The small bike park near Nuremberg is almost an insider tip in the scene. Perhaps this is also due to the peculiar opening times of the drag lift: despite its proximity to the city, it only opens on Fridays at 2 pm and then only runs on Saturdays and Sundays or on public holidays. So it's better to call to make sure the hangers aren't hanging rigidly from the lift cable. We were surprised at how many well-built gimmicks are hidden in the deciduous forest slope. The park builders have really put a lot of thought into this and have measured the difficulty of the individual features in such a way that you can really feel your way around. With a few exceptions, the stunts are well built so that you can try them out with maximum fun and minimum risk. Even gimmicks that look pretty angry at first glance, such as the jump over the "crocodile", turn out to be just right with a long jump and a safe, long landing. We could only discover a few stunts that were a little awkward - which is surprising given the large number of jumps, although we would of course like to see these small flaws fixed.
The routes
There are three routes in Osternohe: "Downhill", "Freeride" and "Blue Line". The centrepiece is the network
of the "Freeride", which runs through the forest in many lines and connects the many individual Northshore stunts
with each other. We found this a little confusing at first, as it's easy to lose track of where
what is where. In the middle of the slope is a small slopestyle park with wall rides, dirt jump hills,
jumps, northshore skinnies, a jump box and a wooden wave. Here, too, the dimensions fit so
so well that many freeriders are catered for and few are excluded. Ideal: Here you can practise your
freeride skills, as slow progressions are possible. To scare you, just before the
the valley station of the lift. We didn't like the landing on the high tower. It has to be hit precisely
and does not forgive any mistakes. The landing hill should be shaped even better here to make this
this test of courage. Nevertheless, it's enormous what is on offer to visitors at a height of just 136 metres.
is on offer.
If you're looking for speed, the "Downhill" is a fast trail with exciting bends, jumps and technically challenging gaps. However, the trail is so tame for a downhill that you can manage with less suspension travel and racers will quickly feel underchallenged. Freeriders, on the other hand, will enjoy the flowing route as an alternative to the stunts.
The "Blueline" winds its way through the forest at a more moderate pace, in its natural state and without built stunts. It is therefore recommended for beginners or for warming up. Further down, the "Blue Line" meets the "Freeride" route again. Here there is a starting tower for two dirt lines and northshore skinnies for balancing. Everything is also moderate and well sized for beginners.
Information about the Bikepark Osternohe:
- Routes: 3
- Lift: T-bar lift
- Start of season: April/May
- Opening hours: Fri 14.00-18.00, Sat, Sun and public holidays 10.00-18.00
- Day ticket adult: 19 Euro
- Bike hire: no/bike shop outside (30 min)
- Driving technique school: yes
- Info phone: +49 (0)9153-8007
- E-mail: info@bikepark-osternohe.de
Distances:
- Stuttgart 2.5 hours
- Munich 2 hours
- Frankfurt 2.5 hours
- Berlin 4 hours
- Innsbruck 3.5 hours
- Basel 4.5 hours
Overall rating: 7 out of 10 possible points
A great playground which, despite its manageable size, is not so easy to exhaust. This makes Osternohe serious competition for the nearby Bikepark Bischofsmais.
Further information at http://bikepark-osternohe.de/
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
