Argus Bike Festival 2024 - Photo Report

We feel everything here," Harald Sauer appreciates this complexity. The managing director of Nora Pure Sports has been using his festival booth since the very beginning to get in touch with cycling enthusiasts who would otherwise never visit his store in Hernals. For him, it's important to listen and understand what the two-wheel fans want today for tomorrow.
Christoph Vielhaber from the long-term partner Lower Austria Advertising, who sees himself as a promoter of the "country around Vienna", also feels very close to his target audience here. "It's the mix that creates the excitement," states the bike and MTB project planner.
There is also praise from Bosch eBike Systems for the diversity, especially in urban areas. And although e-bike technology is developing rapidly, the Rathausplatz keeps up, appreciates marketing manager Heidemarie Bosch, who has been a constant participant since 2016.
For Wolfgang Krainer, a stalwart of the Carinthian faction and operator of a sports school in Feld am See, Vienna brings together what belongs together: "We like the Eastern Austrians, honestly! And they like our combination of mountains and lakes.

Exchange, knowledge transfer, feedback, customer acquisition, brand presence, networking, stock clearance... listening around at the Expo, it's clear that exhibitors have a wide range of interests. The fact that the festival is constantly reinventing itself to some extent is convenient for them: "There are always fresh inputs, the festival is never the same. That's cool," entrepreneur Sauer pays respect to the creativity of the organizing team.
For festival mastermind Martin Friedl, this aspect is part of the ABCs of event management. He is convinced: Only events that regularly offer something new and can surprise everyone will be successful in the long term. Or, to put it metaphorically: "You have to keep recentering so that a wheel runs smoothly. And sometimes you also have to change the tires."

Best example: the 2024 issue with its own test area for the booming cargo bikes, an enlarged children's world enriched with trial shows, the return of Praterstern to the route of the bike parade, in-depth bicycle self-help workshops every hour, new food trucks, differently positioned theme corners, and much more.
But above all, there suddenly stands a so-called E-Mountainbike Arena, where Senad’s School2Rock used to reside. Trail builder Clemens Kaudela has lovingly assembled it from wood, sand, bark mulch, tree trunks, stones, and fir trees. Europe's only urban trail center, Hohe Wand Wiese in Vienna, thus transplants the Wienerwald into the center of the action.

Between three different inclines, wallride, berms, rock garden, balance beams, and artificial root sections, there will be a skill course in 2024 instead of the world's most unusual classroom, and "Boost Drops" instead of first BMX tricks.
Bosch ambassador Stefan Schlie demonstrates, assisted by coaches and racers Hannes Slavik and Philipp Döller, what is technically possible with modern E-MTBs and some "pedal management". Hohen Wand Wiese presents itself and its focuses - from youth camps to women's power. The Austrian cycling federation invites to the KidsBikeTrophy and 90 children up to the year 2013 come, have fun, and learn what instructor Thomas Dippolt from RLM Vienna knows how to convey with motivating, split-second error analysis: direction of gaze, maintaining momentum, line choice... Only the adults, who could do similar things thanks to the riding technique tips from Velochicks, HWW, and Trailschool Wienerwald instructors, are still a little hesitant to step into the centrally located arena. Was it the same 25 years ago?

Schon in jenen Tagen gab es nämlich eine Rüttelschüttel-Piste für Probefahrten mit dem (allerdings noch unmotorisierten) MTB, mittig aufgeschüttet im Oval aus 18 Ausstellern, welche das Herz der Festival-Premiere bildeten.
"Das Mountainbiken stand 1999 noch ziemlich am Anfang, Federgabeln waren der letzte Schrei. Grund genug, ihnen als Testobjekt zwei Jahre lang einen eigenen Programmpunkt zu widmen", erinnert sich schmunzelnd Martin Friedl, der damals mit seiner noch jungen Event Company und zwei Jahren Bike Show-Tourenerfahrung die Chance bekam, die Argus-Tage "von Schwarzweiß auf Farbe umzustellen", wie er das gerne formuliert.
Auch sonst offenbart die Rückschau manch lustige Attraktionen und bemerkenswerte Details: einen Kran, an dessen Seil man rauf- und runterradeln konnte; ein Pendel, das ebenfalls die Überlistung der Schwerkraft ermöglichte; eine Zirkusfamilie mit gar famoser Hochseilakrobatik im Gepäck; zwei Four-Cross-ÖMs, für die beim Weltradsportverband UCI extra eine Reglement-Änderung auf "Sprint" erwirkt wurde.

If you ask the Argus people about their program highlights of the last quarter-century, the bike parade ranks very high. "It's super!" beams Valerie Madeja, freshly back from this year's edition, all over her face.
With a noticeable 10,000 participants, this procession of joy, traffic calming, and alternative mobility can also immediately captivate Vienna rookies. "That's quite a statement," admits trade fair newcomer Manuela Holzknecht, marketing manager at Marin Bikes, deeply impressed by the good vibes and incredibly large crowds upon her return.
For organizational leader Martin Friedl, the cheerful, colorful procession on completely car-free streets even represents one of two milestones in the history of the Bike Festival. "Being able to hold the first official Vienna bike parade in 2011 after ten years of political resistance was a very special moment," confesses the 58-year-old.

And the second highlight? "The development of the Vienna Air King." Over the years, the international dirt contest with the 50 best slopestyle riders in the world had become by far the most visited event of the FMB World Tour, cheered more frenetically than many Diamond and Gold stops of the prestigious freeride annual ranking. "It blew up all previously known dimensions in Vienna." And yet, the Air King had to give way in 2016, because: see above, a tire change was due.
Two Austrian championships in bike trial, Senad’s School2Rock, a mini-drome, and a pump track filled the newly freed space in terms of sports until the Dirt Battle Vienna 2018 saw the aerial acrobats take over again.

By the way: "That guy is completely insane!" "He's totally bananas!" "He's spinning out of control!"
The young man, whom Dirt Battle host Andi Brewi - with a broad grin and a friendly, incredulous shake of his head - so consistently insults, is named Diego Solans, hails from Northern Spain, and is the surprise of the contest.
Never before has the 24-year-old jumped in front of so many people. And the people have never seen such tricks.

With a World's First, the complicated name of which was lost in the roar of the crowd, the lively bundle of energy catapulted himself to 2nd place in the Best Trick Competition on the second day of the event, beaten only by one: veteran Dawid Godziek. The Pole also showed a world premiere to defend his title. He twirled and circled, he screwed and spun - Cashroll Tailwhip to Double Barspin, crystal clear. Or, as one fascinated spectator succinctly commented: "Damn!"
Dorian Macher proved to be in top form already on Saturday and once again threw out the quad-combo with which he had recently rocked the Masters of Dirt in Turin: Backflip - Tuck No Hand to Tailwhip to Barspin. With this, the Styrian climbed the podium once more after ranking fourth last year, again becoming the best Austrian. His compatriots thanked him with enthusiastic cheering that made the barriers shake.

A few more press photos, congratulations, autographs, and selfies. Then the town square gradually empties and the exhibitors begin to pack up their belongings. Only at the outpost AUVA-Kinderwelt, right next to the Burgtheater, little tykes, glitter fairies, and wheelie hopefuls continue to spin around unfazed like Duracell bunnies.

The city has really spruced itself up for the 25-year celebration. Blooming trees, bright blue skies, and lush greenery wherever you look. And now, as the beats from the Red Bull DJ truck have fallen silent and the microphones are turned off, you can once again hear the birds chirping in the adjacent Rathauspark.
"We've experienced it all," sums up Valerie Madeja from the cycling advocacy group Argus, encapsulating a quarter-century of the Bike Festival. "Small - big, family-friendly - professional, sun - rain, storm - snow. And it was always our spring highlight."
What more is there to add except: Have fun for the next 25 years!