Germany has no Single Track - Here's Why

[tomato paste]

I have been biking in the German Black Forest for a few years, and have always wondered, "Why are there no single track trails in these beautiful forests?" The countryside is composed of large hills and valleys, and a large amount of forested area in the South is perfect for cross country single track--but none exists. By and large everything is fire/logging road, except for a few explicitly specified MTB trails here and there. I was out today on a large open field fire road in the hills, watched a flight of Tornado's on a low level pass overhead, then ran into an angry hiker who shouted at me as I biked by. She said "Bikers aren't permitted here."

After talking with her for a few minutes I learned there is a reason I haven't seen any single track: Biking on any forest path less than 2 meters wide is illegal in Southern Germany, and most of the rest of country.

This caught me off guard, but clearly explains why the thing I've been looking for all over the countryside doesn't exist. While Germany produces many EMTBs and associated components, they actually don't have a suitable market for mountain biking, due to legal restrictions. They have instead a market specifically for touring on dirt roads. Everything makes so much more sense now! No one focuses on single track because its illegal.

The single track you might find in California, like this, would be illegal to ride:

Bloody shame that is. ?????

 

[Aikone]

I wonder how the trails at Wiesbaden fit into this as I’ve ridden a decent amount of singletrack there, maybe it’s a recognised trail centre or privately owned.

 

[tomato paste]

I wonder how the trails at Wiesbaden fit into this as I’ve ridden a decent amount of singletrack there, maybe it’s a recognised trail centre or privately owned.

Could be that. It could also be people are riding it while the law isn't being enforced. It looks like Hessen, the state Wiesbaden is located in, may have adjusted their version of the law.

Tourismus will Wege für Mountainbiker freigeben - Schwarzwald: Abschied von der lästigen 2-Meter-Regel?

Die Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH möchte auch Wege unter zwei Meter Breite für Radfahrer freizugeben und entsprechend auszuschildern. Möglich soll das eine Ausnahmeregelung im Landeswaldgesetz machen.

www.bike-magazin.de

 

[GrahamPaul]

Plenty of single track in the Taunus, around Bad Camberg, while I was living there (which is also Hessen). And also in the Drachenfels, which is in NRW, when I lived in Bad Godesberg. Was never aware that offroad riding on tracks less than 2m wide was illegal and I met no one who made a fuss. Maybe it's that the further you go South, the more officious the hikers?

 

[Mikerb]

Path and tracks typically navigate around terrain to avoid steep climbs, descent and natural obstacles...... so the answer is to have mtb tracks that cross between them........steep and gnarly wet muddy rocky etc........the hikers will not want to be on those!!

 

[tomato paste]

Plenty of single track in the Taunus, around Bad Camberg, while I was living there (which is also Hessen). And also in the Drachenfels, which is in NRW, when I lived in Bad Godesberg. Was never aware that offroad riding on tracks less than 2m wide was illegal and I met no one who made a fuss. Maybe it's that the further you go South, the more officious the hikers?

I think Hessen is a recent exception, as the article linked above explains. But the other federal states in Germany, especially in the south (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria), which contains the black forest and the best locations for single track riding, have not.

It may be that the single track riding you did in NRW was actually illegal...

Mountain biking and horse-riding | Information - Rheinsteig

Präsentiert die touristischen Angebote zwischen Rüdesheim und Bingen im Süden und dem Beginn des Siebengebirges im Norden.

www.rheinsteig.de

 

[Gyre]

Thanks for sharing that. Huh, that might explain why Germany appears to be a lot more XC-focused compared to the US.

 

[kneesliding]

Unfortunately, Hessen is enforcing policies more and more, the worst region is Baden Württemburg, they generally enforce it, and actively try to make riding bikes in the forest illegal.
You'll find people putting up signs saying the biking is prohbited, but the law here s clear, the signs are illegal. They can only be placed on "roads"

I live in Rheinland Pfalz, and the forest law here is rather open and allows MTB onto all trails.
But due to Covid there has been a large increase in people looking for other options for free time activities.

Theres big problems with aggression between walkers and bikers.

My opinion is, that here in general the mentality is that if I'm here, its mine and I wont share it...
The media here like to post articles with false information, and seeing as people read whats posted, true or false, they believe exactly that.

I've even been attacked this year! pushed from my bike, he and his father wanted to go for it, in front of his wife and kid!!!

Strange times... but I think once the shops and cafes open again,we'll see it almost going back to how was in the past.

 

[kneesliding]

I think Hessen is a recent exception, as the article linked above explains. But the other federal states in Germany, especially in the south (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria), which contains the black forest and the best locations for single track riding, have not.

Actually, Bayern has pretty much the best laws, there are no restrictions for Bikers in Bayern.

 

[tomato paste]

Unfortunately, Hessen is enforcing policies more and more, the worst region is Baden Württemburg, they generally enforce it, and actively try to make riding bikes in the forest illegal.
You'll find people putting up signs saying the biking is prohbited, but the law here s clear, the signs are illegal. They can only be placed on "roads"

I live in Rheinland Pfalz, and the forest law here is rather open and allows MTB onto all trails.
But due to Covid there has been a large increase in people looking for other options for free time activities.

Theres big problems with aggression between walkers and bikers.

My opinion is, that here in general the mentality is that if I'm here, its mine and I wont share it...
The media here like to post articles with false information, and seeing as people read whats posted, true or false, they believe exactly that.

I've even been attacked this year! pushed from my bike, he and his father wanted to go for it, in front of his wife and kid!!!

Strange times... but I think once the shops and cafes open again,we'll see it almost going back to how was in the past.

Good times. Maybe it's time to add a taser to my backpack.

The funny thing about the hiker was, when I asked her, she said she's 63 and about to go into retirement. She wanted this large field to stay as it is. No more housing, no more trails, no bikers. Think about this--an EMTB provides for manufacturing employment, within Germany even. MTB riders purchase large quantities of associated equipment, such as clothing, shoes, helmets, even sophisticated electronics like wireless, comms, and navigation devices. This dynamic manufacturing sector creeps into tourism, healthcare, and tech. Read: jobs and tax income, which for a place like Germany, which uses a foreign currency (Euro) and is dependent on tax revenue, is a big deal. Her retirement payments will be funded by jobs like those in the EMTB sector.

But she was very vocal about her NIMBYism, and was only interested in maintaining the 'surrounding nature'. Keep in mind we were standing in the middle of a large open field that is farmed to provide cow food, there were powerlines overhead, and roads within 1 km on all sides. So there isn't anything 'natural' here, everything is farmed, even the forest.

 

[tomato paste]

Actually, Bayern has pretty much the best laws, there are no restrictions for Bikers in Bayern.

Maybe I was reading the 'Horse Riding' laws. Do you have a link to the cycling law in Bayern?

 

[Roger]

I live in NL near the German/Belgium border. There are a lot of controls now in the German Forest by Police and Forester (NRW). A lot of bikers have had a ticket!?

 

[Joe_wei]

Lot if single trails here! Only Baden-Württemberg has this 2m law. All others states have more liberal regulations.
In BW all the bikers ignore it and ride trails. Sometimes we get trouble with some sherif-hikers. That’s all. Dimb is going against.

 

[Joe_wei]

Actually, Bayern has pretty much the best laws, there are no restrictions for Bikers in Bayern.

Not anymore! They have not changed or added any law but rely on some older environment protective laws. With this they can kick the bikers out mostly everywhere.

 

[kneesliding]

Saw that yesterday... Still shocked to be honest

 

[tomato paste]

I wonder what the economic impact of the restrictions are in Southern Germany, especially now that we've had 1yr+ with lockdowns where cycling remained a very viable outdoor sport. Probably a substantial loss to total spending in Germany, reduction of potential employment and tax revenue.

 

[Kernow]

The more I hear about Germany and it’s pathetic rules the lower it gets on my places to visit list . What a sad bunch they are

 

[RustyIron]

The single track you might find in California, like this, would be illegal to ride:

While it is a common misconception that we are still the Wild West and everyone is an outlaw who does what he wants...

Oh, who am I trying to fool? We ARE a bunch of hoodlums who ride where we want.

But at least we try to appear that we want to obey the rules. The fact is, many of our politicians and land managers are self-serving wankers who only care about increased funding and lounging in their cushy offices, and if it was up to them, we'd be locked in our houses and never be allowed to leave. Some of our trails do receive government funding for professional trail maintenance, but many of our best trails are maintained by clubs and volunteers. Hopefully the German riders will soon be allowed to wield shovels and saws to build some nice single track for all the people.

 

[steve_sordy]

Why do they have a law in Germany that says it is illegal to ride a bicycle on a track in the woods that is less than 2m wide?

What is the point of it, what is it trying to protect, or who is it trying to protect? When was it instigated and why then?

Unless we understand the background. it just looks stupid.

 

[Pdoz]

Why do they have a law in Germany that says it is illegal to ride a bicycle on a track in the woods that is less than 2m wide?

What is the point of it, what is it trying to protect, or who is it trying to protect? When was it instigated and why then?

Unless we understand the background. it just looks stupid.

It's a german thing - Width required for 2 riders with 760 mm bars to pass head on, allowing for the fact that at least one of them will refuse to move aside, adjusted by the probability of the event occurring without both riders coming to a halt because of rule 649 section v.

 

[Tim1023]

The more I hear about Germany and it’s pathetic rules the lower it gets on my places to visit list . What a sad bunch they are

It's plusses and minuses! There is also a tendency here to need to show that you're in the right, which is why they find roundabouts a bit confusing with the rather more "fluid" right of way. There is definitely more of a tendancy to apply and police rules rather than live and let live.

However, from my experience, they're a good, well meaning, folk often driven to "do the right thing".

For me personally, I remember a very specific moment soon after coming here. That was at the company christmas party having a drunken discussion about philosophy and NOT football, which is pretty much all my colleagues in England wanted to talk about. I've always hated football!

There are several things I miss from England, but I like it here and am not planning on heading back.

 

[Kernow]

It's plusses and minuses! There is also a tendency here to need to show that you're in the right, which is why they find roundabouts a bit confusing with the rather more "fluid" right of way. There is definitely more of a tendancy to apply and police rules rather than live and let live.

However, from my experience, they're a good, well meaning, folk often driven to "do the right thing".

For me personally, I remember a very specific moment soon after coming here. That was at the company christmas party having a drunken discussion about philosophy and NOT football, which is pretty much all my colleagues in England wanted to talk about. I've always hated football!

There are several things I miss from England, but I like it here and am not planning on heading back.

I didn’t really mean the general public , they can’t be worse than some of the British types that are currently ruining Cornwall . And most Germans I meet on my travels are friendly and polite
I meant general government rule making , pointless pedantic rules and laws , the sort of legislation that made brexit popular , france is also the same these days

 

[GrahamPaul]

I didn’t really mean the general public , they can’t be worse than some of the British types that are currently ruining Cornwall . And most Germans I meet on my travels are friendly and polite
I meant general government rule making , pointless pedantic rules and laws , the sort of legislation that made brexit popular , france is also the same these days

I think you miss a major point about Germany's laws: they are mostly there to stop the wankers annoying the hell out of the rest of us. So, for example, there is a law about not making various sorts of noise (such as building works noise or running lawnmowers) after 2pm on Saturday and all day on Sunday.

We had some neighbours who would start their building works on a Friday evening and go well into the night all weekend until the early hours of Sunday. This was quite a posh suburb with a lot of retired folk who like their peace and quiet.

I asked my (retired) neighbour about the noise and the ordnance and his reply was that these folks were youngsters without a lot of money and were having to do the work themselves after their Monday to Friday jobs and so no one was going to complain. Had it been builders "working on the black" then the complaints would have put a stop to it.

I had a short period in 2015 suffering a summer in Britain. Every time it was a nice weekend afternoon (very rare!) and I wanted to sit in the garden I got deafened by lawnmowers. And, apparently, I was not allowed to shoot them...

I now live in Spain. One doesn't hear lawnmowers here at all...

 

[Tim1023]

I think you miss a major point about Germany's laws: they are mostly there to stop the wankers annoying the hell out of the rest of us. So, for example, there is a law about not making various sorts of noise (such as building works noise or running lawnmowers) after 2pm on Saturday and all day on Sunday.

We had some neighbours who would start their building works on a Friday evening and go well into the night all weekend until the early hours of Sunday. This was quite a posh suburb with a lot of retired folk who like their peace and quiet.

I asked my (retired) neighbour about the noise and the ordnance and his reply was that these folks were youngsters without a lot of money and were having to do the work themselves after their Monday to Friday jobs and so no one was going to complain. Had it been builders "working on the black" then the complaints would have put a stop to it.

I had a short period in 2015 suffering a summer in Britain. Every time it was a nice weekend afternoon (very rare!) and I wanted to sit in the garden I got deafened by lawnmowers. And, apparently, I was not allowed to shoot them...

I now live in Spain. One doesn't hear lawnmowers here at all...

Of course builders ARE allowed to work from 07:00 on a weekday morning. They especially love doing the loudest work at that time. There is a difference between CAN and MUST that seems to pass them by. Stone cutting next door is a very effective alarm!

...er...going a tad off topic

 

[GrahamPaul]

Germany isn’t a vaca place in my eyes at all. Unless you think old castles are super cool. It’s like the shire in lord of the rings.

I guess it's down to the type of vacation you want. Getting baked on a beach followed by all night in the club? Nope, can't think of anywhere in Northern or Western Europe where that's an option. Britain, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands? ? France only on the Med and that's a different world.

However, Germany's a fantastic place for cycle touring. I did thousands of miles a year on the fantastic cycle path network following pretty much all of the major rivers. The network and the "Bike u. Bett" facilities are superb.

A (British) mate of mine spent all of his holidays hiking in the Black Forest using the network of huts. We have a few hiking trails like that here in Spain, but nothing like there is in Germany.

Oh, yeah, there's a good few castles, too, including the one that Disney copied.

As for the Summer Opera and Music Festivals... Or Rock am Ring...

No, can't think why anyone would want to go there. (Keep it secret! Don't want any lager louts fucking it up!)

 

[GrahamPaul]

Meh, rather get baked on a beach in the med. northern Germany is beautiful and has some super old history but meh… and I’ve never been a night club person. Also i like Mediterranean women over moley german women ?

Yup. Proves my point. I live near the beach in Southern Spain. Just off to the Pyrenees for my vacation

 

[Tim1023]

I live near the beach in Southern Spain.

Not a British national, then (any more)?

 

[urastus]

Why do they have a law in Germany that says it is illegal to ride a bicycle on a track in the woods that is less than 2m wide?

What is the point of it, what is it trying to protect, or who is it trying to protect? When was it instigated and why then?

Unless we understand the background. it just looks stupid.

yes, it sounds like Mari Antoinette logic; it's based on incredible ignorance!

 

[GrahamPaul]

Not a British national, then (any more)?

Long story... still have a British passport, much to my embarrassment and regret (the only time I needed help the Embassy gentleman said: "This is Britain's biggest export market. Why should we rock the boat just for you?" To which I replied: "I don't think you understand, my wife, my son and I were being held prisoner here and I am being forced to complete a job for no pay. I need a replacement passport to get out." To which the Embassy official replied: "Let me make this very clear in words which you will understand: Fuck Off!")

I was most of the way through getting my German citizenship when a family problem hit. I was out of the country for more than a year and thought I'd lost my rights because Brexit happened. As it turned out, Germany changed the regulations to align with the Brexit agreement and I could have gone back. However, by then we'd settled in Spain. It's different! (Aber immer noch ist DE mein Wunschheimat!)

 

[Tim1023]

Way to go UK Embassy! Mind you, I just looked up the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which describes it's role as "We pursue our national interests and project the UK as a force for good in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners" Note the order. Yup! Business before citizens.

Hope you manage to get a Spanish passport, then Europe is your oyster! I got my German passport as soon as the UK decided to sanction itself. As I did it early enough, I also get to keep my UK passport. I'd have had to give it up had I applied after the end of 2020.