Mountain biking in Stuttgart: the basin full of trail potential
If you want to understand the appeal of mountain biking in Stuttgart, the best place to start is the lively Marienplatz in Südstadt. Young people casually show off their wheelie skills to guests in the surrounding cafés, while a group of mountain bikers sit on the ground next to their bikes and enjoy kebabs from the nearby grill.
Marienplatz is not only a popular starting point and destination for many MTB tours in the surrounding forests, but also a stop on the "Zacke" - the cog railroad that takes pedestrians and cyclists up to Degerloch in comfort.
Up there, on the wooded edges around the Stuttgart Kessel, an astonishing number of rewarding trails await the city's mountain bikers - but only three of them are "open". Open means here: They are not legal or official, but there are no penalties for riding them.
How more legal trails in Stuttgart would help nature
This proximity between trails in nature and the state capital is one of the things that Steffen Reichmann is so enthusiastic about. He is a volunteer group leader for the "Kesselradler", the MTB section of the DAV Swabia. Together with other members, he looks after the open trail "KB2". It has been a long road until this and the two other trails were given this status, and there are still many more illegal trails.
"A wider range of official trails would not only benefit bikers, but also nature: an attractive range of trails would steer people better so that sensitive natural areas could be better protected."
The sheer number of mountain bikers makes it abundantly clear that they should be guided: according to "Mountainbike Stuttgart e.V.", there are an estimated 60,000 of them in and around Stuttgart.
KB2 trail in Stuttgart is a pleasure for all riding levels
Philipp is the trail patron for KB2. he has been riding his MTB in the forests around Stuttgart for around 15 years. As a trail sponsor, he has to check the trail regularly and send a report to the responsible forester once a month, confirming that everything is in order: for example, that there are no dangerous spots such as fallen trees, shortcuts or new elements. On a day in October, two VAUDE employees are out on the KB2 with him.
They set off on the trail together. At the beginning it goes steeply downhill, then steeply uphill - the roller coaster feeling pulls up the corners of your mouth. Small waves entice beginners and pros alike: Some carefully feel their way towards jumping, others pull off and are rewarded with good airtime. Heels alternate with curves, the group is in the flow and arrives at the bottom at Schrebergärten with big grins on their faces.
Get out the folding spades
The fact that the trail appeals to all riding levels is of course no coincidence: "I make sure that it retains its character with lots of little gimmicks," says Philipp. When he is out and about on his MTB in his role as trail mentor, he often simply has his folding spade in his rucksack. "For me, that's part of biking, then spending another 30 to 45 minutes mending the trail." Today, he wants to pave the trail with stones where puddles and mud holes often form. Because when mountain bikers ride through them, the trail always becomes washed out or wider.
So pedal up again and unpack the folding spades. Some of the group drains the water from the puddles via ditches and digs depressions for stones to stabilize the trail. Others shovel soil into bags and heave it onto the trail, where they pour it out to fill in the puddles and repair the trail. It smells of damp earth, the ringing of the spade echoes through the forest, every now and then someone gasps with exertion.
Philipp is not only involved with the DAV, but also with "Mountainbike Stuttgart e.V.". This association looks after the two other "open" trails, "Arizona" and "Indiana", as well as the "Woodpecker" downhill trail. 2nd Chairman Felix Gaiser and Philipp are not so much interested in the association as they are in the cause: creating the MTB community in Stuttgart and officially approved trails together. They are not alone in this: "Many people are in both clubs," says Philipp.
The "Mountainbike Stuttgart" has existed since 2020. Felix is also on the ride. "In the beginning, the number of members exploded," he says. According to him, there are now around 1,500 members. According to Steffen, the DAV-Schwaben has around 40,000 members, around 200 of whom are also active in the MTB section of the group on a voluntary basis.
Two clubs - one community
While Ben and Philipp continue shoveling and hauling a stone, Ann-Christin talks about what she likes about Stuttgart as an MTB location. She organizes at least one tour in and outside of Stuttgart every week in summer for the DAV section. "For me, it's the community," she says.
For her, being outdoors together, having fun on the bike and improving through play are all part of it. But it also involves raising awareness of togetherness and nature compatibility. If the trails are wet, they only ride on gravel; otherwise the trails are washed out and become wider from year to year.
Ben and Philipp have now renewed two waves. Philipp skips the second wave, but ends up too far to the right. "You have to swing out in the bend beforehand," he says - and gets over the two hills cleanly on his second attempt.
Satisfied, the group packs their folding spades and bags back into their rucksacks. A few more meters of descent await. The route continues over flowing passages with small berms and a few rooty sections. You surf further and further down from bend to bend. One more steep root field and the group is back at the edge of the forest near the allotments.
From the trail to Stuttgart city center
From there, it's just five minutes by MTB to Stuttgart city center. Every now and then Philipp rides on the back wheel; mountain biking is also possible in the city. The hungry group picks up their lunch at a barbecue, rolls on to Marienplatz and eats kebab and falafel to their satisfaction.
Their minds wander: What a contrast! Just a moment ago on the trail and now in the middle of the city. There are so many wonderful trails just a few kilometers away - and only three of them are open, as they say here. So much potential! Nevertheless, it's encouraging to see how local communities are getting involved and driving solutions forward.
"Hey, what a coincidence," Philipp suddenly says, interrupting the flow of thoughts. He greets an approaching mountain biker. It's Gabi, responsible for the Instagram account of the MTB group of the DAV Schwaben, "die Kesselradler". He's in the mood for a bike ride and joins in without further ado.
On this day, the Zacke will take you back up together so that guests can enjoy the view of the city. While they make their way home to Lake Constance, the people of Stuttgart treat themselves to another descent through the forest down the basin, back into the hustle and bustle of the city.
Find out more about how local initiatives are campaigning for legal trails:
- The godparents: legal mountain bike trails in the Rems-Murr district
- The Italian Way – Trail development and community engagement in the Vinschgau
Ben has already discussed how to achieve relaxed coexistence on the trails in the VAUDE Podcast with Nico Graaff from the Mountain Bike Tourism Forum Germany.