Mountain biking demands and develops several skills: besides physical fitness, it also improves your ability to make fast decisions, motor coordination and endurance. The sport has many fans across the world for a reason, even if due to its special hardware requirements it’s not the cheapest activity.
Mountain biking is not legal everywhere
You have to pay special attention not only when buying your gear, but also when picking your location. The so-called “Forestry Act” and the Environmental Protection Act set several requirements for mountain bikers in nature. According to the Forestry Act, biking is allowed in the forests owned by the national and local governments only on properly marked hiking trails, and only if there are no exceptional restrictions in effect. This is especially applicable in the case of protected and highly protected natural areas, where leaving the designated hiking and bike trails is not allowed, as careless visitors might destroy protected plants and – for downhill biking in particular – might contribute to soil erosion on rocky terrains.