Mountain biking in the most remote places in the world.

Steffi Marth on her passion for mountain biking and her very own style.

If you want to meet Steffi Marth, you’ve got to be quick! Whether by mountain bike, car, or plane—because when Steffi isn’t out on some trail in Europe, Asia, America, or elsewhere, Germany’s most dynamic mountain biker is definitely on her way there. And that’s even though she doesn’t consider herself particularly talented at mountain biking.

Not many people can say they know exactly when their life changed completely from one moment to the next.
For Steffi Marth, it’s a little different, because she can pinpoint it quite precisely: It was the summer when the mayor of her small village decided to build a new BMX track for the youth of the 3,000-person community.
From that moment on, the then-12-year-old could no longer be found in the gym playing handball, but only on the brand-new BMX track. Steffi immediately realized how much fun it was to race her bike around the course and keep improving her skills. She got fast and, more and more often, left the boys on the BMX track in her dust. Steffi learned to assert herself and that BMX riding is all about using your whole body to come out on top in a race against seven other riders.

“Elbows out—and come hell or high water!”

Steffi developed her own riding style early on, and it propelled her to the very front more and more often. German Championships, European Championships, World Championships—Steffi competed in all major national and international BMX races, and not only was she consistently among the leaders, but she also brought home several trophies.

But on her countless trips to races, Steffi also discovered her second great passion: exploring distant places in foreign countries. She sought out new challenges and new opportunities to test herself. Steffi increasingly traded her BMX for a mountain bike and swapped the BMX tracks in the cities for the demanding mountain bike trails in the mountains.

“When I’m on my bike riding down a trail, I think only about that one moment and not about what else is going on in my life.”

And to make sure she never gets bored between trips and races, she also enrolled in an architecture program on the side, which she completed with a master’s degree.

Steffi loves talking about the sport she adores and her passion for traveling, being outdoors, and exploring distant lands. Both go hand in hand with mountain biking, and that has taken her to all five continents and to the most remote places in the world. One of her absolute highlights: mountain biking on the Great Wall of China and through the indescribable expanses of Tibet. Steffi has managed to combine her greatest passions and make a life out of them.

Four-Cross (4X) was to become her new discipline and make her Germany’s fastest female mountain biker. A race in which four riders simultaneously tackle a steep, technically demanding course featuring bumps, jumps, and sharp turns. A race that is usually run in a knockout format; man against man or woman against woman; she became a five-time German champion, regularly secured top-10 finishes at the World Championships, and won two bronze medals at the Women’s Four-Cross World Championships in Leogang, Austria. When she says that she doesn’t actually consider herself talented when it comes to mountain biking, it naturally makes you pause for a moment.

“If you want to be a good mountain biker, you have to always give it your all, be passionate about it, and work hard at it—not just on the bike, but also after your rides. Talent alone won’t get you very far.”

Steffi goes all out during her training sessions, but she also pays close attention to her body and, as she puts it, “always slams on the brakes afterward.” She then gives her muscles plenty of relaxation by rolling out with the BLACKROLL® foam roller. Good food and good sleep are also very important to her for properly recharging. For mountain bikers, she recommends the small foam roller for rolling out the wrists.
Anyone who asks her about her passive recovery techniques will also receive a very clear recommendation from her. “I’m a huge fan of the ergonomic neck pillow, and I also use the RECOVERY BLANKET SUMMERUMMER. I can easily take both of them with me anywhere. Anyone who’s on the go a lot, like me, and needs to be fit again the next morning should definitely give them a try.”

And what are your next goals? “This winter, I’ll be spending a lot of time in the Canary Islands on my bike again. La Palma is my island, and it’s incredibly well-suited for biking. And then I definitely want to explore Russia on my bike. That vast country has fascinated me for a long time. But you don’t always have to venture far away.

“There are cool trails right on everyone’s doorstep. You just have to find them!”