Deister Trails at Risk – Why the December 20 Protest Matters Beyond One Forest

on Dezember 17, 2025

Published by Radical Life Studios / MTB News

On December 20, 2025, the mountain bike community around Hanover will take to the streets for a bicycle demonstration. The reason: the uncertain future of the officially approved mountain bike trails in the Deister forest.

At first glance, this may seem like a local conflict. In reality, it reflects a structural issue mountain bikers across Germany — and beyond — know all too well.

This is not just about a few trails in the woods.
It is about participation, proportionality, and how seriously a growing outdoor community is taken in political decision-making.

What is actually happening?

Since 2012, the association Deisterfreunde e.V. has operated legal mountain bike trails in the Deister. These trails were not built illegally or in secrecy, but under special permits and in coordination with authorities, forestry services, and local administrations.

For more than a decade, the trails have been maintained, monitored, and managed responsibly — often cited as a best-practice example of cooperative trail development.

These permits expire at the end of 2025.
So far, no clear extension has been granted.

Without an interim solution, the trails would become illegal again in 2026 — potentially even requiring removal — while at the same time authorities are discussing future MTB concepts. This legal limbo is the core of the conflict.

The demonstration on December 20 in Hanover (Trammplatz) is therefore not a radical protest, but a call for something very basic:
planning security, dialogue, and a realistic transition solution.

Environmental protection – genuine concern or political wildcard?

Officially, the hesitation to extend permits is justified by environmental protection and landscape conservation regulations. These are legitimate concerns. Protecting sensitive ecosystems matters.

However, this is where criticism begins — not only in the Deister, but nationwide.

Germany has repeatedly shown that conservation boundaries are flexible when housing projects, industrial zones, or infrastructure are involved. In many regions, protected areas have been redefined, exceptions granted, or compensatory measures negotiated when political and economic pressure exists.

In contrast, mountain biking is often treated as inherently incompatible with conservation — even when use is controlled, limited, and actively managed.

This raises an uncomfortable question:
Is environmental protection always the true issue — or does political will simply run out when it comes to recreational sports?

A minority without a voice?

Another sensitive point emerges from the debate.
Mountain bikers are rarely perceived as a classic, organized voter base. They lack strong lobbying structures, party affiliations, or institutionalized representation in municipal councils.

That perception appears to matter.

In many regions, decisions seem less driven by facts and more by perceived political relevance. Groups considered “non-electoral” are more easily ignored — even when they offer constructive solutions.

This approach is shortsighted.

Mountain biking is no longer a fringe activity. It combines sport, health, tourism, youth culture, and volunteer engagement. Associations like Deisterfreunde demonstrate responsibility — for trails, for nature, and for coexistence.

Ignoring this community means underestimating its social relevance.

Why the Deister matters beyond Lower Saxony

The situation in the Deister is not an isolated case.
It mirrors developments in many regions where legal trail projects are tolerated temporarily but never structurally secured.

The pattern repeats itself:

Volunteers build and maintain trails →
use is controlled and works →
the community grows →
legal uncertainty returns.

This is precisely why the December 20 protest matters. Not as opposition to environmental protection, but as a call for dialogue, fairness, and modern outdoor policy.