The longest flow country route in Europe

The idea: "Far too difficult! We need easy trails!" The words sound strange coming from extreme biker Hans "No Way" Rey. But the American by choice claims to have realised that more and more bikers are craving bike park action, but are too quickly overwhelmed. Hans Rey calls the guaranteed fun for everyone "Flow Country", which he wants to realise across the board together with friend and trail builder Diddie Schneider. The trails should be fun for beginners and experts alike and offer as much flow as possible. To protect the name from misuse, the two inventors have patented the term. "The name must be protected," says Hans Rey. "The word flow is too often misused and causes confusion and disappointed faces among bikers!" A strict definition was important to the inventors, as they believe the descent must fulfil certain criteria. The trail must not be too steep, must never be dangerous and should require little maintenance. After a test trail in Livigno, Diddie Schneider built the first public "Flow Country" trail in the Geisskopf bike park and had great success with it. It quickly became the highlight of the park in the Bavarian Forest.

Record trail on the Petzen: "Diddie, build us the longest 'FlowCountry' trail in Europe!" said the people in charge of the Petzen holiday region in Carinthia, Austria. The trail construction expert Schneider then spent three years digging, shaping and shovelling, creating a 12-kilometre-long, up to 3-metre-wide crushed sand track through the forest. The trail is peppered with waves and plenty of bends. There are also some table jumps. They are rounded and easy to roll over - ideal for beginners. However, if you want to jump here, you need a lot of arm pull. The berms are well and safely constructed. We only noticed a slightly too tight radius on one bend. Unlike the "Flow Country" trail in Bischofsmais, the trail on the Petzen develops a lot of speed - which makes the descent particularly appealing for advanced riders. The day ticket costs 29 euros.

ConclusionThe name says it all - the "Flow Country" trail on the Petzen offers a 12-kilometre flow experience. The trail is safe and fun and will therefore appeal to a broad target group. After two or three descents, however, we were longing for a change. It's a shame that Petzen is so remote. We wouldn't want to make the 4-hour journey (from Munich) for the trail alone.

Info www.petzen.net

Interview with trail builder Diddie Schneider: "Downhill with a permanent grin!"

When did you come up with the "Flow Country" concept?
About 4 years ago, Hans Rey told me his idea of a flowing trail that every biker can ride with fun and low risk. He called the idea "Flow Country" and asked me what such a trail could look like.

What should it look like?
There must be no drops, stone steps or other difficult sections. High fun factor, low risk - that's "flow country". Families and children must also be able to ride safely.

Which bike do you recommend?
I prefer to ride a 160cc enduro bike. But a hardtail or big bike is also possible.

The "Flow Country" trail on the Geisskopf is very popular, and now you've built another one in Carinthia. Why are there so few "Flow Country" trails?
It is very time-consuming to build such routes if you don't want to make any compromises. I spent eight months building the track on the Petzen.

Surely that's not cheap?
No, the "Flow Country" route on the Geisskopf, for example, cost around 200,000 euros.

You are in great demand as a trail builder, how long do people have to wait until Diddie Schneider arrives?
I am fully booked. If you want a trail now, you'll have to wait until 2016.

How many expert trail builders are there?
Not many. A handful in Europe. You have to know: It is relatively easy to build a difficult downhill trail, but very difficult to build an easy trail. Sounds strange, but it's true.

Is Whister still the measure of all things?
Yes, there is still nothing comparable in Europe.

Where do you have the most fun yourself?
I'm a fan of "flow country", which is why the Petzen route is at the top of my list. You'll have a permanent grin on your face for 12 kilometres. Great fun. Otherwise I like Finale Ligure - great routes, beautiful ambience.

Do you have to tour the bike parks yourself to keep up to date?
No, that is overestimated. Physics does not change. A good track from the past is still a good track today.

Where is the trend in trail building heading?
If you think economically as a bike park operator, you will build trails for everyone. The enduro hype attracts many people to the bike parks who are not yet very good riders. This constantly growing target group wants to have fun without high risk. I believe that this target group will continue to grow over the next few years.

Personally, I would prefer a "Flow Country Plus", a trail with more airtime. What do you think?
I often hear that and am currently planning such a route on the Geisskopf. I have my table line in mind, which many people enjoy. I want to integrate jumps like this into the new trail.