Innsbruck's public transport authorities have banned anyone riding a bike with a dual crown fork or using a full face helmet from using all public transport.
A ban against downhillers in the city first came after a violent incident involving a rider and a member of staff on the Nordketten-Bahn cable car that ended with the member of staff having to go to hospital.
Initially, the ban was only placed on the Nordketten-Bahn itself for the month of May, allowing riders with downhill bikes to use the rest of the public transport in the area, but recently IVB, the company that operates the trams, trains and buses, began to enforce the same ban across all of their own system of transportation as well. The ban at the moment specifically applies to downhill riders with other mountain bikers able to use the transportation as normal.
Riders in Innsbruck rely on the Hungerburgbahn funicular to access the Anzer Alm and Hungerburg trails and the Norketten-Bahn to access the infamous Nordkette singletrail. Some riders will also use public transport to get to the nearby Innsbruck Bike Park, which actually lies 6km out of the city centre in Mutters.
Tirol ORF reports that according to Thomas Schroll, managing director of the Nordketten-Bahn, "Up to 500 downhillers want to be transported to the Hungerburg Trail every day." Schroll has found that in recent years the number of incidents involving cyclists has risen and that downhillers have "no understanding" if they are refused access to the funicular. He said, "the problem of limits and lack of capacities in the spring and the usage conflicts with other guests has finally led us to take off downhill bikers for May."
Sabine Oswald from Downhill Club Tirol said, "The Hungerburgbahn is important to us. It would also be bad for the Bike-City Innsbruck if you can not go with the Hungerburgbahn." She blames "a few black sheep" for the ban that she does not believe should apply to all downhill riders. Another local news source,
Der Standard, reported that a number of parents who let their children use public transport so they can get access to the trails have found that members of staff have been aggressive towards their children and accuse the transport companies of presenting a biased view of the situation.
Innsbruck Tourism has also weighed in on the issue and seems keen to resolve it. They said, "We are aware of the issue, and are already working with the Innsbruck City Authorities to urgently find a solution. Obviously, quality mountain biking facilities and the corresponding infrastructure are an absolute priority for us at the Tourism Board, and it is of great importance to us that we resolve the situation quickly – and permanently."
Currently, it is unclear how far the ban extends but it does raise complex issues. What if a rider in a full face helmet with a trail/enduro bike tries to get on the transport, are they refused as well? The Nordketten-Bahn ban is currently only planned for the month of May but there is no official confirmation on how long the ban on the IVB network will last or if it will affect Crankworx next month. We'll update this story when we have any more information.
"Innsbruck Public Transport Officials: Downhillers should Earn their Turns, just like those EWS riders"
"Public Transport's not for everyone, says Innsbruck"
"Full-face? Full-stop, says Innsbruck public transport"
"Our bike racks aren't big enough for 29er Downhill bikes, says Innsbruck"
Downhill bike mountain bike rider in Innsbruck shows you this easy trick to get to the top of the trails, public transport hates him, what happens next will shock you!
This secret trick will make your wheel size grow in 4 minutes! 29er owners hate this!
The obvious solution...
Maybe we'll also see a return of those separate BMX style mouthpieces like Olly Wilkins is wearing on this classic Dirt Magazine cover:
cdn.coresites.factorymedia.com/dirt_new/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/001-DT101-UK.jpg
No one will ever be as stylish as Olly but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do as he does.
Yeah pretty interesting to see that now that people are calling for a return of mid travel DC forks (especially those who watch slow-mo huck tests) we're also expecting a return of 200mm travel SC forks like RS Totem and Manitou Travis for the Innsbruck crowd. This is what our sport needs to progress. Slow motion huck tests and physical abuse in public transport. For those who don't ride slow motion nor utilize Innsbruck public transport for their cheap uplift service: congrats! Your bike is already perfect!
There has been a „fight“ between bikers and hikers for years now. Including nails strewn across trails and wires strung at a bikers neck height.
To my knowledge all biking on singletrails not specifically decidacted to biking is illegal. So all hiking tracks are off limits. As there are only a very, very limited number off good riding tracks bikers tend to use some hiking tracks, creating the abovementioned problems.
Innsbruck used to have really nice trails all over reachable with public transport. But their access has constantly been made harder and harder through more and more public transport lines denying DH bikes access.
There seems to be a struggle between the tourism board and the city council. One idiot loosing it and behaving in a violent matter was just what the city council needed.
I wish they would spend the money they are spending on crankworks to build more and better biking trails. At the moment Innsbruck can hardly be called a mountainbike friendly city!
In any case, so far these bans have only resulted in people buying an enduro bike and a new helmet...
A few good people here and there, but mostly ( specially when in huge numbers ) they behave like entitled little shits;
"Tirol ORF reports that according to Thomas Schroll, managing director of the Nordketten-Bahn, "Up to 500 downhillers want to be transported to the Hungerburg Trail every day."
The hungerburg trail is not a DH trail and is accessed by pedaling. DHers rarely pedal or push their bikes up to the hungerburg trail, they take the cable car that brings them to the top of the Nordkette single trail (Seegrube).
This is the way it is :
City--(bus or cable car)-->Hungerburg--(gondola)-->Seegrube
If you increase the transport capacity from city-->hungerburg, you still have the problem that the transport capacity of the gondola is limited. The problem of capacity is not only happening during few months. Every week end, the gondola is saturated with either skiers, tourists or mountain bikers. It's a problem without simple solution.
Just didn't realise it was as bad in the summer with mountainbikers.
Having a few hotheads probably hasn't helped.
Maybe the city needs to bite the bullet and build a second gondola up that mountain?
It´s kinda the official slogan of a satire facebook group on the recent austrian tourism marketing campaign.
Funny you mention that. In Austria, football fans even get their own freakin trains to travel to the games, because they don´t want them in with the regular train passengers.
They sometimes intentionally completely trash the trains, yet nobody cares or acts on it.
"From the wikipedia article concerning the acceptable uses of an apostrophe, one is "The marking as plural of written items that are not words established in English orthography" for example "P's and Q's"
Clearly "bro" and "ho" are not standard English, so making them plural via 's is acceptable.
Therefore, I would write it as "Bro's before ho's"
Anyways...not hard facts as the word is made up. I like to use the apostrophe
Ps and Qs: plural. P's Qs are the Qs that belong to P. The apostrophe marks the possessive only, full stop.
Wikipedia is a glorified rumor mill with zero editorial oversight. Do not cite it as fact.
Citing Wikipedia is not permitted in US schools, Kindergarten through University for this very reason.
On my death bed I shall, perhaps, see the error of my ways. At that moment...I shall rise up and with my last breath...declare two words. Zero....and f*ck's'.
Between that and the lack of mountains I think it's time for me to emigrate again....
Of course, like all things, there are exceptions (willful acts, etc.), but at least they often provide some protection and serve as an incentive to encourage private land owners to allow public recreational use of their property.
I had always assumed Europe had something like this but on steroids (like the English concept of "Right to Roam"). However, I have never looked into if this is an actual legal right or simply a social concept that is a de facto law. Nor had I stopped to consider if this applied to bikes.
As for this Dude, he appreciates the complement, dude. Not a lawyer, but spent many years living in N.Europe and teaching European cultural history in US.
I think France has some kind of insurance framework for trailbuilders and landowners. Effectively it means if you stick to posted trails, biking, hiking or multi-use, the landowner is protected from whatever your health insurer's lawyers try to throw at them. Other countries in the west I don't know how the law works, but I've found Spain, Portugal and Italy easy-going in all respects. Switzerland a bit mixed (canton dependent), Germany is quite restrictive and Austria has to be the only place I've ever been where the Fun Police are better funded than The Netherlands. From what I can tell the anti-MTB mentality in Germany/Austria/The Netherlands is very much a combination of the angry hiking lobby and all trails being on private land, with landowners fearful of either conflicts or claims.
that was awesome. Helps that I also love the Muppets.
#desperateshredders
They probably didnt respond by banning everyone who has two legs.
A single biker takes up as much space as 4-5 tourists, so do the math who they prefer...
@nouseforaname The staff is unfortunately often very rude, which I already had to experience twice while going for a hike with my girlfriend. So even if I don't know the specific circumstances, I am sure that both parties share the guilt for the incident.
Don't get me wrong, the potential here is huge, there is just this traditional aversion against mountainbikers - and unfortunatly people with power here are mostly traditionally rooted...
Seriously though, we say mountain biking is a very open sport but the reality is that most mountainbiking communities in Europe are hostile to outsiders (and even other MTBers). Hell, I've been harassed just for having a new bike.
Well im not sure whereabouts in Poland you are, but when i go to see my mates in Wroclaw, theyre all well nice, even towards UK bikers.....
Same goes for most of the rest of Europe too....
The tourism association tries to lure more people to the few legal trails and even hosts crankworks.
Stay out of Innsbruck if you can. There are many regions which are a lot more fun.
The crankworx tean should also reconsider wasting their brand on a city which does not embrace biking.
As it stands, Innsbruck is a good long term base camp. Let's say you're here for a month.
You have Leogang/Saalbach to the east, then Serfaus, Soelden, Nauders to the west.
Plus some local trails for the rest/rainy days. But a BikeCity it is not yet.
Fingers crossed for things to improve in the near future.
me.me/i/airportsecurity-check-okay-not-okay-family-guy-called-it-muslimban-8524795
avoid austria for biking as good as you can, mtbikers are seen as enemies and are basically not welcome anywhere (restaurants, trails, and so on).
It would be like banning drunk people from public transport because a drunk idiot threw a punch at someone.
I get that we are all stewards of our sport, but there are dickheads in every sport. Blanket bans are an unnecessary and ridiculous knee-jerk reaction.
MTBers til 30 years old are very often as pigs.
I understand that and that's exactly my point.
The authorities tend to care very little about mountain bikers because for the most part we are a minority and contribute very little to the economy overall and in large cities.
Mountain biking also seems to be seen a reckless sport, especially to the older generations than generally have the power.
As a result, it takes very little actual conflict to make us look bad as a whole.
it reminds me the situation with campers ("one-day nature visitors") - every and each one always say: I will never leave any garbage after myself, etc. And in the end - river-sides, forests,.. are all in garbage.
So, I guess, the only PRACTICAL way to stop it (at least a little bit) is to ban everyone from visiting such places.
I'm more than sure that there were not only one-two of such kinda conflicts.. From time to time I just see all those young MTbers and their behavior and I understand why others don't like them.
MTBers just must understand one thing - nobody cares about you and nobody HAS to care. Your riding - it's your way of having a rest; you don't create anything socialy important, you don't help anybody else, you just having fun time for yourself and that's all. So, if you want to have all-inclusive - get yourself a fund, buy out some land with mountain, build trails, make some shuttle or lift - and then, you're da boss there.
However, there have been violent accidents involving skiers. I don't see a skiers ban.
That's just the latest manifestation of the hatred towards bikers.
Me, as a mtber, I'm sad of that situation with banning, but I understand.
C'mon, man, seriously, wake up. MONEY.
Can you see the difference in income from skiers and some bunch of mtbers?..
p.s. and why should somebody ban skier from getting into bus? with skies|board..
Somewhere else I might just be part of an annoyed minority, but here I'm part of a marketing concept which is currently imploding.
As for the other thing. How is that a solution?
Take those spoiled brats and put them on skis, do they turn into fine members of society? No!
The underlying problem is education at home and at school. But no one can touch that issue...so they blame it on something else.
I bet none of citizens will die if they loose their brand as 'bikecity', seriously.
But anyway, yes, of course it's better to find solutions good for each side.
I see lot of pigs on bikes everywhere in bikeparks and trails. So, what's your solutions for a small nice old good town Innsbruck? )
"Take those spoiled brats and put them on skis, do they turn into fine members of society? No!."
No, but it doesn't change the existing situation/problem with them right here and right now.
"The underlying problem is education at home and at school.."
we all are pigs sometimes somewhere, so.. tha's just a bla-bla. Anyone should be more educated, more ... etc.
"so they blame it on something else."
you are the usual citizen of Innsbruck (imagine you're not mtber), your solution?
Once again, I'm deadly sure there were lot of incidents, not just one mentioned in article.
Yes.
and one more thing: visitors of bikeparks (all over the world) MUST always remember and fully understand - they are only guests there, so they should behave appropriate.
I don't think you are serious here.. )
How many accidents like that do you know? Except hollywood horors.. )))
A lot of the locals have the so called "Freizeitticket" for around 500€ (valid for a whole year summer and winter in the region with many different lift companies participating) and so the Nordkettenbahnen GmbH, who owns the Hungerburgbahn prefers to transport more tourists, which pay 36,50€ for a roundtrip to the top.
A single biker takes up as much space as 4-5 tourists, so do the math who they prefer...
The same is valid for the winter season, as skiers make more work (the Nordkette is very avalanche prone and each day after snow has fallen you can hear the loud bangs of the ski patrol setting of avalanches) and pay very little in comparison to tourists just taking pictures and eating at the top.
Therefore every opportunity there is to make more money is welcome and prohibiting the transport of bikes during one of the busiest months is very lucrative.
I don't choose a side, I'm both citizen and mountainbiker. This is not squaring the circle, there are solutions but neither for free nor unintrusive. I hope a beneficial one is found.
that's some strange preference don't you think - they don't mind anyone except DH+FF helmet.. )))
Whatever we do, there will be idiots. So in a way, a certain margin of incidents should be accepted.
What do I cry when it is an unfair treatment however? There are incidents with skiers every season, be it rude locals or drunk tourists or on powder days when there are 200 freeridres wanting to go up - there have been violent outbursts resulting hospital visits.
Skiing however is not only accepted, it's part of the culture and therefore those accidents are blamed on people being idiots and not on people being skiers. Because the sport being practiced is irrelevant.
Fact is, Bike City Innsbruck needs to have more trails. Now it has 3, two of which overlap and the 3rd is the Nordkette Singletrail.
let's imagine that ban is permanent. If there will no appear of any commercial shuttles/vans/.. - I guess they were right about mtbers and bikecity Innsbruck doesn't need them .. )
"Anwohnern und Pendlern ist es weiterhin gestattet, das Fahrrad mit in die Hungerburgbahn zu nehmen." (Nordkettenbahnen facebook page)
Those riding Arzler trail (an easier, more flowy trail) need to bike up (some go up with the bahn and ride down to the beginning of the Arzler trail, this however is not officially allowed)
The Singletrail crown are downhillers with full gear, the Arzler alm are more trail/enduro riders.
So, it's not only not strange, it's quite a logical way to filter people.
It's really not a surprise that the lift operator/company prefers to give the space to tourists than to mountainbikers.
Isn't it about urban riding? I mean, as an example, Holland, Denmark,.. - they all have such-kinda statements everywhere, but it's always about urban life style.. You know, singlespeed pink bike with basket and young tender nice girl in summer dress.. ))
In every town on planet where that statement exists - first of all it means urban.
do you have a car? ))
You have to be proactive to get anything done. You’ll never receive anything if you don’t ask, and I don’t see anyone taking any real action. Sure, it would piss some people off, but would be a gesture from our side that action needs to be taken and we are serious about riding bikes.
Til then, we will continue to be b**chslapped around by the authorities/shotcallers.
There have been attempts to speak w authorities, but they are politely declined (schau mal) and nothing ever changes....
You mixed it up.
First you said - thankfully to all those bike commuters bike lanes and other stuff appeared. Then you point only at authorities (Insbruck) who has another solution.
I guess, right way to develop is - LOCAL mtbers should represent themself more active (in any civilized way, not just burning cars and marshing next to authorities buildings, that's just wasting of time )) ) and step-by-step building relations with authorities. And that is the ONLY way, cause any other will lead to nowhere. None of serios people takes care about whining and complaining in some social media, especially when it's about some small town and some globaly unimportant issue. Right?
It must be some kind of collective masochism, that bikers always put the blame on themselves. Nothing wrong with using instances like this as a reminder to check your own behavior.
But in a climate, where a single incident get‘s treated in a way like this, bikers will never be „good enough“ and the powers that be obviously were just on the lookout for a reason.
When the first city bans cars, because one car driver behaved stupidly, I‘ll probably change my mind, but until then I don‘t think, bikers should always walk on tiptoes, in the (false) hope that then they might, just maybe, please! be allowed the same access to trails as everybody else...
do you have a car? )) "
Do you have a life? I assume you're trying to make some sort of worthwhile point, but it's often hard to tell what is... You're mostly coming off as an insulting troll.
About the bus. Some bus have racks at the back that can receive up to 4-5 bikes. The racks are high and unfit riders, short riders or e bikes riders always struggle for 5 min before to manage to put their bikes on the racks. Bus drivers have been complaining about this for a while. The bus that don't have racks are the back state that bikes are not allowed inside during the peak periods and it is never respected by anyone and never enforced.
On the other hand, bus drivers have more respect for rats crossing the streets than cyclists pedaling on the bike lane.
Innsbruck/tirol economy is based on tourism so tourism officials want to build gondolas, ski resorts and trail on every single inch of mountain, but the land owners and many of the politics are close minded traditionalists that are against all this even though they benefit from it. Pretty much nobody has a reasonable "in between" opinion, because being reasonable does not make you elected or respected over here.
Also, don't forget even without lifts mountain bikers are destroying the forests and hiking path...the industries cutting down trees leaving wide deforested areas prone to avalanches that further destroy the forest...don't.
So it's also about turning a blind eye, because mountain bikers are a small portion, bring less revenue than other groups.
Dear black sheep: get removable chin bars and "superenduro bikes" and tell the authorities to lick your sweaty Austrian nuts! Skiers and bikers will always win, we will just find new ways to access the mountain. There is no way to stop this....embrace it!
Yeah. Right.
Wait...what were we talking about? I just came in automatically ready to be offended
Enduuuroooooo
Plus no direct transport, you'd have to change trains and buses.
Anyway, I know what he meant, you know what I mean and so on...