International Mountain Bicycling Association – Swiss
IMBA Swiss is committed to the sustainable promotion of mountain biking in Switzerland.
Today we celebrate World Bicycle Day and honour the bicycle because it improves people’s lives by promoting health, climate, economy and connection with nature.
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly decided to declare 3 June as World Bicycle Day ‘to commemorate the importance of the bicycle as one of the cleanest, most economical and sustainable modes of transport’. We at IMBA Switzerland are proud to be part of this story.
Press release Swiss Cycling – 30.05.2024 (translated by IMBA with DeepL)
Together with partner organisations, Swiss Cycling has revitalised and expanded the awareness campaign for the Mountain Bike Code. The core objective is to familiarise recreationists with and without bikes with the benefits of coexistence on trails.
Respect takes centre stage – respect for other people and for nature. The Mountain Bike Code, created on the initiative of SwitzerlandMobility, serves as an excellent awareness-raising tool. Simple messages such as ‘Stay on the trail’, ‘Take care of the environment’ and ‘Know your limits’ form the guidelines that show bikers the way when dealing with other recreational users as well as with nature and wildlife.
Swiss Cycling published six specially produced animated videos in spring 2023 in order to disseminate the content of the Code more widely. In a second step, a partnership was formed with the BFU, IMBA Switzerland, the Swiss Alpine Club SAC, Switzerland Mobil and SUVA for the current season, which increased both reach and acceptance. The six videos from the previous year have been supplemented with six additional clips; each clip explains one aspect of the Code.
The core objective of the awareness-raising campaign is underpinned by the slogan ‘Respect, share, enjoy’: respect the needs of other trail users as well as those of nature. Share the recreational area with representatives of other interest groups – peaceful coexistence leads to coexistence. Enjoy your ride and the opportunity to actively relax in the fresh air.
The animated videos will be gradually published via the channels of the partner organisations from 31 May. From the end of June, all videos will be available on the Swiss Cycling website. Paloma Kilchenmann, Co-Head of Policy & Mobility, states: ‘The Code in general and coexistence in particular form the basis for the protection of people and nature. The more people we reach with our campaign, the lower the risk that the sounds of nature will be accompanied by discordant tones.’
The BlenioBike association was founded in 2012 to promote the Mountain Bike as a sport, both as a tourist goal for the region Blenio Valley and as an activity for the young and the young at heart.
This week we are welcoming the BlenioBike association as a regional member of IMBA Switzerland. We look forward to a good collaboration for the benefit of the MTB community.
IMBA Switzerland and Trailfriends Canton Zurich will be pitching their tent from Thu, 23 – Sun, 26 May 2024 at the CYCLE WEEK Campus near the Saalsporthalle in Brunau at stand B18. Come by, discuss with us and meet the representatives of the member organisations.
Together with the Trailfriends Canton Zurich association, we will have our own stand at the CYCLE WEEK in the Brunau. We are expecting many member organisations, some of which will be personally represented at the stand. Together we are looking forward to lively conversations, in-depth discussions and, above all, a good time together. Come along and be an active part of the mountain bike community in Switzerland. We look forward to seeing you!
The Mountainbike Aargau association was founded on 27 March 2024. MTB Aargau has set itself the task of being the voice of the bike community in Aargau. As the cantonal umbrella organisation, it represents the interests of bike clubs and mountain bikers vis-à-vis the canton, politicians and other organisations. The association is committed to legal and attractive trails and routes and is a central point of contact for mountain biking issues.
Shortly after its foundation, we were able to accept the Mountainbike Aargau association as a cantonal member of IMBA Switzerland. We are looking forward to a good co-operation for the benefit of the MTB community.
The VTT Jura Vaudois association was founded on 31 August 2021 with just four months’ notice. Following the impetus of several municipalities, the merger of mountain bikers in the Vaud Jura was thus realised. As an association, local mountain bikers can be approached by various authorities.
Today, we are pleased to welcome the VTT Jura Vaudois association as a regional member of IMBA Switzerland. We look forward to working together for the benefit of the MTB community.
Under the motto zäme – insieme – ensemble, planning – building – using trail infrastructure together, IMBA Switzerland, the INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN BICYCLING ASSOCIATION – SWITZERLAND and the Züriberland Biketrails association organised the MEET & RIDE 2024 in Wald ZH.
Various speakers from the fields of nature conservation, tourism, politics, hiking trail organisation and, of course, from the perspective of bikers, presented interesting facts from their specialist areas. The broad consensus: shared use of existing trail infrastructure is the best and widely accepted solution. Sometimes targeted user guidance can be useful to avoid conflicts. Bike bans without sufficient and attractive alternatives are not expedient and harbour the risk of merely postponing the conflicts.
This year’s MEET & RIDE 2024 in the Zurich Oberland was planned with spring-like, snow-free trail conditions. But nature doesn’t stick to such plans. After all, following the onset of winter with large amounts of snow, spring weather was forecast for the two days of the event on 26/27 April. And the timely comeback of spring ensured that much of the unwelcome snow melted away in good time.
The meeting with interesting presentations on bike topics took place indoors at the Bleichi in Wald ZH. The riding part of the event – i.e. the bike rides in the surrounding terrain – was to lead up the highest hills. The local organising committee of ZO Biketrails planned the tours flexibly. This meant that the programme also included great tours at somewhat lower altitudes, peppered with many long single trails. The Zurich Oberland has a lot to offer in terms of trails and scenery!
To date, it only has a sufficient and attractive bike trail infrastructure in tourist resorts that see biking as a target audience. In most other regions, demands from bike clubs still have a hard time. It takes a lot of energy and perseverance to realise trails or remove unnecessary bans. It is to be hoped that the national Cycle Route Act, which has been in force since the beginning of 2023, will help in this respect. However, it will still not work without a certain amount of pressure from cyclists, local bike associations and IMBA Switzerland, which exerts influence at national level together with partner organisations.
The feedback from participants from almost all regions of Switzerland is clear: such successful networking events are very helpful in giving the sport of MTB and its practitioners an even stronger voice!
Under the motto “zäme – insieme – ensemble”, we are focussing on cooperation at MEET & RIDE 2024. We are bringing together authorities, landowners, MTB enthusiasts and nature lovers, because only together can we create a sustainable trail infrastructure that serves everyone.
Preparations for the event in the Zurich Oberland are already in full swing and the programme has been finalised. Register now.
A big thank you goes to all the partners who are making the event possible and the speakers with their exciting presentations.
In 2024 the IMBA Europe annual Summit will take place at the Stadtgalerie in Mödling, a small town located south of Vienna, bordering the south-western part of the Wienerwald. After two consecutive IMBA Europe Summits in Alpine destinations, Val di Sole (2022) and Valposchiavo (2023), we will shift the focus of our 2024 edition to mountain biking in peri-urban areas, with its own unique challenges and opportunities.
René Wildhaber und die BikerCrew Flumserberg laden auch im Sommer 2024 – am 22. und 23. Juni – die Digger-Community zu den iXS Digger Days an den BikerBerg Flumserberg ein. Die Teilnehmer:innen erhalten am zweitägigen Event Bau-Tipps im Gelände sowie Informationen zum legalen Trailbau. Für die begehrten sechs Plätze können sich Interessierte ab dem 25.03.2024 über die Webseite renewildhaber.ch bewerben.