The Bikepark Planai is home to one of the World Cup downhill courses in Austria. But the small Styrian town at the foot of the Dachstein also has plenty to offer bikers away from the 1000-metre downhill route. Together with the guys from the WS crew, we tried to find out whether the bike offer has similar potential to the World Ski Championship-proven winter sports offer.
The finish stadium at Planaibahnen is familiar to many from the annual Nightrace. More than 50,000 people often fill the stadium for the men's World Cup slalom. In summer, things are much more tranquil here, but the advantages of the finish area in the middle of the town center also benefit the bikers. And anyone who has had enough of biking in Schladming has the opportunity to ski or snowboard a few laps in the summer fun park on the neighboring Dachstein glacier.
Trails
The bike park offers six different routes, some of which can be combined into one route on a ride from the mountain station to the valley station. The fast, World Cup-tested downhill WC course is certainly legendary. It gets down to business here. In addition to many high-speed jumps that are known far beyond the borders of Austria, there are also some technical sections to master, such as jumps into a root carpet, which require a lot of courage as well as the necessary technique. If you don't feel up to these features yet, you don't have to miss out on the Downhill WC course, but can ride around these sections on the so-called Downhill Advanced course. Since the European Downhill Cup, a very steep, technical forest passage has also been available off the downhill course. This can be reached from one of the bends to the right of the downhill course.
Somewhat forgotten on the Planai are the trails away from the downhill WC route. Rookie Trail, Flow Line and Jack Lumber Trail are a great addition and definitely worth more than a short trip. The trails are suitable for beginners and offer small step-ups and step-downs, as well as wooden Northshore trails and drops. Parts of the routes can also be combined with the downhill route. However, this is where the disadvantage of the trails often becomes apparent: even riders who are not in Schladming for the first time are not always quite sure where to access which section of the trails. This is because the entrances can often be reached via longer crossings away from the downhill section.
With the MTB beginners' circuit and the MTB Planai circuit, there are also two cross-country circuits available.
Infrastructure
Bike wash station, store, workshop and rental seem almost a matter of course. The Alp Reif Bike Center directly in the finish stadium deserves a special mention. The guys are competent and friendly and also good for a tip on what else you can do in the region apart from biking. There are plenty of parking spaces in the finish stadium and the adjacent parking garage, and if you want to take a shower before heading home, you can do that too. Everything else is taken care of in the directly adjacent town center of Schladming. There are two supermarkets directly across the road from the bike park and many of the accommodations can also be easily reached without a car.
Conclusion
The Bikepark Planai is home to one of the most enjoyable and challenging downhill trails in the Alps. But that's not the only reason why it's always worth a visit: the directly adjacent infrastructure of a tourist region makes a visit particularly appealing and allows you to combine a bike excursion with a short summer vacation.
What we like
1000 m of high-speed bolting on the downhill WC course
The location right in the city center with all the associated amenities
What we still wish for:
Better connections / signage to the trails away from the downhill WC route
Real single trails that take advantage of the 1000 hm of the Planaibahn
Infos about the bike park
Address:
CoburgstraĂźe 52
8970 Schladming
Styria - Austria
Phone: +43 (0) 3687 24100-30
Accommodation
Tourismusmarketing GmbH Schladming-Dachstein
+43 (0) 3687 233 10
info@schladming-dachstein.at
