Latest mountain bike news

**Alt Text:** A chart outlining a trail difficulty rating system, including categories for trail width, tread surface, average trail grade, maximum trail grade, and natural obstacles. The system ranges from easiest (white circle) to extremely difficult (double black diamond), with specific criteria for each rating level.
Mountain Bike Trails
Mountain bike trail difficulty ratings
Sep 14, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Economic impact of mountain biking
Sep 13, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
This bike could be a bait bike
Sep 12, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
How's your bike handling?
Sep 11, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Tara Llanes needs your help!
Sep 10, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
MTB Race Through a Brewpub!
Sep 6, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Summer isn't over yet: Women's MTB Clinics and New Trails
Sep 5, 2007
A person wearing a cycling helmet and sunglasses sits on a mountain bike on a dirt trail surrounded by lush greenery. Another mountain bike is parked nearby, and a bike saddle hangs from a tree branch in the background.
Mountain Bike Trails
Bull Mountain and Jones Creek Ridge
Sep 4, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Interbike 2007: I'm there
Aug 31, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Bad mountain bike crash at Nisene Marks
Aug 30, 2007
Culture
GPS helps save injured mountain biker
Aug 29, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
To catch a bike thief
Aug 28, 2007
A rocky landscape featuring a smooth granite surface with patches of green vegetation around the edges. In the foreground, a large log is positioned on the rock, and a faint path winds across the terrain leading into the background, where lush trees are visible. Overcast skies create a soft, muted light in the scene.
Mountain Bike Trails
Georgia International Horse Park: Site of 1996 Olympics MTB
Aug 27, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bike Trails
Epic trail construction: Israel
Aug 24, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
MTB News Round Up: August 23, 2007
Aug 23, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bike Trails
Too good to be true: Free lift-serviced downhill!
Aug 22, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bike Trails
What makes a mountain bike trail difficult?
Aug 21, 2007
  3
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bike Trails
Yellow River and missing socks
Aug 20, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bike Trails
New MTB trails could be coming to your area: Speak up!
Aug 17, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
MTB gear evolution with Lennard Zinn
Aug 16, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Mountain bike deaths
Aug 15, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Landis takes 2nd at Leadville
Aug 14, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Armstrong flakes on Leadville (again)
Aug 9, 2007
  1
A black and blue CamelBak backpack designed for outdoor activities, featuring a hydration reservoir and a drinking tube, padded shoulder straps, and multiple compartments for gear storage.
Culture
When biking, heat stroke is no joke
Aug 8, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Mountain Bike News
Aug 7, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Community
Mountain Bike Oregon
Jul 31, 2007
  4
A motorcyclist performing a jump over a muddy water puddle in a snowy forest setting, surrounded by tall pine trees.
Culture
Share the Trail: With Motorcycles?
Jul 30, 2007
  1
A smiling man wearing a colorful floral shirt and a blue bucket hat stands with his arms crossed on a dirt path. He is surrounded by a scenic landscape with rolling hills and clear blue skies in the background.
Culture
Gary Fisher: Founding Father of Mountain Bikes
Jul 26, 2007
Map of the Colorado Trail highlighting the route of the first mountain bike race, starting in Denver and finishing in Durango. The map indicates several wilderness areas along the 535-mile route, including the Holy Cross, Mount Massive, Collegiate Peaks, Lost Creek, La Garita, and Weminuche Wilderness.
Community
First Ever Colorado Trail Race
Jul 25, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Dangers of Mountain Biking in Canada
Jul 24, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
MTB News Round Up
Jul 23, 2007
A group of cyclists racing along a roadside, with onlookers in the background taking photos. The cyclists are wearing colorful racing jerseys and helmets, and there are cars parked alongside the road. The backdrop features a rocky hillside and trees.
Community
Armstrong vs. Landis at Leadville: On again?
Jul 20, 2007
  1
Community
O&P Extremity Games Start Today
Jul 19, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Want to guide a MTB tour of France? Not unless you're French
Jul 18, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Community
Team IMBA: 24 Hours of Moab
Jul 16, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bikes and Gear
Expanding our mountain bike reviews
Jul 13, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
New look, same great taste
Jul 12, 2007
Mountain Bikes and Gear
Are you old school too?
Jul 11, 2007
  1
A winding dirt path through a lush green meadow, surrounded by mountains under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
Mountain Bike Trails
Favorite Mountain Bike Rides in Colorado
Jul 10, 2007
  2
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Community
World Mountain Biking Bog Snorkelling Championship
Jul 9, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Wipe off that water bottle: 200 mountain bikers vomit
Jul 6, 2007
  2
A narrow dirt path surrounded by lush green trees, leading through a wooded area. The sunlight filters through the foliage, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
Mountain Bike Trails
What makes a trail a trail? Part II.
Jul 5, 2007
  4
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bike Trails
Continental Divide Trail at risk
Jul 4, 2007
  2
A narrow dirt path winding through a lush green forest, surrounded by tall trees and dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. The ground is covered with fallen leaves and small rocks, creating a natural, serene atmosphere.
Culture
FATS is PHAT!
Jul 3, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bike Trails
Top 100 MTB Trails in the World
Jun 29, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
Adaptive mountain biking festival at Keystone last weekend
Jun 28, 2007
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Mountain Bike Trails
What makes a trail a trail?
Jun 27, 2007
  1
IMBA has come out with a method for rating mountain bike trail difficulty in the book <em>Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack.</em> It's called the <a href="http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/itn_17_4_trail_difficulty.html">IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System</a> (TDRS) and, despite its flaws, it seems to be a pretty good start at standardizing <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/why-cant-anyone-agree-on-mtb-trail-difficulty-ratings/">trail ratings</a>. First off, IMBA makes a great distinction between technical difficulty and physical difficulty. The TDRS is only concerned with technical trail difficulty since physical difficulty can be objectively communicated through trail length and elevation change information. I totally agree. IMBA outlines a number of things to consider when coming up with a difficulty rating like natural obstacles, psychological factors (like sheer cliffs on the side of the trail), and tread surface. They also recommend rating trails relative to other trails within the area or region, which I don't really agree with. I mean, if we're going to come up with a rating, why not have it translate from state to state and even country to country? This is certainly an issue with other terrain difficulty rating systems like those used at ski resorts. Arnolda14 pointed this out in his <a href="#comments">recent comments</a> and it's certainly true: a black diamond slope at Beech Mountain in North Carolina won't really compare to the black diamonds at Vail in terms of difficulty. I ran into this myself when I first moved from Georgia to North Carolina. The "easy" Colorado MTB trails according to the guidebooks I read were shockingly difficult compared to the "advanced" trails in Georgia. When I moved back east I experienced the same thing in reverse - every trail seemed overrated. I really like most of what IMBA is trying to do with the TDRS and I'm interested to see how it catches on. Perhaps we could have users vote on difficulty ratings on singletracks using the IMBA criteria (outlined below) and see what we come up with. What do you say? <div style="text-align: center"><img id="image401" alt="trail_difficulty_2.jpg" src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=
Culture
IMBA: Support Mountain Biking at TVA Sites (Southeast)
Jun 26, 2007