The hall for the indoor bike park in Area 47 covers 3700 square metres, has no heating - which is ideal for biking anyway - and is designed to offer mountain bikers the opportunity to improve their skills regardless of the weather, 260 days a year. Or simply have fun on the bike.
The pump track and flowline are aimed at beginners and pros alike. The indoor bike park is divided into two large areas. The first is a 1000 square metre pump track (including kids' pump track) made of asphalt. There is also a 140 metre long flowline made of dirt with two lines, 12 to 15 jumps, from easy to medium. There will also be a jump line in Area 47. The indoor bike park offers two different roll-ins (from medium to expert) and a landing bag. Those who want to work on their riding skills before exploring the trails of the Ötztal mountains later in the year will find the "Skills Area" with root carpet, rock garden, drops and hairpin bends.
Indoor pump track built by professionals
The organiser, Area 47, didn't hire just anyone for the construction. The ex-slopestyler and experienced trail builder Andreas Wittmann and his company Trailements have taken over the planning and design of the hall and are building everything except the pump track for the new indoor MTB park. For example, an existing concrete grandstand is now being built with jumps and used as a slope for the jumpline. When planning, it is important to him that everyone from families to aspiring pros can have fun in the MTB facility and that the lines are accessible to everyone.
The pump track is laid by Cody Ferris-Heath from the Swiss pump track specialists Velosolutions who says he has already built around 250 such projects - in Switzerland, but also internationally in Russia, China and Chile. As the newspaper "Der Standard" writes, Ferris-Heath says that the facility is more of a park than just a track. One line can already be ridden with balance bikes for the little ones. Nevertheless, the pump track is designed so that official qualifying races can also be held on it as part of the UCI Pump Track World Championships.
Up to 50 bikers can ride in the indoor bike park in the Tyrolean Ötztal at the same time - access is regulated via bookable tickets. Those who have exhausted themselves can then head to the "Chill Out Area".
Change of use: indoor bike park was previously an e-motocross park
The Standard also writes that the building used for the bike park in the Area 47 leisure park was previously used as an e-motocross park. Area 47 Managing Director Christian Schnöller is quoted as saying that the EMX target group was too small. "School classes don't tend to come to ride motocross. But professional mountain bikers like our testimonial Tamara Wiedmann have already used the hall for training in winter." In the wake of the ongoing mountain biking boom, the area organisers have now decided to open the first indoor bike park in Austria.
Having ridden mountain bikes myself for over 30 years and experienced the development of this sport at first hand, I had the idea of offering beginners as well as the core scene the ideal training ground - regardless of the weather and season. - Area 47 CEO Christian Schnöller
The area around the resort has long been popular with mountain bikers. In the immediate vicinity you can Tours to the bike parks in Sölden and Hochzeiger. The Funsport Park also offers certified guides with whom you can explore the single trails and lines from the valley entrance to the bike park in Sölden as part of the Area 47 Bike Academy.
The indoor bike park is the first of its kind in Austria. But there are only a few comparable facilities throughout Europe: in Bavaria there is the Rad Quartier in Upper Franconia, in Strasbourg in France the Stride Park and near Lucerne in Switzerland the Wheel Park Sarnen.
Prices & opening hours Indoor Bikepark Area 47
From April 2023, the indoor bike park will be open all year round from Wednesday to Sunday. In summer from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. - with slightly different opening hours in winter. A day ticket without equipment costs 32 euros and 58 euros including bike & helmet. Two-hour tickets cost 22 and 40 euros respectively.
Fun sports in Area 47
In addition to the MTB programme, Area 47 offers almost 40 fun sports. Adventure, sports, entertainment and accommodation options are gathered together on almost nine hectares. For adrenaline fans, for example, there is bungee jumping with a 94-metre jump into a gorge, the country's highest high ropes course and other outdoor activities such as rafting and canyoning tours as well as bike and wakeboard camps.
Area 47 has now been in existence for 13 years and is located exactly on the 47th parallel - hence the name - between Haiming, Sautens and Roppen, at the entrance to the Ötztal valley in Tyrol.
Marc Strucken
Editor
