From Rock to Flow Trail: Building Bike Trails with SEPPI M.

How Paganella Bike Park transforms local material into high-performance trails

Building a modern bike trail means working with the terrain to create durable, sustainable riding experiences.

At Paganella Bike Park in Italy, the team of Trail Zone has developed an innovative approach: instead of importing material, they transform the rock already present on site into a stable and long-lasting trail surface using SEPPI M. stone crushers.

When the terrain becomes the resource

“Here we have only 10-15 cm of soil. Below that, there is almost only rock,” explains Ezio, owner of Trail Zone and responsible for trail maintenance at Paganella Bike Park.

Instead of bringing stabilization material from outside, Trail Zone crushes the existing rock directly on site, turning it into the ideal aggregate for trail construction.

The result? Less transport, lower environmental impact and trails built with materials that naturally belong to the landscape.

From manual work to modern trail building

“Twenty years ago, everything was done by hand: shovel, pickaxe and rake. Today, machines help us work faster and achieve better results.”

Excavators, forestry mulchers and stone crushers have become essential tools, allowing Trail Zone to build more efficiently while preserving the craftsmanship that makes every trail unique.

SEPPI M. machines: developed together with trail builders

The cooperation between Trail Zone and SEPPI M. started with a practical challenge.

“About 10 years ago, I asked SEPPI if they could develop a stone crusher specifically for trail building, because nothing like this existed on the market.”

SEPPI M. responded by developing a compact prototype designed specifically for narrow mountain trails.

Today, two machines play a key role:

• MINISOIL cl – for opening new trails and major reshape & rebuild projects.
• MAX 50 le with MICROSOIL rc – the team’s most-used combination, delivering high productivity in a compact package for both new trail construction and maintenance.

With a 105 cm working width and only 135 cm overall width, the MAX 50 le is perfectly suited to demanding mountain terrain where maneuverability is essential.

From rock to finished trail

Building a trail is a coordinated process. After clearing the corridor, removing vegetation and breaking the exposed rock with a hydraulic hammer, SEPPI M. stone crushers transform the material into the ideal aggregate for the trail base. Excavators then shape the trail, followed by additional crushing passes, manual finishing and compaction to create a stable, drainage-friendly riding surface.

Depending on the terrain and the desired result, several crushing passes may be required to achieve the ideal material structure.

From construction to maintenance: productivity in the field

Trail construction and maintenance require different approaches.

Building a completely new trail in rocky terrain typically progresses 35-70 metres per day, depending on the terrain and the amount of exposed rock.

During reshape or rebuild projects, productivity increases significantly. With just one excavator, one SEPPI M. stone crusher and a vibrating plate, Trail Zone can restore 200-400 metres of trail per day.

Building better trails with less impact

One of the biggest advantages of crushing material directly on site is the reduction of external transport.

“We no longer need to bring stabilization material from outside. We can produce it directly where the trail is built.”

Producing the material directly on site eliminates the need to transport stabilization material from elsewhere, resulting in fewer truck movements, lower construction costs, reduced environmental impact and material that naturally fits into the landscape.

A machine is only part of the solution

The experience at Paganella Bike Park shows that successful trail building combines expertise, careful planning and the right equipment.

By transforming local rock into valuable construction material, SEPPI M. stone crushers reduce transport, improve efficiency and help create durable, high-performance trails built to last.

From mountain rock to perfect flow – SEPPI M. helps build the trails of tomorrow.