Summit world record

Tom Oehler is no stranger to bike world records. The 42-year-old Haibike rider already holds the world record for the highest wall climb and the fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles on a bicycle. To set the latest RID world record, he pedaled up numerous peaks in the Davos Klosters holiday region on September 3, 2024, driven by the question: "How many are possible in one day?" 14 hours and 102 kilometers later, he had the answer: 15 peaks.

Anyone planning a mountain bike world record needs more than just athletic ambition. It requires a region with the appropriate terrain and the trail network to go with it. "Davos offers everything you need for a project like this: alpine heights, technical trails, and a willingness to ride," enthuses Tom, the official Bike Ambassador for Davos Klosters. The dense, freely accessible trail network, the striking peaks around Jakobshorn, Pischahorn, and Weissfluh, as well as the region's affinity for biking, made Davos the logical choice. The combination of athletic challenge and nature experience has already made Davos a host of world records in the past. In 2021, the downhill record on the single trail was broken, and in 2023 the uphill record for the most vertical meters gained by an e-bike.

At 5:30 a.m., Tom set off from Seehofseeli in Davos and pedaled his Haibike Hybe CF11. He had to plan in advance when and where he would change his e-bike's battery. Three loops around Davos, 15 peaks, 5,550 meters of elevation gain, and 102 kilometers lay ahead of him. Every part of the route was meticulously planned; every trail had to be rideable. After the first loop on the Jakobshorn, technically demanding climbs followed towards the Pischahorn. On ascents up rocky peaks, he had to push his bike a total of 400 meters, as the path wasn't even suitable for pushing. Despite a sore knee and tired legs, Tom persevered. "The moment at the Weissfluh summit was my turning point; from then on, I was in the flow," he says. Shortly before 6:00 p.m., he stood on the last summit, the Chörbschhorn – exhausted but overjoyed. A day like only Davos can offer. Anyone who wants to follow in Tom Oehler's footsteps and set a personal summit record can take on the Summit Tour Challenge and embark on their own bike route in the region, complete with a summit experience.