Mountain Biking: Nature for Everyone

We recently wrote an article about the use of e-MTBs in forests that caused controversy. That was not the objective. We therefore wanted to clarify our position because, in this circulation of discourse, our commitment is also to avoid verbal confrontations on an issue that could concern any prohibition of practicing our common passion. Let’s take this opportunity to highlight the work of the MBF…

By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: depositphotos.com

Do you know the Mountain Bikers Foundation? It is a national association whose goal is to promote sustainable and responsible mountain biking. It carries out numerous actions for trails. The MBF thus brings together mountain bikers of all stripes and the organization aims to unite all mountain biking stakeholders under the banner of sustainable development of this activity.

The MBF thus pursues three objectives:

• Safeguarding access to trails, 
• Raising awareness among practitioners and other users,
• Qualitative development of mountain biking practice areas.

The association conducts actions with mountain bikers to raise their awareness in their practice and local actions, as well as with institutions to help them in their reflections and avoid practice prohibitions due to lack of knowledge.

The Mountain Bikers Foundation is also an apolitical, non-partisan association, whose sole purpose is to bring together all goodwill wishing to contribute, at their level, to a harmonious development of mountain biking and the preservation of its interests, with respect for others and the environment.

The MBF, for example, ardently defended the interests of mountain bikers, who were threatened with a total ban on practice in the Fontainebleau forest a few years ago, due to concerns related to the overcrowding of this fragile natural area, as well as some conflicts between different users. Since the summer of 2023, a prefectural decree has prohibited mountain bikes from accessing 86 km of trails in the Fontainebleau forest.

So, if we can also help warn against malicious acts against people who practice a leisure activity in nature, we will gladly do so. And if our recent article went against this will, it is important for us to correct the course. Safety must be ensured for all users of nature. This is non-negotiable. At 3bikes.fr, we hate conflicts, so we must also be able to help find coexistence in the forest between different types of mountain bikers, as well as hikers and equestrians…

Nature does not belong to everyone, but everyone must be able to pursue their passion there in complete safety and with respect for others. It is thanks to a dialogue that arose between me, a somewhat less than occasional user of nature, and a representative of the MBF who was not very happy with my previous article, that I wanted to clarify my position here.

Moreover, we also take very seriously the problem that impacts all trail users, not just mountain bikers. Indeed, you don’t have to mountain bike or gravel bike to respect nature. We are all concerned.

If this article can reconcile us with those we have offended and if it can help raise awareness and invite everyone to look, listen, touch, and smell what surrounds us to better perceive a nature sometimes forgotten, stifled by our urban spaces, and realize that all these questions are necessary for understanding our environment, and that they will perhaps allow us to better appreciate it and, above all, to preserve it more, then we will have achieved our goal.

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