(City) people have always sought and found a balance to everyday life in nature. The forms of movement have changed or differentiated. 
And so today people hike, ride or bike through the landscape to satisfy their need for relaxation, nature and exercise.
Unfortunately, the different forms of locomotion when encountering each other also cause conflicts. The accusation that mountain bikers bother hikers and destroy the natural environment has recently been raised. Three editors of pressedienst- Fahrrad take a stand on this and plead for more consideration among forest users instead of blanket hostilities and bans.
Of apples and pears and unmixed discourses
by Gunnar Fehlau, Managing Director of pressedienst- Fahrrad
The scenario is stereotypical: city dwellers in hiking boots looking for relaxation and peace feel disturbed by sporty mountain bikers in the forest and point out how harmful biking is for nature and wildlife. Her complaint to the local administration is then expanded to include the fact that driving in the forest is sometimes illegal.
As a mountain biker, I like to discuss to what extent my way of using the forest disturbs other forest visitors. As a mountain biker, I also like to engage in a discussion about the type and extent of any environmental pollution caused by the way I use the forest. As a mountain biker, I naturally submit to the separation of powers in our democracy.
But these are three different discussions that must not be mixed up: I can drive legally and disturb hikers without harming the environment. I can travel illegally without damaging nature or disturbing other people seeking relaxation.
So, which topic do we start with? Undisturbed recreation, environmental pollution or legality? One thing at a time - and soon we will find solutions for the benefit of all. We (mutually) owe this sort of discussion to one another, because after all I cycle to use the forest in my way (i.e. from home to the trail), while a large number of hikers drive to the edge of the forest by car. And against the ground damage of a harvester in the forest, MTB tires are the famous peanuts. How does it say so beautifully in the Bible? Let him who is without sin cast the first stone...
Personal responsibility instead of clan liability
by H. David Koßmann, editor at pressedienst- Fahrrad
The basis of the discussion about mountain bikes in the woods is local recreation. First of all, everyone has a right to that, whether she jogs, he walks or she rides a bicycle.
What bothers me the most is the undifferentiated argumentation of the authorities and the media about mountain bikers, because it leads to clan imprisonment. But like everywhere else, there are egoists among mountain bikers and those interested in the common good. It is cheap and polemical to infer all from individuals. Mountain bikers are an easy target because, unlike other interest groups such as hikers, hunters or foresters, they do not have a lobby that has grown over generations. Curse and blessing!
There is no question that a city forest that is used in a variety of ways cannot be the place where German bikers recreate Canadian videos and carve out slopes that require full body protection to drive on. Hooded, colorful warriors with full-face helmets can cavort in the growing number of bike parks, or, in consultation with the municipal forest administration, look after somewhat more remote spots than the green escape destinations of tired city dwellers. Unfortunately, there is often a sense of stubbornness on both sides that stands in the way of consensus.
Who is actually having a problem with whom?
by Thomas Danz, editor at pressedienst- Fahrrad and mountain bike guide in the Harz Mountains
Sometimes I get the feeling that the conflicts between hikers and mountain bikers, but also the negative effects of cycling on nature, are artificially created or dramatized. It is far from my intention to unmask a conspiracy of third user groups here, only in my long mountain bike career I have noticed little or nothing of the conflicts. When I met hikers on technical trails, instead of indignation, I heard enthusiasm for “my skills” on two wheels. Of course, I deliberately slowed down the pace in these encounters and always thanked the other person for letting me drive past. Because as you drive into the forest, so you drive out again ... something like that isn't it? Even in talks with the hiking lobby in the Harz Mountains, there was no sign of resentment towards mountain bikers. Rather, I learned that many hikers themselves are quite happy to swap their hiking sticks for handlebars. Times and zeitgeist are changing and it would be unfair to deny hikers the acceptance of more modern forms of forest and trail use.
The pressedienst- Fahrrad is a member of the Deutsche Initiative Mountainbike e. V. and recommends the homepage of the association (www.dimb.de) for more information.