Bike
Bike
The most beautiful riding destination on Earth?
Popular with skiers, the town of Åre in Sweden is also home to a world-class bike park.
Janne Tjärnström at Åre Bike Park
© Mattias Fredriksson
With a latitude of 63.4 degrees north, the little mountain town of Åre in Sweden gets longer days than most other bike destinations in the world. Having hosted the 1999 World Mountain Biking Championships and a World Cup race, this place is well known in the downhill mountain bike circles but has latterly become a destination for those looking for some great freeride dirt.
Martin Söderström is a regular visitor to Åre
© Mattias Fredriksson
Martin Söderström is arguably one of the most stylish riders out there and an international star. He's been riding in Åre since he was a little kid and you can often see him on the ÅBC-Dirten. The location of the dirt jumps (and pumptrack) just next to the lake makes for a beautiful setting.
On the Shimano trail
© Mattias Fredriksson
This machine-built trail has about 40 features and goes for miles and miles. It's as close as you can get to Whistler’s A-Line without leaving Europe.
Söderström so smooth
© Mattias Fredriksson
Martin rides everything with so much style. It doesn’t matter if it’s on a dirt bike or a big bike, he can handle everything. Here, he's pictured doing a smooth can can on the Shimano Trail.
Riding just for kicks
© Mattias Fredriksson
Trond Hansen from Norway is a legend in mountain biking. He did the whole pro thing for many years, travelling the world, competing and filming. But one day he'd enough and switched to the film industry. He is now a part of ANTI Media, an Oslo-based film company.
Related
All season biking
© Mattias Fredriksson
Åre is Scandinavia’s biggest ski town. The seasons blend into each other here; long after the first snow arrives in the late fall, you can see mountain bikers on the trails. In late spring, the bikes will be back before the end of the ski touring season. Here Janne Tjärnström – an avid skier in the winter – makes the most of the bike season in late fall.
The black mountain
© Mattias Fredriksson
This day we rode the bike park until it closed and then took the last chairlift up to mid mountain for a photoshoot. It was sunny and nice all day, but as soon as we brought the camera equipment along dark clouds rolled in. That made this shot of Janne Tjärnström interesting and dramatic. The location is Svartberget, which means black mountain in Swedish.
Easy Rider
© Mattias Fredriksson
Easy Rider is one of the longest machine-built bike park trails in the world. Five kilometres of berms, jumps and rollers – and all with stunning views of the vast landscape around Åre.
Downhill fun
© Mattias Fredriksson
Åre Bike Park consists of three different parts; the alpine with rock slabs and fast singletracks, the lower mountain filled with machine-built bike park trails and the mid mountain – like here – where you find classic old school downhill trails.
Janne rides the Åreskutan
© Mattias Fredriksson
Janne Tjärnström is a true Åre local that uses the mountain all year around, more than anybody I know. He works as a freestyle ski coach at the ski academy during the winter, while in the summertime he rides bikes pretty much every day. This day we went all the way to the very top of Åreskutan and found a few nice spots on the hiking/biking trail from the peak.
Bräckebäcksleden
© Mattias Fredriksson
Bräckebäcksleden is a classic rooty and rough downhill track in Åre. It has been around since the very beginning. Here Janne Tjärnström bombs down the lower part, over roots and rocks.
The Hällrajd trail
© Mattias Fredriksson
The upper mountain is rugged, rough and alpine. Several trails go over big rock slabs with amazing traction. Great if it’s dry, a nightmare if it’s wet.
Åre is a special place
© Mattias Fredriksson
Åre has that ‘it’ thing that makes it a fun and must-go-to place if you’re are a skier. It’s pretty much the same in the summertime which explains why Canadian pro rider Darcy Turenne calls Åre her second home.
Biking mad
© Mattias Fredriksson
Mountain biking is second nature for people in Åre. The local bike club, Åre Bergscyklisterna, has more than 600 members – in a town with 1,700 inhabitants.
Out on the trails with friends
© Mattias Fredriksson
Åre Bike Festival takes place at the end of June/beginning of July each year. It is the biggest freeride bike festival in Scandinavia. Lots of fun events, riding camps and competitions for all levels. Here Trond Hansen, Janne Tjärnström and Darcy Turenne rip down the Snorkeln during Åre Bike Festival a few years ago.
Lake Åresjön
© Mattias Fredriksson
The view over Åresjön (Lake Åresjön) and Lunndörrsfjällen. There are over 30 different trails at Åre Bike Park. For more information on visiting and riding there, visit the official Åre Bike Park website.
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