A World First: the Bosch eBike Uphill Flow Trail

Stuttgart/Reutlingen – Roughly 11 million Germans own a mountain bike and about 3.5 million of them are regular users. The current trend: mountain biking with an electric tailwind. With the Bosch eBike Uphill Flow Trail – the first of its kind worldwide – the "MTB Zone Bike Park Geisskopf" in Bischofsmais now offers eMountain bikers a unique experience. Three kilometres in length and with a difference in height of 280 metres, the Bosch eBike Uphill Flow Trail features a mixture of uphill and flow sections and special sections with curves and obstacles – for maximum uphill enjoyment with the eMountain bike.

Uphill trail for beginners and passionate eMountain bikers

The Geisskopf Bike Park in the Bavarian Forest has been a popular destination for keen mountain bikers since 1998. To the existing 12 trails has been added "number 13" – the Bosch eBike Uphill Flow Trail, specially designed to suit the wishes of eMountain bikers. The Uphill Flow Trail offers new sporting challenges for died-in-the-wool eBikers and ambitious beginners as well as families. Along the route the rider experiences the unique "Uphill Flow Feeling", which is only possible with an eMTB. According to bike guide and riding technique coach Stefan Schlie, "Flow is precisely the area between being "underchallenged" and being "overchallenged". An area which places demands on riders and at the same time a state in which they feel really good." With a number of variations and specifically integrated components such as banked curves, wave combinations and wall rides, the trail is also designed for different levels of ability. One-fifth of the trail is a more technically demanding section, while the main part is designed in such a way that it can be mastered by mountain bikers with different ability levels.

Tamara Winograd, Head of Marketing and Communication at Bosch eBike Systems, explains the reasons for the company's involvement: "With the Bosch eBike Uphill Flow Trail we are promoting eMountain biking for sport enthusiasts. The Geisskopf Bike Park offers diverse facilities, appeals to different target groups and is ideally suited for an eMTB trail."

Built with foresight

The Uphill Flow Trail ends at the summit of the Geisskopf with a view as far as the Arber, the highest mountain in the Bavarian Forest. The eMTB riders can then select one of the downhill routes for their return journey.
When the Bike Park was being built, the primary focus was on conservation of the ecological system. As Alexander Achatz, Head Forester at the Geisskopf, explains: "The course constructor has made a point of intruding upon the natural environment as little as possible. This means felling as few trees as possible and routing the course around the trees to ensure the sustainability of the project".
Altogether, the construction work on the Uphill Flow Trail took 75 machine-days. 30 lorry loads of crushed stone sand from the surrounding region were used to protect the trail against possible erosion. The trail will officially be opened at the "Rock The Hill" music and bike festival (June 16-18, 2017). Visitors can rent eMountain bikes locally.

No end to mountain bike boom in sight

More and more people are opting for mountain bikes with an electric tailwind. This trend is very noticeable at the Geisskopf Bike Park: in 2016, more than 16,500 bikers visited the Park at the foot of the Geisskopf mountain, which reaches a height of just under 1,100 metres. The wide range of options and facilities available means that every mountain biker finds something to suit their personal level of ability. The Bike Park not only offers visitors suitable trails for different levels of fitness and difficulty: there is also a Bike School providing riding technique training and a rental service for eMountain bikes equipped with Bosch drive systems.
"We are open to new ideas and we place great importance on continuous development. Our aim is to enable the huge number of eMountain bike fans to practise their sport here on the Geisskopf. With the support of Bosch eBike Systems we have planned and built this special trail for eMTBs", says Diddie Schneider, founder of the Geisskopf Bike Park.

Bosch eBike Systems increases its offerings for eMountain bikers

Bosch eBike Systems is promoting mountain biking with motor support: with the Performance Line CX, a drive system specially developed for sporting applications; with the new eMTB Mode which ensures a natural cycling experience and maximum control; with support for the training of eMTB guides; and with the first centralised platform for eMountain bikers in the net.
In Winograd's opinion, "Sporting uses are becoming increasingly popular. eMountain bikes, in particular, are currently enjoying a boom, with ever wider user groups. We are encoure this trend and also support the exciting projects that are boosting the sport. This includes the design and development of Uphill Flow Trails." Following the successful construction of the trail in the Geisskopf Bike Park, further projects are due to be implemented in the near future. For example, Uphill Flow Trails currently being created in the tourist centre Portes du Soleil are set to be opened to the public in the summer of 2017.

Additional information about the Bosch eBike Uphill Flow Trail is available at:

www.bosch-ebike.com/uphillflowtrail