German Mountain Bike Initiative

The German Mountain Bike Initiative (Deutsche Initiative Mountainbike e.V., DIMB) is a non-profit registered association founded in 1991 and headquartered in Haar near Munich, Germany. It is the country's primary advocacy body for mountain biking, working through direct lobbying, committee and association work, and public campaigns to represent the interests of mountain bikers in legal and regulatory matters. Its slogan "Open Trails!" encapsulates its goal of making all paths and trails usable by bikers wherever this is compatible with nature conservation and socially acceptable. DIMB's activities span several fields. It provides qualified training for bike guides and riding technique instructors, having trained around 400 licensed MTB guides, trail scouts, and Kids-on-Bike trainers annually since 2004 in cooperation with the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer (BDR). It offers expert advice on MTB trail building, promotes the construction of FlowTrails and certified Premium-Biketrails, and supports local initiatives to give mountain-bike-suitable path and trail networks a legal basis. Through its "Kids-on-Bike" program, it runs Germany's most comprehensive mountain biking program for children and youth, aiming to draw young people away from screens and into nature. As a membership organization, DIMB consists of a federal association with over 145,000 members as of December 2024, comprising more than 10,760 direct members and 143,749 indirect members in clubs. It has around 50 regional DIMB Interessengemeinschaften (DIMB IGs) that serve as local contacts and organize bike meetups, tours, and courses. The DIMB Racingteam, founded in 2004, is one of Germany's largest amateur racing teams with over 400 riders. The association is a full member of the Kuratorium Sport und Natur and the Bayerisches Kuratorium für Alpine Sicherheit, and is the German representation and the world's second-strongest national organization of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). In 2012 it co-founded IMBA Europe. DIMB has been involved in significant lobbying efforts, notably preventing the strictest German bike ban in Hesse in 2012 through media pressure and a petition with over 53,000 signatures, which led to a compromise incorporated into the Hessian Forest Law in 2013. It has also campaigned against the 2-meter rule in Baden-Württemberg, gathering over 58,000 supporters, though the state parliament voted to retain the rule in 2014. The association continues to work on this issue through round-table discussions. DIMB also operates its own trails, such as the DIMB BikePark Rureifel and various trail networks, and partners with sponsors and organizations like Home of Trails Graubünden.

The Deutsche Initiative Mountainbike e.V. (DIMB) was founded in 1991 as a non-profit association to promote environmentally compatible mountain biking. It is headquartered in Haar near Munich, Germany. From its early years, DIMB focused on lobbying for mountain bikers' access to trails and paths, encapsulated in its slogan "Open Trails!". The association works in committees and associations to represent bikers' interests in legal regulations. In 2004, DIMB began training licensed MTB guides and trail scouts in cooperation with the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer (BDR), training around 400 annually. That same year, the DIMB Racingteam was founded, which has grown to over 400 riders, making it one of Germany's largest amateur racing teams. Also in 2004, the "Kids-on-Bike" program was established, which has become Germany's most comprehensive mountain biking program for children and youth. Over the years, DIMB expanded its activities beyond trail access to all fields that advance mountain biking in Germany. It developed criteria catalogs for trail quality and, since 2010, has particularly promoted the construction of FlowTrails for touring riders to freeriders. From 2013, such FlowTrails and circular routes in the "Tour" and "Trailtour" categories have been certified as "Premium-Biketrails". A significant lobbying success occurred in 2012 when DIMB, through strong media pressure and a petition with over 53,000 signatures, prevented the strictest German bike ban proposed by the Hessian state government. This led to a round table under Minister Puttrich, resulting in a compromise that was incorporated into the new Hessian Forest Law passed on June 27, 2013. The law allows cycling on all paths where users can meet safely and which are created by or with the consent of forest owners, under mutual consideration. Since September 2013, DIMB has campaigned against the 2-meter rule in Baden-Württemberg, which restricts cycling on paths narrower than 2 meters. A petition gathered over 58,000 supporters, but on October 16, 2014, the Baden-Württemberg state parliament voted to retain the rule. DIMB continues to work on this issue through round-table discussions. DIMB is a full member of the Kuratorium Sport und Natur and the Bayerisches Kuratorium für Alpine Sicherheit. It is the German representation and the world's second-strongest national organization of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). In 2012, it co-founded IMBA Europe with other European associations. The DIMB Racingteam is a member of the BDR. As of December 2024, DIMB has over 145,000 members, including over 10,760 direct members and 143,749 indirect members in clubs. It has around 50 regional DIMB Interessengemeinschaften (DIMB IGs) that organize local bike meetups, tours, and courses. The federal chairman is Lothar Maier. DIMB also operates its own trails, such as the DIMB BikePark Rureifel, DIMB Himmelsleiter Trails, and various trail networks, and partners with sponsors and organizations like Home of Trails Graubünden.

• 2024

  DIMB membership reaches over 145,000 as of December.

• 2014

  Baden-Württemberg state parliament votes to retain 2-meter rule on October 16.

• 2013

  Hessian Forest Law passed on June 27 incorporating compromise; DIMB begins certifying Premium-Biketrails; starts campaign against 2-meter rule in Baden-Württemberg.

• 2012

  DIMB prevents strictest German bike ban in Hesse through petition with over 53,000 signatures; co-founds IMBA Europe.

• 2010

  DIMB begins particularly promoting the construction of FlowTrails.

• 2004

  DIMB begins training licensed MTB guides and trail scouts with BDR; DIMB Racingteam founded; Kids-on-Bike program established.

• 1991

  DIMB founded as a non-profit association.

Non-profit advocacy and service organization for mountain bikers in Germany, focused on legal trail access, education, and community.

• MTB-Guiding training

  Qualified training for bike guides, around 400 licensed annually since 2004.

• MTB-Fahrtechnik training

  Riding technique instructor training.

• Kids-on-Bike

  Germany's most comprehensive mountain biking program for children and youth.

• Trailbau consulting

  Expert advice on MTB trail building, including legalize guide and advisory team.

• Premium-Biketrails certification

  Certification for FlowTrails and circular routes since 2013.

• DIMB Racingteam

  One of Germany's largest amateur racing teams with over 400 riders.

• DIMB IGs

  Around 50 regional interest groups organizing local bike meetups, tours, and courses.

1. 1DIMB | Deutscher Interessenverband Mountainbike e.V.dimb.de
2. 2Deutsche Initiative Mountainbike – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3German Mountain Bike Initiative – Wikidatawikidata.org