Unfortunately, the bike and cycle boom as a result of the coronavirus crisis is not only having a positive effect: Hotspots, especially near large cities, are chronically overloaded. Some trails that have been used by bikers for years and tolerated by forest owners have been closed, destroyed or criticised. The voices of hunters, nature conservationists and foresters who are concerned about trails in their neighbourhood are getting louder and louder.
Unfortunately, it often only takes one bike hooligan to destroy the positive image that has been painstakingly built up.
But it's not just bikers who are increasingly out and about: hikers, walkers and horse riders are also on the move. This increases the potential for conflict, such as in the Bavarian Alpine foothills or on the Taubenberg, where the Father's Day, a 41-year-old biker chased by a farmerwas attacked and caught by a group. What's more, not a week goes by without deliberately installed traps being found somewhere in Germany's forests on popular mountain bike trails. In addition, there are more and more serious accidents - like here in Lenggries or near Fürstenfeldbruck. None of these are positive headlines for our favourite sport, mountain biking. It is therefore essential that all bikers - MTB newcomers as well as the pioneers of off-road cycling - adhere to certain rules. The "Trail Rules" of the DIMB for example, have been around for decades. Should the situation in the forest or on the trail become a little more heated, you can take the advice from the interview below to heart. And don't act like a mountain biker in the Spitzingsee area on 28 June! There a biker on the Rotwand completely misbehaved and attacked a nature conservation officer.
Figures, data, emotions: Survey results
To find out about mountain bikers' experiences on the trails since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, we conducted a representative survey with Civey In it, we asked you: "Have you noticed increased traffic on mountain bike trails since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and thus conflicts with foresters or farmers, for example?"
The evaluation in July 2020 showed that 70% of respondents had not noticed any increase in traffic on their mountain bike trails since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, while 23.4% had noticed an increase in bikers and therefore also problems.
"If you get excited, you lose"
Interview with Jan Vester, qualified social pedagogue, anti-aggression trainer and biker
BIKE: Bikers, hikers and riders have been using the same paths for around 30 years. In your experience, has the potential for conflict changed over the years?
Jan Vester: I think so. Paths and trails are more frequented. People react more irritably, especially in urban centres. It's basically like rush-hour traffic - the more people, the more potential for conflict.
You cycle yourself. How do you avoid conflicts?
I try to take an acyclical approach. If I know that all hell is going to break loose on my home trail on sunny weekends, then I choose a different route. After all, if I have to slow down all the time, I won't have any fun.
What if you do come across a rider or hiker?
The answer is banal, but efficient: I react with empathy. I put myself in the other person's shoes. The rider is afraid for his horse, the dog owner for his dog, the father for his child, and the hiker is out for recreation - so he doesn't want bikers racing past him at full throttle. As a biker, I brake early, stop pedalling and make myself noticed. I show the other person that I am being considerate - perhaps even more than necessary. And of course I'm friendly. Gestures are crucial.
If a conflict does arise, what is the reason and what is the right behaviour to take?
I think it usually comes to conflict because people are frightened. If you draw attention to yourself and grin, you defuse the situation in 85 per cent of cases. If hikers or riders still get upset and start arguing, then the frustration is deeper. There's not much you can do about it. My advice is to simply carry on riding. The rule is: if you get upset, you lose. My advice: take a deep breath and ask yourself the question, why am I here? The answer: certainly not to argue on the trail with a swollen carotid artery. We all want one thing - to enjoy nature. Hikers should also take this to heart.
