BIKE Reader Mail Hinterland mountain bikers: Golden age of mountain biking?

Dear BIKE Magazine, in issue 5/25 we stumbled across your contribution. Of course, biking used to be different than it is today. But it was cool too, wasn't it? Three reasons why we rightly look back with nostalgia on the "golden times"! Your Hinterland mountain bikers.

>> Nostalgia or golden times? Here is the original article by BIKE editor Laurin Lehner

1. revolutionary technology

For us, the first mountain bikes were a real revolution compared to what had gone before. Steel frames, cantilever brakes, thumb gears: Yes! These bikes made real off-road adventures possible in the first place. And it is this technology that has taught us riding feel, improvisation and maintenance. How proud we were of every millimetre of suspension travel on our first forks!

2. pioneering spirit

There were no designated mountain bike trails at first. But that also meant great freedom and stimulated creativity. We dug through archives and found trails that nobody else had ever ridden before. Old border paths, against which a single trail is more like a motorway, Roman roads, deserted areas, old military routes. Many modern trails are also based on such, often ancient, paths and discovering them is a big part of the fun.

3. willingness to experiment

Our clothes were indeed bold and colourful at the beginning and we also tried out a lot of other things. But the colourful clothes bridged boundaries and got bikers talking. That was particularly helpful for us. Our team jerseys have been telling people about our projects in the local language since the 90s and have always brought us into contact with other people in a wonderful way. It is these experiences that count in the end.

The Hinterland mountain bikers

Behind the Hinterländer are six friends from Central Hesse who have been travelling together since 1992. According to their motto "Experience history", Jörg, Siegfried, Matthias, Gerhard, Ulrich and Harald do not focus solely on the tour, but also on the historical context. Their speciality: the German tracks in the world, which the Hinterlanders have followed on mountain bikes as far as Namibia, Mount Fuji and the Great Wall of China. The group has been honoured with several awards for their commitment and their books about their travels.