They always say that the BIKE editors only ever go to Lake Garda for testing. That's not true at all! As soon as the weather permits, our colleagues prefer to head for the Palatinate Forest. Because there are also challenging trails here that demand everything from the test bikes. Many bikers from the Black Forest now feel the same way when they are fed up with the discussion about the two-metre rule at home and simply want to ride trails again without a guilty conscience. In the Palatinate Forest, you can take the S-Bahn to five tour starting points, and from there signs point directly to the trail entrance.
Tour number 4 from Hochspeyer is currently the most popular. It was upgraded last year with a few trail kilometres and now has 25 percent singletrack over a length of 62 kilometres! A delegation from the German Mountain Bike Initiative (DIMB) even presented the premium award for so much sporting commitment last year, and not many trail circuits in Germany have received this award, which, by the way, are so interconnected that they can be extended at will.
In the course of the coming summer, however, trail no. 4 will have competition: the mayor of Landstuhl has announced that he would also like to integrate himself into the trail network with a loop. 46 kilometres and 1000 metres of elevation gain are on the agenda. The declared goal is a DIMB premium award. In other words: at least 25 per cent trails!
Trails are the view of the Palatinate Forest - The Palatinate Forest can't compete with the Black Forest when it comes to panoramic views. But who needs a panorama when you can concentrate on a trail?
INFO
The trail network (300 km | 5 trail laps) You can join the Palatinate Forest trail network from five starting points: Rodalben, Waldfischbach-Burgalben, Schopp, Hochspeyer, Lamprecht (Landstuhl is in the planning stage). The five loops start directly at the railway stations in each town. There is also a technical course in Hochspeyer and Schopp and a dirt park for practising in Trippstadt.
Maps Topo map "Mountainbikepark Pfälzerwald" (1:50000) available for 8.50 euros from www.mountainbikepark-pfaelzerwald.de
Events Races, marathons and family events take place all year round. Guided tours and riding technique courses are also organised.
Tours The exact route data for all laps can be found at www.gpsies.de
Info All information about the park with shop addresses and accommodation: www.mountainbikepark-pfaelzerwald.de
Sebastian Brust
Editor
