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I have lived in Prague in the Czech Republic for 8 years now, and, if you prefer XC and singletrack type of stuff, you cannot imagine a better place to ride. The whole country is criss-crossed by a network of marked trails, 75% of which can be ridden. The great benefit, especially for Dolmance and others complaining about landowners with shotguns, is that dogs are never let loose here unless they are with the owner and access to trails is generally respected by everyone, even if they are on private property. (Side note: As for the pooches, if they are loose without the owner, the local hunters, responsible for managing and protecting the forests and game, have the right to shoot the dog dead if they come across it roaming freely. How's that for all you animal rights activists out there?!? Makes Dolmance seem pretty tame as he would only kill a dog that attacks him first.) This means you can go ANYWHERE without worrrying about harrassment from carnivorous canines or wacko landowners. Oddly enough, my strangest experience was being chased by a baby cow which had gotten loose from its corral.
All that aside, I have ridden elsewhere in Europe, and only Switzerland can compare, though in Switzerland you have to be careful of the cow pies which are everywhere. The trails I have ridden in Austria and Germany are really disappointing--they are so manicured that they don't really represent mountain biking, save that your are actually riding in the Alps--no roots, rocks, mud, pits, bumps, ruts, leaves, pine cones, boulders, gravel, etc found anywhere. So the uphills were boring, the downhills were boring, and the rider, me, was really annoyed.
A fantastic thing about the CR is that there is biking for all abilities and moods. Want to ride on terrain without any significant climbs? No problem--head to Trebon or Podebrady. Want to ride with some nice moderate hills, but nothing too severe? Head north of Prague, near Brno, Southern Moravia, or most of the lower parts of the country. Want to pick it up a bit from that? No problem. Karlstejn, Posazavi, Upper Sumava all fit your needs. Want to go overboard and ride your ass off? Check out the hills in Lower Sumava, Beskydy, Jeseniky, the Central Highlands, or the Giant or Eagle Mountains. And nothing is maintained--you get it as it is. Fantastic! And to top it all off, you then get to wash down your thirst with some of the best beer in the world.
The only drawback to the CR is that there is no high-alpine/high altitude riding--the highest peak is only 1,602m or about 5,300 feet. For you New Yorkers out there, that is only a bit smaller than Mt. Marcy. However, for East Coasters, this is no big deal.
A great feature of the Czech biking scene are the MTB Marathons which take place every weekend from April through September, which despite the biking bit are really just a chance for Czechs to get together and do what they do best--drink beer (Czechs lead the world in per capita beer consumption at 160 liters/person/year. Not surprising given the beer's quality and ridiculously cheap price). These races can be anything from 40km, really more of a sprint, to killer 130km rides with 3,500m of climb, or significantly over 2 miles of vertical, where every climb is steeper than the last one and the descents really raise the hair on your back. The most well known is the Kral Sumavy (King of Sumava) in which 3,600 people took place this year, 1,100 on a 105km course and 2,500 on a shorter 75km course.
I wasn't into biking in the States in the same way, and I doubt I ever would have gotten into it in the same way had I not moved here. Bike selection here has gotten very good, though prices are significantly higher than in the States. I have had a number of great rides over the past few years that are indellibly burned into my memory, including one solo ride I did back on May 1. I was simply unstoppable that day, conquered some really long steep climbs that had always beat me in the past without any problems, bombed the downhills like a madman, rode through a couple of fords, rode past a beautiful castle, saw a whole huge herd of white-tailed deer, and soaked up some serious rays. Those of you who really ride know what I am talking about--that Zen-like feeling when you truly become one with your bike, where you don't have to think or concentrate and your riding and reactions become purely instinctive, where the pain and burning in your legs and lungs become completely secondary to the thrill of the ride, and where despite all the work you are doing on the serious climbs, you still have smile on your face reminiscent of Jack Nicholson as the Joker in Batman. These are the ones where you feel as if you can go forever and where you don't want them to ever end. These are the rides I consider to be truly "Epic". Sure, most of my rides are great rides, but only one or two a year are like my May 1 ride and truly perfect. These rides are what I ride for. These rides are what I live for.
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