MTBing in Kitzbuhel, Austria

[chrisga]

Hi,

Anyone know anything about MTBing in Kitzbuhel in the Summer. We have een offered the use of an apartment for a week or so and would love to know if anyone else has ridden out there. Is it possible to hire bikes over there and use lifts for uplift?

Any info appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[cone]

Went a few years ago for a long weekend via crystalactive , beautiful town and area , not overly impressed with the riding though we did have a great time . I'd say its more cross country orientated , all the locals seemed to ride uphill (strange when there's a lift) , only saw one downhill track (not very good) , the rest all were footpaths really , nothing like Les Gets etc . Maybe a guide would help if you can find one. I wouldn't go just to bike but as holiday destination - vunderbar.

[MTY4000]

I was there in the summer. I was based in Kitzbuhl itself. The tourist office have a couple of maps, one good (topographic) one OK for locating the routes but no good for navigation (areal photo style) - buy both.

Hire bikes - yes. Kitz - there is a Kona rental place http://www.mountainedge.co.uk/index.shtml, nice guy who runs it (English ex pat), and one round at Kirchberg

Lifts - yes. Main lift out of Kitz, for MTB, is the Hahnenkammberg.. and there are lifts up from Kirchberg near by and the next town along (can't remember the name..). Also some good riding round the back of the Kitzbuhel horn (lift up).

The local maps, and the locals, are your friends for routes ... the area is XC focused I would say (a 100mm / 120mm travel full sus would be ideal... but a 100mm hardtail would do too), a couple of mtb specific tracks - one of the hahnenkamm and one on the next valley... 'singletrail' is the Ausrtrian for single track.

Have fun.

If you are there for some time - worth a trip over to Leogang and Hinterglemm / Salbach for gravity orientated fun. An hour or two by car.

[MTY4000]

.. oh and if straying off the main routes, the local farmers seem to use barbed wire streatched accross the track as a gate.. so keep your eyes peeled.

[chrisga]

Thanks guys will have a look in to it!

[MTY4000]

Not a problem, I'm a big fan of Austria mtb. I'd also say consider Hinterglemm / Salbach as a base:

On the down side you might miss out on the cheap accomodation / apartment offer and Kitz is a fantastic town / area (as noted above), however Hinteglemm etc are really focused on MTB (if this is what you want) in the summer and the riding is great whatever you fancy XC / Freeride / DH / 4X .. and v easy to link the 3 main resorts by lift (Hinterglemm, Saalbach and Leogang - Freeride focused).

Not saying Kitz is not good for mtb, it is v good for XC, but if you are looking for the Austrian Morzine you won't find it there.

http://www.bike-circus.at/Information.12.0.html?L=...

Worth doing the sums - Bike Hotel Conrad in Hinterglemm is v good and not expensive - good mtb rental place at the base of the lift accross the road. Towns are not a patch on Kitz though... Just a suggestion.