We have the picture in front of us: a full parking lot, mountain bikes parked criss-crossing in front of the café and guests winding their way along the trails in the nearby forest. Everyone from grandmothers to pre-school shredders are here. And they all get their money's worth. This is our idea of a trail center. This image is not a visionary sketch, but has long been a reality - except in Central Europe, where the concept has so far met with little interest. Yet many low mountain ranges would be predestined for such offers.

What is a trail center?
There is no official definition, but it is basically a centralized, concentrated and varied trail offer without uphill transport. The trails are usually combined with services such as cafés, parking lots, stores or bike rentals.

How big is such a trail center?
That depends on the objective. To generate added value, you need variety. That means a trail network of 20 to 40 kilometers in length and a relatively large area.

Isn't that a bit boring?
No, because the trails are designed in such a way that they can be combined in different ways. This individual combination leads to a feeling of freedom, which is very important when mountain biking.

Many trails in a small area, but that sounds more like consumption than freedom.
If you consume a lot of benefits in a small space, that doesn't mean you're not a mountain biker. Trail centers offer a lot of riding fun, especially when time is limited. You get a high return on investment, i.e. a lot of trail for the ascent. Trail centers are also practical for people in different constellations, for example families. Here, all needs can be catered for in a small space.

How do you earn money with a trail center like this?
The basis is indirect value creation in the hotel and catering industry. In England, there is often a charge for parking, the revenue from which finances the trail center. However, models need to be developed that include a direct user fee, as many bikers are willing to contribute financially to trail maintenance. In the case of trail centers, this form of financing is obvious.

Why are there almost no trail centers in Central Europe?
The regions are often very bureaucratic. Individual initiatives are needed, similar to those in Scotland and the Czech Republic. In addition, the image of mountain biking, which is often still associated with the full-face faction in bike parks, needs to change. Once this view opens up, many things will become possible.

Which regions would be predestined?
Trail centers are possible wherever there is hilly terrain that is not too steep, such as in the low mountain ranges of Germany or the foothills of the Alps in Switzerland. Regions such as the Black Forest, the Bavarian Forest or the Spessart have enormous potential because they also have interesting catchment areas.

Where are the best trail centers today?
The ideal trail centers have yet to be invented. The centers in Scotland are classic, in the Czech Republic there are more downhill-oriented offers. There are also trail centers with a very low-threshold offer. The future lies in the combination of these elements. Glentress in Scotland and Bentonville in the USA come closest to this vision.

About the person:

Alexander Arpaci heads up the mountain bike department at Schneestern, is the initiator and mastermind behind MTB development in the Vienna Woods and co-founder of the Hohe Wand Wiese trail center. He is a prominent advocate for the establishment of trail centers in Central Europe.