths. Mountain bikers, organized as IG MTB Solothurn, have now submitted a petition with 12,000 signatures against this to the administration.

On September 14, the new bike trail on Solothurn's local mountain Weissenstein will go into operation - after almost ten years of planning and battles in the courts. At the same time, the canton wants to ban mountain biking on single trails.

Mountain biking should only be permitted on forest roads and specially designated forest paths in the canton of Solothurn. This is the aim of an article in the draft of a new forest law. IG Mountainbike Solothurn is fighting this with an online petition.

The Valbirse BE ski lift is leading the way: Since summer 2023, mountain bikers have been able to be pulled to the trailheads by the drag lift. The operators of the Hohe Winde ski lift near Beinwil SO have the same idea in mind. However, their project is still just an idea.

After a six-year approval and planning phase, the new bike trail on Solothurn's Weissenstein should have opened in summer 2022. Objections to the construction of the required starting platform initially demanded a postponement until 2023, but soon the opening of the trail was put on hold. Now a smaller platform is to save the project so that the trail can be opened in summer 2024.

The damage to the Magglingenbahn is much more extensive and the shuttle on cogwheels to the BielTrail is not expected to be back in operation until July. The reason: the gearbox is damaged and its procurement and installation is time-consuming. The transportation of bicycles is restricted on the replacement course.

The Magglingen funicular is a popular way to make good Elevation losses on a mountain bike in Biel. But this uphill option will be closed for at least two weeks.

The completion of the mountain bike trail on the Weissenstein has been delayed once again by objections. Although large parts of the route have already been completed and approved, it cannot be put into operation without a functioning start area. The latter cannot be completed as planned due to objections, as Seilbahn Weissenstein AG writes in a press release.

About 20 minutes from Biel lies Valbirse, nestled in the tranquil Bernese Jura. As unspectacular as it may sound, the municipality will open its own bike park at the end of April 2023. With its three different descents, it not only offers added value for the local population and tourism development, the bike park will also save the local ski lift.

With the newly founded IG MTB Kanton Solothurn, mountain bikers in the canton of Solothurn now have a political voice. Representatives of regional bike clubs and committed mountain bikers from sports and nature lovers' circles have joined forces in the IG. The purpose of the association is to represent their interests to the authorities and other forest users.

Cableway Weissenstein AG has announced that the opening of the new bike route on Solothurn's local mountain, planned for September 2022, has had to be postponed once again. The planning and approval process for the bike route was initiated shortly after the opening of the new cable car in 2015; this means that the implementation of the project has now taken over seven years and is still not complete. The next opening date is targeted for spring 2023.

Six years after the start of planning, construction work has begun on the new bike trail at Weissenstein near Solothurn. As a result of the region's high technical demands, a flowing descent is being created over five kilometers that can also be mastered by beginners. Thanks to challenging additional lines, the trail should also be attractive for advanced mountain bikers. The opening is planned for summer 2022.

It's the quintessential Bluescht ride: the MTB route from Olten to Basel is particularly beautiful in April, when the cherry trees are in full bloom. The upcoming weekend offers the opportunity to do so in the best spring weather. However, the route is also an exceptional experience thanks to the many attractive single trails.