Solothurn is the venue for the Bike Days for the seventh time. This picturesque baroque city offers perfect conditions for a national festival. This is partly due to the city’s central location within Switzerland and partly due to the fact that it offers plenty of space for a large variety of contests and the public fair. As Solothurn’s inner city is car-free and the Weissenstein as the local mountain is accessed by a new-built cable car, the city offers the best possible terrain to test bicycles. Apart from that, the old entrenchments and the city walls serve as a picturesque setting for the crosscountry races and the mtb dirt jump contest.
Apart from all the contests, the public bicycle fair serves as the Bike Days’ second top priority. With about 130 exhibitor and 275 brands on display, this fair offers a comprehensive choice of booths. Image: Bike-Channel.ch/Pixair
As every year the Öufi Cup serves as the official kickoff event. Various teams consisting of VIPs and partners of the Bike Days compete for the coveted challenge cup. To honour one of the big trends of late, the daring riders will be competing on fat bikes this year.
As for the BMC Racing Cup, top athletes such as the reigning World champion Julien Absalon (FRA) will be starting in Solothurn.
The festival has built an international reputation thanks to its contests as well: After having been part of the Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour for several years, the dirt jump contest has been upgraded to a silver event within the FMB World Tour, one category higher than thus far. This boasts the relevance of the contest held in Solothurn, attracting even higher-profile riders to compete in Switzerland.
The reigning World champion Julien Absalon (FRA) and last year’s winner and runner-up at the World championships Nino Schurter (SUI) will go head-to-head.
For the first time Solothurn will be hosting the initial event of the international BMX Flatland World Circuit series. «As a result of ongoing talks, we have managed to include Solothurn into the list of venues for the international BMX Flatland World Circuit series», Erwin Flury as the president of the organizing committee confirms. After Solothurn’s event, the BMX Flatland World Circuit will be held in venues such as Barcelona (ESP), New Orleans (USA), Montreal (CAN) and Kobe (JAP).
Apart from all these contests, the public bicycle fair serves as the Bike Days’ second top priority. With about 130 exhibitor and 275 brands on display, this fair offers a comprehensive choice of booths. All the latest trends and developments in the world of bicycles will be on display. In addition a number of both domestic and international destinations will be presenting their offerings for bicycle-related holidays.
The visitors also get to enjoy expert advice and a wide variety of workshops. All kind of bicycles – ranging from e-bikes to mountain bikes, downhill bikes or townies – are ready for test rides, and one trend that is sure to make its presence felt will be Fat Bikes.
While a layman might mistake them for bicycles with monster-sized tires, Fat Bikes indeed are the latest trend from overseas, rolling on tires that are up to 5 inches wide. These tires offer plenty of float and traction to ride on snow or sand, but they also work in cities. Wherever you ride them, they are sure to give you a unique, new riding sensation. And slowly but surely the Fat Bike trend is gaining traction in Switzerland. Local retailers who already sell Fat Bikes are convinced that this trend will be long lasting. As for the Bike Days 2015, expect a variety of Fat Bikes to be both on display and ready for test rides.
Thanks to the legendary Bike Nights the action in Solothurn’s Rythalle stretches way into the night. Starting at 9pm on both Friday and Saturday, Flatland riders and breakdance artists face off for spectacular and energetic battles. On Friday evening the World’s best Flatland riders are going to compete in a battle of nations, while they face the Swiss breakdance crew Ruff’n’X on Saturday. For the first time the legendary Bike Nights will be hosted by the style-oriented sportswear manufacturer Zimtstern. A mix of DJs, FreeJs and video sets will keep visitors moving into the wee hours in Solothurn’s Rythalle.
Flatland riders and breakdance artists face off for spectacular and energetic battles at the legendary Bike Nights.
Photos: © Michael Suter
Source: http://www.bikedays.ch
