Epic downhill action, hand-built singletracks, nerve-wracking World Cup excitement and joyous festival atmosphere – in other words: the mountain bike season at Epic Bikepark Leogang is just around the corner. Saalfelden Leogang is once again shining with numerous highlights in 2024, making a bike trip to the Pinzgau region a must-do this season. The official kick-off is on 9 May, when the Epic Bikepark opens its gates. 

Epic long bike season 2024, new single track and online discount 

A bike season from the beginning of May to November is truly something to be proud of and gives the bike community more than enough time to take on all 17 bike park lines and single tracks or sharpen their skills in the 30,000 square meter Riders Playground, where nine additional lines of varying difficulty are waiting, as well as a bag jump, pump track, dirt line and drop zone. If you can’t bear another month without bike action, you can already pedal up to the Schwarzleo Trail or Knappen Trail and warm up for the grand opening – the two natural single tracks in Saalfelden Leogang are already open.

The AlteSchmiede Trail, which could already be ridden briefly last year during the BIKE Festival as part of a soft opening, is the newest addition to the family of hand-shaped trails, that are created entirely without the use of heavy machines. It leads through flowing turns, north shore elements and easy technical passages over approx. 3.5 kilometers through natural forest and alpine meadows. The trailhead is easily reached via the Asitz or Steinbergbahn cable cars and then via the Asitz Trail in the direction of Saalbach Hinterglemm. After around 350 meters, just turn right.

Thanks to the Online Bikebonus, an early decision for a mountain bike trip in Saalfelden Leogang will once again save you some money this year. With the dynamic pricing system, both day and multi-day tickets can be purchased in advance at a lower price. A new feature is that the smartphone becomes the bike ticket and paves the way through the turnstile. Online ticket purchases also include free access to a bike mechanic app for two months, which helps you set up your bike in the best possible way.

Mountain Bike World Cup, BIKE Festival and more

If you don’t just come to Saalfelden Leogang for the trails, but also want to indulge in the cultural and community aspects of mountain biking, the foothills of the Leoganger Steinberge are the place to be. At the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, local heroes Vali Höll and Andi Kolb will do their utmost to defend their downhill wins from last year and once again make the fans in the finish area at the Asitzbahn go crazy. From 7 to 9 June, the downhill riders will be joined by enduro and e-enduro athletes in their respective hunt for world cup points.

The legendary BIKE Festival will also return to Saalfelden Leogang in the fall. From 13 to 15 September, visitors can once again marvel at many brands’ products and test new bikes from numerous renowned exhibitors in the Expo Area or optimize their own bike handling in workshops and ride-outs with the stars of the scene.

An even greater sense of community is created at the open-to-everyone races of the auner Austrian Gravity Series, whose fourth competition takes place in Saalfelden Leogang at the beginning of October, or at the Clean The Trail Days, where mountain bike guests, together with the local community and supported by the bike park’s partners, clean up the lines and trails at the end of the day. This activity in particular – alongside the minimally invasive trail building – stands for the high value placed on sustainability and nature conservation in the mountain bike region.

Saalfelden Leogang is a “UCI Bike Region”    

Saalfelden Leogang was recently awarded a special distinction. The “UCI Bike Region” label recognizes the region’s outstanding commitment to cycling. Not only does the history of Saalfelden Leogang as a regular venue for world cups and world championships play a role here, but also the destination’s pioneering role in terms of sustainable bike tourism. Further criteria for the decision were the increase in bike use, the expansion of the infrastructure, safety and accident reduction, bike training for the next generation and the dedicated financing of the planned projects.

“It fills us with pride that we are the second region in Austria to be awarded this label. It is a great recognition of our commitment to cycling and motivates our entire team to continue on this path,” explains Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik.

More current news, dates and information about the trails and tracks of the Epic Bikepark Leogang as well as all the events and activities can be found at bikepark-leogang.com, instagram.com/BikeparkLeogang orfacebook.com/BikeparkLeogang. News and information about Saalfelden Leogang can be found on saalfelden-leogang.com, instagram.com/Saalfelden_Leogang or facebook.com/SaalfeldenLeogang

Austria’s largest bike-region

In 2020 the three resorts of Saalbach Hinterglemm, Saalfelden Leogang and Fieberbrunn joined forces as Austria’s largest bike-region to offer mountain and gravel bikers almost unlimited possibilities on two-wheels. With over 90 kilometers of lines and trails, 9 lifts between 7 mountains and a joint bike pass offering almost unlimited gravel and asphalt options.

For a “well-rounded bike vacation” there are special bike hotels in Saalfelden Leogang such as Hotel Bacher, Hotel Der Löwe – Lebe Frei, mama thresl, Riederalm – Good Life Resort Leogang, Ritzenhof – Hotel und Spa am See, Biohotel Rupertus, Hotel Salzburger Hof, Hotel Krallerhof, Hotel Stockinggut, Naturhotel Forsthofgut and Hotel Puradies, as well as competent bike stores such as Sport Mitterer and Bikepoint. To improve your own skills, for guided tours or for riding technique training, the Elements Outdoorsports bike school offers a wide range of services. A list of all bike-friendly accommodations in the Saalfelden Leogang region can be found here: saalfelden-leogang.com/en/region-experience/bike/bikehotels

Danny MacAskill is happiest when his friends are having fun. Which is why he invited Steve Peat up to the Isle of Skye, Danny’s homeland, to show him the fun that can be had on a ridgeline rollick. The Trotternish Ridge is an epic route that links together multiple summits starting at the Quiraing and finishing at the Old Man of Storr, two stunning geographical landmarks that bookend the plateau.

But, as is common with all rides with mates, much ‘spracheling’ occurs. ‘Spracheling’, as you’ll learn in this film, is how Danny describes the kind of time-consuming detours and incidents that delay or increase the length of a ride. Forgotten equipment, mechanicals, stops to change layers, needing ‘another’ coffee or swig from a flask, confused directions, and lost folks. It’s this kind of low-level mayhem that makes a ride all the more fun with friends. 

Follow Danny:
YouTube: www.youtube.com/dannymacaskill
Website: www.dannymacaskill.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DannyMacAskill
Instagram: www.instagram.com/danny_macaskill
Twitter: www.twitter.com/danny_macaskill

Feature Image: Dave Jackson

Emil Johansson is joined by Jake100, Jake Atkinson and Ayato Kimura

Avail Optics is kicking off the 2024 season with an Emil Johansson signature goggle. The brand-new sports eyewear and goggles specialist from the UK has just announced athlete partnerships with Red Bull Rookie of the Year Jake Atkinson, Japanese freeride and trials phenom Ayato Kimura and Bikelife hero Jake100. With Emil Johansson, Baxter Maiwald, Luke Parker, Miguel Guerrero, Alejandro Bonafe and Alma Wiggberg, the riders will wear the London-based brand’s eyewear on and off the bike.

Avail Optics goes big in 2024. After two years of development, the eyewear and goggles brand launches officially with a collaboration with the Crankworx Triple Crown Champion Emil Johansson. On March 1, the Emil signature goggle has been launched.

“Avail optics presented me with the opportunity to develop my own Freeride goggle. Something I’ve always wanted to have input in. Allowing me to compete with the highest level of product, designed specifically for the job.

After a few years of R&D & real world testing during training sessions and in the biggest events on the circuit like Crankworx & Rampage. I am super stoked to now launch these new Freeride goggles together with Avail Optics. They feature super wide, dual pane, magnetic lenses and will launch in 3 signature colorways”. – Emil Johansson.

The Johansson MTB goggle feature super wide panoramic, dual pane lenses with Primatic® coating, 7 point magnetic lenses and Avail’s trade mark ClipLoc® security system.

“Working with Emil on this project has been perfect. Our vision is to design market leading products and Emil’s philosophy in attention to detail matches that of Avail. We fine tuned the Johansson goggle a number of times until we were 100% satisfied. The fact that Emil won six rounds of the CWX tour during the R&D phase was testament to the testing and the product we have developed.” – Avail Optics Team.

Avail Optics aims to make a name for themselves quickly in the sports industry, especially in biking. The company will equip Alma Wiggberg from Sweden, Jake100 and Jake Atkinson (Red Bull Rookie of the year 2023), both from the UK, as well as young Japanese prodigy Ayato Kimura. Their roster includes Baxter Maiwald, Luke Parker, Miguel Guerrero, Alejandro Bonafe, as well as the moto pilot Bradley Smith. Talents with a unique, confident style in line with Avail Optics’ DNA, which aims to marry performance and fashion.

The brand started the season last week at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania, with Baxter Maiwald, who took a 12th place. Avail optics will be seen at major events, such as the Crankworx World Tour stops, where Emil Johansson enters as the defending Triple Crown of Crankworx Champion. Alma Wiggberg, Jake Atkinson, Baxter Maiwald and Luke Parker also will be competing at different stages from the CWX World Tour. On the other hand, Jake100 and Ayato Kimura express their creativity and talent in their mind-blowing videos.

For Avail Optics, it’s all about combining technical attributes with fashion. The glasses are ideal for both sports and drinks on a terrace in Paris. In short, the perfect eyewear for everything from a run to a wedding. All athletes will be using the new Johansson goggle but also the models Pasaana, Vespaar and Nixus from the Sports Performance range and Espirion. Pheryon and Oktaro from the Active performance range.

Avail Optics, a multi-sport company with two eyewear lines – Sport Performance & Active Performance – has found a new outlet in mountain biking. Riding in total freedom in breathtaking landscapes.

Founded by former professional riders, the British brand’s lightweight eyewear features Interchangeable ClipLoc ® Base frame, adjustable fit nose piece and multi position interchangeable Pulvilligrip® ear stems. Features that make the glasses the perfect companion at home on both the sports field and cruising around town.

Follow Avail Optics on social media:

Instagram : www.instagram.com/availoptics/

The city of Okinawa in the eponymous prefecture in the absolute south of Japan is certainly a popular subtropical holiday destination, but has no reputation as a mountain bike Mecca. Until now! Mountain bike freerider Ayato Kimura has recognized the incredible potential of the city for urban freeride of the rougher kind and shows in his new video “Tropical Vibes – Ayato’s Way” what he imagines a summer vacation in Okinawa to be like.

Ayato Kimura is known for his unique style, which combines technically demanding trials riding with raw freeride and downhill elements. “Tropical Vibes – Ayato’s Way” is clearly more about downhill and freeride and Ayato not only demands a lot from himself, but also from his Specialized Demo. With countless stair sets, massive gaps, wall rides, a front flip into the flat and a suicide no hander, the 19-year-old from Gunma shows that he easily lives up to his great role models.

“Filming was actually planned for two weeks but ended up taking a whole month. As a result, however, the video now shows the full range of my skills and I’m very happy about that. I’m most proud of the front flip with the downhill bike. I really wanted to have it in the video, even though I had hardly tried it out before. The fact that we didn’t need a ramp to do it, but were able to use ‘natural’ terrain, makes it even better.” – Ayato Kimura

Overall, the production of “Tropical Vibes – Ayato’s Way” had a few hurdles to overcome. For example, Ayato had broken his collarbone in the Whistler skate park just six weeks before filming started. Also, he had no prior experience on a downhill bike. Choosing the Specialized Demo with its aluminum frame proved to be the right choice: the bike survived the countless hard impacts that Ayato’s powerful riding demanded without any damage. However, despite several attempts, Ayato will have to tackle the eleven-meter drop (36 feet) again on his next Okinawa vacation.

“The biggest challenge and at the same time the most dangerous trick was definitely the eleven-meter drop. After we discovered it by chance towards the end of the shoot, I quickly realized that I really wanted to try it. We had a day to prepare the jump and landing before I gave it a go for the first time. In the air, I felt like I was at the Red Bull Rampage – I’d never had so much airtime before. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough momentum when I jumped off, landed too short and crashed. With minor injuries to my legs and face, I had to abort the action and when we tried again during the second part of the shoot, it unfortunately didn’t work out any better. But the drop is definitely still on my bucket list.” – Ayato Kimura

Okinawa’s impressive cityscape with its many downhill options and picturesque beaches is also one of Ayato’s favorite places off the bike. And of course, a tropical vibes video should not miss out on surfing: bike and rider also cut a fine figure on the water.

“Upon first hearing about Ayato’s film concept, it had a lot of us at the brand excited – and we’re even more pleased with how he’s brought his vision to life. We hope you all enjoy this project as much as we do, and hope it inspires you to ride.” – Fiona Swartz, Global Sports Marketing Manager – Freeride & Gravel | Specialized Bicycle Components

Ayato Kimura:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayato_trials/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ayato_trials

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ayato_trials

Munich, 5 February 2024 – It’s official. GT Bicycles has signed Thomas Genon, aka Tommy G. The Californian bike brand, founded in 1972, will start supporting the Belgian rider for his first competition of the season, Red Bull Hardline in Tasmania, on 23 and 24 February.

GT or TG. The two initials were just waiting for their partnership. The Californian bike brand now equips Thomas Genon, aka Tommy G, a freeride legend with ten consecutive Red Bull Rampage participations.  The Belgian rider will ride a Fury Carbon frame, designed for downhill mountain biking. A return to his teenage years for Thomas, who fell asleep one Christmas Eve in the 2000s with his new GT frame, found under the Christmas tree, before turning professional.

“I am thrilled to be joining this iconic brand. The feeling I got with the GT team has been great so far. They understand my sport, my passion and they all ride bikes and are very familiar with the freeride scene. I feel like I am at the right place and this gets me pumped for the future “, comments Thomas Genon.

GT Bicycles, which signed a multi-year contract with the rider, had a frame customized by Alistair Mclean of Fat Creations Custom Paints. A true collaboration between artist and rider. With a purple color and the initials GT x TG, visible, sealing their partnership.  The set-up was filmed by Jules Langeard, Tommy G’s go-to videographer.

“Wow TG on GT, what a great announcement. We are very excited to welcome Tommy G to the party here at GT! What an amazing story this is, he started out riding GT as a kid trying to make a name for himself. Full circle, now he is bringing his amazing riding back to where it all started. He is the latest to join our Wrecking Crew here where we are all about Fast Lines and Good Times. I speak for the whole team when I say we are all so stoked to have you back with GT . . . TG!” – Jason Schiers, Managing Director from GT Bicycles.

Thomas joins GT’s roster of some of the most accomplished riders in mountain biking, including Brage Vestavik, Tyler McCaul, Eliot Lapotre, David Lieb, Wyn Masters and Hans Rey. He also joins GT alongside newcomer Jake Atkinson.

Born in 1993, Tommy G has become a pillar of the slopestyle and freeride scene. In 2012, the Belgian rider won Red Bull Joyride in slopestyle at the age of 18. Three years later, he became number one of the FMB Diamond Series Overall.  As for Red Bull Rampage, he has exceptional longevity, with 10 consecutive participations and eight top 10 finishes.

Follow Thomas on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ThomasGenonMTB
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thomasgenon

Follow GT Bicycles on social media:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/gtbicycles
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@gtbicycles 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@GTBicycles1 

New tricks, new lines, new best times. Boundaries are there to be pushed. This applies in the world of mountain biking, as in any other extreme sport. When street trials and freeride pro Gabriel Wibmer sets his sights on such a limit, it is usually spectacular – often with the attribute “don’t try this at home”. This is also the case this time, when everything revolves around the Austrian’s choice of bike. Instead of enduro or downhill, he sends his CANYON gravel bike on a tour de force through some of the most famous bike parks in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

The Lienz and Kals bike parks in East Tyrol, the Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide in Switzerland, the Innsbruck and Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis bike parks in Tyrol, and the Samerberg bike park in Germany are true mountain bike paradises. But instead of full suspension, wide flat bars and knobby tires, Gabriel Wibmer relies on the exact opposite: no suspension, drop bars and – at least for him – an unusual geometry with significantly narrower tires. That’s right, Gabriel Wibmer rides his CANYON Grizl gravel bike. In fact, only two identical bikes were used in the entire edit, both of which survived filming unscathed.

And that’s saying something, because Gabriel didn’t spare himself or the material: “Riding trails on the gravel bike was intense. I’m used to zero suspension from the trials bike, but the drop bar and the geometry were quite a challenge. Your head is so far forward that you’re almost hanging upside down on the bike, the brakes on the drop bars are elsewhere than I’m used to and that combined with single trails and jumps – that was pretty intense. The low weight of the bike was also a problem when jumping, as even the tiniest gusts of wind could cause real trouble. Estimating the right speed wasn’t easy either – the gravel bike is so much faster than a downhill bike. Also, you feel every single stone and every brake bump.”

The most difficult scene turned out to be the Crankworx Whip-Off jump in Innsbruck. Despite Gabriel and his team only needing two attempts, they were primarily a mental challenge. For more “normality”, Gabriel held the bike at the top of the handlebars and therefor had no chance to brake during the roll-in. Bottom line: he had to jump, whether it was too fast, too slow or just right.

“We wanted to do something completely new that no one had done before us. And since gravel biking is generating a lot of hype right now, it made sense to do something cool with it and take it into a new level. At the beginning we didn’t really know how far we could push things. I’m super happy with the result and how we made every idea come to life. However, during the video shoot, I also realized how cool it is that mountain bikes exist.” – Gabriel Wibmer

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