I LOVE nature. And this week, my highlight this year, was cycling in a bike park in Austria. Austria turns its assets well. Slopes for skiing in winter are cycling and hiking hills in the summer. And one of these is the Wexl trails an hour’s drive from Vienna.

The cycling trails are marked the same way as downhill ski trails. They are colour-coded blue, red, and black for easier, difficult, and expert respectively. There are green trails for kiddies and beginners but not on the top of the mountain.

Everything is so well organised. A bike park is a designated location for downhill mountain bikers to test their downhill prowess. Ski lifts take bikers up to the end of the lift, from there cyclists have their choice of trails to cycle down depending on their adventure level. Just as it is with skiing.

But we, my husband Markus and I, did something a little different. Wexl also has an option of cycling to the top of the mountain and cycling down the same trail and onto the bike park trails lower on the mountain. Remarkable planning and maintenance.

It was my first time in a bike park and my first time summiting a mountain with a bicycle. It turned out to be a 37 km roundtrip to the peak and back. What an experience! I had to rent a bicycle to do this, and I rented an e-bike. As my fitness level is still not where it should be I decided on an e-bike. That was a first for me too and an e-bike takes some getting used to.

The e-bikes are much heavier and therefore not easy to manoeuvre. They come with various settings. I was using the eco option so that I could experience the ride like I was riding unassisted. I wanted to keep Markus company as he was on his bike (no e). Pure endurance!

I did try out all four settings – eco, tour, emtb, turbo. Turbo was just too much force and I liked eco the best. Tour came in handy when the gradient got a bit too steep. I still had a good workout and enjoyed the scenery.  

The views and scenery were breathtaking. It’s hard to describe and the few pictures here do not do it justice. It was hard work cycling up to the peak even with the e-bike. The terrain towards the peak changed and became rockier making peddling more difficult. The weather changed too. It became cooler and windier. Lucky, we were prepared. Experience with mountains taught us well. Warm and rain gear is always a must.

We made it to the peak having climbed approximately 900 metres and then came the downhill adventure. After all that climbing it was time to enjoy the downhill. The single trails are not the easiest near the peak. A new bike adds an added adventure to the ride. There is considerably more skill required to go downhill.

But I did it and finally got to the bike park where I chose to do the blue flow trail (#6 on the map) back to the bottom. What fun it was. The trail meanders through the hill with little or no peddling required. It was all about momentum, confidence, and a relaxed stance. It took me a while to get into the rhythm but when I did, it was exhilarating. So much fun! There is skill involved and lucky I learned to trust my bike and brain and let my body do the rest. My heart rate was elevated. Downhill is hard work too.

I did not take any photos in the bike park. It is a single trail, and it was too dangerous to stop to take photos but suffice to say it left me wanting more!

I aim to get my fitness back and do the Wexl peak again with my bicycle. No e. Our bodies are so capable of reaching the fitness we require with the right training. I better get started now!

New experiences are a gift for the brain, body and soul. But it is up to us to seek them.

As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com

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