Official MTB trails in Germany

The 450-metre trail at Unterholz e.V. offers everything free-riders, downhillers and other trail enthusiasts could wish for: With numerous tables, doubles, flat curves and even high-speed passages, everyone gets their money's worth. The trail is challenging in some places, but these sections can be easily avoided by MTB beginners.

Whether novice or professional, everyone will find the right route at Teterow. Club members can use the route free of charge, but guests are also welcome. However, you should ask the club beforehand. Every Friday, there is an official training session with experienced coaches.

With a length of more than 2 kilometres, the Bad Endbach Trail is the longest official trail in all of Hesse. Here you can surf through berms, make spectacular jumps or let off steam on the boulders and bumpy root fields. The trail also offers 120 metres of various Northshore elements.

Particularly beneficial for bikers with different levels of experience: beginners can take the blue route, advanced bikers should look for the red route, and the pros should take the black downhill route. If you don't just want to speed downhill, choose the 10 km circuit through the spectacular hinterland.

At 29 km long and 950 m of elevation, the MIL circuit is a challenging mix of uphills and downhills. It consists of a total of seven sections with varying degrees of difficulty. The challenges range from berms and kickers to boulder fields and serpentines.

The course is well signposted and orientation is easy even for newcomers. Throughout the route, several vantage points offer a spectacular view of Miltenberg. The trail is managed by Mountainbike-Miltenberg e.V.

Starting in Degerloch, this downhill trail leads directly into Stuttgart city centre. The relatively short trail has a lot to offer over 120 hm and a length of one kilometre: bumps, drops, a boulder field and Northshore elements.

If you want to get to the starting point comfortably, you can use the "Zacke". But be careful: especially on nice days, as there are often long queues. Sporty types therefore ride or push their bike up. Depending on your bike and fitness, this takes between 15 and 20 minutes.

The Canadian Trail offers one of the longest descents of any official German trail with 3.6 km and 450 m of vertical drop. The Freiburg Trail begins on the Kybfelsensattel and ends just before the Sternwaldwiese. The trail got its name because it was created by Canadian designers.

The trail is suitable for beginners and experts alike. The trail has the potential to become addictive, which is why many bikers pedal up again right after their first descent. As the trail is not fenced off, please watch out for pedestrians!

This trail is natural, 7 km long and sponsored by the Bavarian State Forests. It is reserved exclusively for bikers. The trail starts at the Langenau Almen and then leads downhill to the Schwaiger Alm.

The trail is more suitable for beginners (S0/S1 on the single trail scale), has some rough passages and meadow sections as well as small bends, rollers and even a small Northshore bridge. Since it is relatively flat, you will have to pedal frequently. The route is well signposted, making it easy to find your way around.

Trail riding refers to riding on local trails, also called singletracks. This is a combination of cross-country and downhill: a varied trail offers climbs, some flat sections, combined with fast-paced downhill sections.

"Cross-country" is the term used to describe riding on local trails, also called singletrack.

"Cross-country" or "XC": This is where the focus is on best times and altitude metres. These races are held over long distances. XC bikes are mostly hardtails with less suspension travel at the front, but they are more efficient and more propulsive on the flat and uphill.

Downhill biking - as the name suggests - focuses on the descent. Downhill bikes have a particularly stout chassis with up to 200 mm of suspension travel front and rear. This allows these bikes to master big jumps, high speeds and extremely rough terrain.

The beauty of trail mountain biking is the variety of different riding styles. Beginners are also on the right track here: because with trail riding, you learn the basics of riding technique and later you can choose the course that gives you the most fun.

In addition to our guidebook, there are a number of good websites that can help you find the best trails. You can also get suitable literature for specific regions from bookshops. Various apps such as Komoot or Strava can also help you find great trails all over Germany. The apps also help you find your way around during your tour.

Good trail bikes have a balanced geometry that makes them efficient uphill and smooth downhill - with the focus always on fun. Full-suspension bikes are widely used because they offer the best traction and maximum riding enjoyment.

For good reason, the Canyon models Neuron and Spectral are international bestsellers. Likewise, hardtails like the Grand Canyon have a fan base due to their lower weight and more dynamic acceleration.

Trail bikes have a longer reach compared to XC bikes. This optimises handling when tackling trails and obstacles. The seat angle of a trail bike is steeper than that of an XC bike, which makes climbing easier.

Today, most bikes come with seat posts that can be lowered quickly at the push of a button. These so-called "telescopic seat posts" or "dropper posts" provide more freedom of movement to cruise safely downhill.

The suspension travel of trail bikes ranges from 100 mm to 160 mm - both on the rear wheel and at the front. In general, bikes with 29-inch wheels have less travel than those with 27.5-inch wheels. Enduro bikes offer even more suspension travel - between 160 mm and 180 mm. Downhill bikes reach the maximum values with 180 mm to 200 mm.

A good trail bike is a real all-rounder with one exception: steep and very fast descents should be left to a downhill bike.

At Canyon you will find a great selection of award-winning trail bikes. For example, the Canyon Stoic is brand new, a bike that cannot be rattled on the trail.

The Stoic offers modern geometry, great features and a robust frame. This hardtail is made for technical trails, daring jumps or the pump track.