Addition to the tip from Dastostoll: In principle, the public has a right to access the forest. According to the Cantonal Forest Ordinance (KWaV) as of January 1, 2020 and the Bern Forest Act, cycling is generally permitted on paths and specially marked paths, but not off-road. Special restrictions can be issued taking into account certain named founders, but do not apply to this forest. Above all, any restriction is not up to the forest owner to decide freely, as it is a fundamental right. The general driving prohibition signs set up here are stone old and, taking into account the relevant current laws, are aimed at motorized traffic on these forest roads. A restriction for bicycles on these wide forest paths cannot be justified by specific protection requirements (and most likely they are not officially applied for and approved for such reasons) and could certainly be challenged in the event of a conflict.
The problem applies equally everywhere and is becoming increasingly annoying, as the general driving bans are completely meaningless, since they actually prevent motor vehicles from driving over corresponding paths (especially in the forest, although there are actually no prohibition signs required for this, since a general driving ban for motor vehicles in the forest applies) should deny. This then leads to the ugly situation that - theoretically - bicycles would also be included.
The fact is that the signs, as rightly mentioned, were installed a long time ago. Whether all of them were sanctioned by means of an application / permit / published and thus - if without objection(s) - I doubt it!
At that time there were still very few bikers (in the forest) on the road. This has changed significantly in the meantime and so many (especially those who are not on bikes) believe that everything is right, cyclists have nothing to do in the forest and therefore mostly on "hiking trails" (I mean explicitly on the Forest paths / forest roads, trails are a completely different story and off the beaten path, i.e. in open terrain, we don't have to discuss that anyway! True to the motto, it's called hiking trails, so people hike there and don't drive).
Well, you can be very wrong, but according to the current legal situation, that is absolutely NOT the case! Only motor vehicles are strictly prohibited from entering the forest. On the contrary, RIDING and CYCLING in the forest is explicitly allowed!
This in turn means that the general driving bans are often illegal and would have to be replaced by three-part prohibition signs (motor vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds > this also includes fast e-bikes, just a reminder!) because the justification for maintaining them A general driving ban does not exist in the majority of cases, then as now.
Why is nothing changing? Because nobody wants to take legal action and no forest owner, municipality or anyone else will voluntarily update (or even better > dismantle) the signs, as this involves considerable costs and you are on the right / good side anyway believes. Thus, many bikers are criminalized, although completely unjustly, simply because of the inaction of those responsible.
Small excursion: read my profile! From the beginning it has been stated that not every path has to be used by bikes, but that the paths are not exclusively reserved for pedestrians... and a lot more!
Unfortunately, federalism is whinnying and every canton in our extremely large country is doing its own thing. From ultra-conservative, small-minded and for young people almost culpable intransigence (preventing leisure activities in nature including physical performance), I won't name the cantons, but they tend to be in the regions of the founding members of our country....up to far-sighted , modern and situationally adapted tourism regions, which have recognized the potential of the mostly solvent biker guild and have explicitly adapted parks, routes and even railways for and to the bikers and almost go on the "hunt" for these "savages" with advertising...with them overwhelming success > you can make up your own mind about it!
Well, the statements made here are based on our own experiences and research (legal foundations). This at national and cantonal level, in this case Canton Bern*. After a successful campaign against extreme interpretation of the driving bans in the forests, he relaxed the regulations to the extent that - as previously mentioned - bikers are generally allowed to ride in the forest. Of course, respect, decency and speed have to be adapted to the circumstances and here I come - unfortunately - to an issue that we bikers cause ourselves, our reputation!
Many thanks to all those bikers who keep their brains switched on while on the bike and know how to behave accordingly. I am regularly so annoyed by the behavior of other bikers that I wonder whether the exertion when riding up or the wind when thundering down is blocking the oxygen supply to the region between the ears? And then you wonder why Wanderer blasphemes about our guild!
Translated by Google •
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