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
