A "needs workshop" has been announced for the end of November. The invitation to tender shows which way the wind is blowing in Thurgau. Mountain bikers lead to "increased conflicts with hikers, forest visitors, hunting and wildlife as well as forestry and agriculture." And Peter Imbach from the cantonal civil engineering office adds to Radio SRF: "And now there are suddenly a lot of bikes and that will lead to conflicts sooner or later." In short: mountain bikers are a problem that needs to be solved.

The new national cycling law is forcing the canton of Thurgau to take mountain bikers seriously. The cantonal government has therefore commissioned a development concept, which is to begin with the aforementioned workshop. The invitation to tender shows that Thurgau is obviously starting from scratch. The aim is to determine the needs of the various target groups on the subject of mountain biking, identify relevant issues, record ongoing projects and highlight development potential and problem areas. Imbach clarifies to SRF: "Do we need mountain bike facilities, do we need trails, do we need pump tracks or even routes?"

Anyone who asks such questions has completely missed out on the last twenty years of mountain biking. In Switzerland, there is a wealth of experience, specialists, concepts, analyses and specialist articles on mountain biking issues. And the canton of Thurgau now wants to consult its own population about what they would like? Many progressive regions did this years ago because they had no other basis. But times have changed, obviously not in Thurgau. Anyone who still wonders today whether mountain bikers need trails has never seriously considered the sport. And creating a workshop to address such issues is almost bordering on embarrassing in this day and age.

Chance for the fast lane

However, it is commendable that the canton of Thurgau now wants to (forcefully) move forward in mountain biking. It would have the chance to learn from the experiences of other regions and not have to go through the whole "trial and error" tour again. However, the signs point more towards the latter. The votes from Thurgau seem more like a time machine. Yet the fast lane would be clear for a sustainable offer. It would be a great opportunity for the canton of Thurgau. However, anyone who asks themselves today whether mountain bikers want trails and at the same time focuses on the conflict element has already given away their options from the outset.

Current radio report on SRF:

Mountain bike routes Thurgau in the Singletrail Map (for Ride subscribers)

map.ride.ch

More blog posts by Thomas Giger

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