Who says that a bike park always has to have a lift? Trail centres spread out their network of trails in a hilly landscape and therefore have their own rollercoaster character. The trails are specially prepared for use by mountain bikers and upgraded with berms or wooden constructions, for example, or created from scratch. The difficulty levels range from easy to challenging. Development is picking up speed and new trail centres are constantly springing up. Here is an overview, which therefore cannot claim to be exhaustive.
Germany: Trailground Brilon
The Trailground Brilon is less than 30 minutes' drive from Willingen. Following the Scottish and Rabenberg model, three routes with a total length of 28 kilometres wind their way over the rolling hills - with 60 per cent trail content. The trails are single-track only and are not too steep, neither uphill nor downhill. There is no need for hectic manoeuvres that could leave marks on the ground.
Fees: free admission
Open: all year round
More info: www.bike-arena.de
Germany: Trailpark Winterberg
Just opposite the famous Bikepark Winterberg, on the Bremberg, is the entry point to the Trailpark Winterberg. The trail network covers 60 kilometres, 20 kilometres of which are trails. The focus is on family-friendly laps. However, bikers who like to take a crisp ride uphill or thunder downhill will also find what they are looking for here - including a practice course.
Fees: free admission
Open: April to mid-November
Info: www.trailpark-winterberg.de
Germany: Rabenberg
Germany's first single trail park winds its way through the Ore Mountains in the form of five exciting loops. All of them can be combined with each other. The crowning glory is the 26-kilometre-long loop called Black Raven, which features all kinds of fun boosters such as kickers and berms.
Fee: 7 euros/day.
Length: 5.7 to 26.2 km (total trails: 73 km)
Location: Rabenberg (Saxony)
Open: April to the end of October
Info: www.trailcenter-rabenberg.de
Czech Republic: Pod Smrkem
A total of 80 kilometres of single trails now encircle the Tafelfichte mountain in the Czech Jizera Mountains. The basic idea behind the Singltrek Centre pod Smrkem (the name is freely translated from English into Czech) is to boost tourism in order to counteract the bleak economic situation in the region. For this reason, the trails were also designed for the widest possible range of bikers. Connoisseurs consider the bends to be almost perfect, as they were created by operator Tomáš Kvasnička in collaboration with Welsh trail designer Daffyd Davis. Children and beginners will have just as much fun as marathon cracks and enduro freaks. The trails wind so gently along the mountain flanks that you don't even need a suspension fork. The routes are marked according to difficulty level, are directional and can be combined with each other - up to an 80-kilometre loop. Enthusiasts can easily manage this in one day. It is neither steeply uphill nor terrifyingly downhill. Even black pistes are easy to ride. Shops with accessories and rental bikes, a restaurant and all the information about the events await you at the start centre.
Fees: free entry,
Length: route sections in four levels of difficulty from 1.8 to 10.6 kilometres; 80 kilometres in total
Location: Nové Město pod Smrkem (New Town on the Table Spruce), Czech Republic
Info: www.singltrekpodsmrkem.cz
Czech Republic: Rychlebské Stezky
The trail centre in Cerná Voda, a sleepy village deep in the Czech Republic, is something of a cousin to the Singltrek Centre in Nové Mesto pod Smrkem. It has the same DNA: super trails modelled with fetishistic dedication, wooden bridges, berms, gently ascending uphills, not too steep descents. Many people who have been there claim that it is the park with the best flow. European trail designers always like to come to this trail centre to learn about berm shapes and curve combinations. However, there are also numerous natural sections where the suspension of the bikes is put to the test. For a spontaneous weekend trip, Rychlebské is unfortunately quite far away (east of Prague). But an extended road trip with a detour via Rabenberg and Pod Smrkem will definitely be a lasting holiday experience. Tip: the cosy Trailhouse Café with bike shop.
Fees: free entry
Length: various laps from 7 to 21 kilometres in length and 80 to 470 metres in altitude
Location: Cerná Voda, Czech Republic
Open: April to October
Info: www.rychlebytrails.eu
Great Britain: Gisburn Trail Centre
England is the womb of the singletrail centre, the egg cell, the delivery room - or however you want to put it. This is where the idea of reclaiming the hills for bikers without spoiling the landscape with lifts was born. There are now more than thirty single trail networks in the region. One of the most exciting and popular is the Gisburn Trail Centre not far from the city of Lancaster. Although there are only three variants to choose from - "moderate", "difficult" and "very difficult" - these can easily be combined with each other. If you want to have fun on the loop with the highest difficulty level, you should have a good level of riding technique. Root carpets and drops challenge your courage and reflexes.
Length: Loops between 9.5 and 18 kilometres in length, which can be combined into various variants.
Location: Cumbria (North West England)
Open: All year round
Info: www.gisburnbiketrails.com
Great Britain: 7 Stanes
Stane is the Scottish word for stone and the now legendary seven Scottish trail centres are built around seven stone sculptures that you really have to experience. Click in, ride off and enjoy the finest single trails. The concept of 7 Stanes is to make it as easy as possible for bikers. At least as far as the logistics are concerned. The seven trail centres have joined forces to form a marketing association in order to make biking accessible to as many people as possible. The central website provides information about the individual parks, which are only a short car journey apart. The route concepts are also a joint affair. Each location offers trails for beginners as well as riding technique virtuosos. Perfectly signposted, the routes lead through the rugged hilly landscape of Scotland. They pass idyllic lochs and castles, but never urban areas or hectic traffic arteries. The best thing to do is to grab a motorhome and explore one after the other: Glentrool, Kirroughtree, Dalbeattie, Mabie, Ae, Glentress and Newcastleton.
Length: 400 kilometres in total, including the "Forest Road" sections.
Location: South Scotland
Open: all year round
Info: www.7stanes.com
Spain: Zona Zero
In the village of Ainsa on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, a trail network has been waiting in the bizarre rock formations of the Sierra de Guara since 2011. The Enduro Series has also made a stop here. Most of the 20 routes are signposted, and GPS data is available for some of them.
Info: www.bttpirineo.com
Sebastian Brust
Editor
