Are there enough advanced/expert MTB trails where you ride?

Trails rated beginner and intermediate difficulty tend to be more common than advanced and expert trails in most areas.

By Jeff Barber
November 24, 2024

13 comments

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In many areas, it’s a common refrain: there just aren’t enough challenging mountain bike trails to ride! This isn’t surprising given that funding for beginner and intermediate trails is generally an easier sell. Yet even where advanced and expert trails exist, they’re often underutilized, certainly compared to easier trails.

Plenty of us enjoy riding challenging mountain bike trails, but maybe not every ride. It’s nice to have options, so it’s likely there’s a number that’s just right!

If you don’t have enough difficult mountain bike trails where you ride, what type of challenge are you looking for: technical, jumps, steeps, features, or something else? Tell us in the comments below.

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13 Comments

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Sunspot Colorado // 2019
2 weeks ago

Jeff, we have lovely diversity in our trail systems. There cannot ever be enough trails to keep Sunpot and Aisan happy. Not to worry, we do road trips to get their treads into some different dirt!

3 reply

huck_one_cog Michigan // 2024
2 weeks ago

I live in MI and I’ve singlespeeded my mtb to reinject my trails with a sense of challenge. There are some jumps around here but from a technical/steeps perspective, things top out here at “strong intermediate.” I want more uncleanable uphills that take a season or two to figure out. I want more steep rolls that take commitment. I want nasty eroded root tangles that will eat a wheel if you get the line wrong. All of the new trails here are described as “you don’t have to be an expert to ride” which is cool but the existing trails are also getting “fixed” with the fun eroded parts getting bypassed, which is not good for riders’ ability to progress.

2 reply

Gary Sanchez Colorado // 2022
2 weeks ago

What if some riders, maybe most, don’t want to “progress” and just want to have fun on the weekends?

I think that does describe the majority of riders out there. But where I am, ALL of the trails cater to those riders. I would like to see 5 to 10 percent of new trails built as black diamonds or above. I do think that based on the fact that expert riders are a small subset, it’s appropriate for only a small percentage of new trails to focus specifically on those riders.

1 reply

fchedderich North Carolina // 2022
2 weeks ago

I personally love features of all kinds. Where I live most trails are in town or county property and they dumb the trails down for liability purposes. I think the problem... For my area at least... Is that law suits are so ridiculous it forces the county/ city leaders to be risk adverse.

charlie biker Utah // 2024
2 weeks ago

I personally love more technical expert trails. In the salt lake city valley area there are really only four good technical trails like Bobsled, Terror ridge, Mt. Van cott, and a social trail off Parley's bst. These trails are not sufficient enough for me and I would love more expert trails in the area.

Greg Heil Colorado // 2008
2 weeks ago

Since I moved to Durango about a year and a half ago, I've been a bit surprised at the almost complete lack of double black diamond trails. While most of the singletrack here could be rated as a dark blue or black, there's very little that I would call true "double black," even though some trails have been given that rating on Trailforks.

RetiredVTUPSer 2014
2 weeks ago

The folks that want more advanced trails are they willing to maintain them? Or help your volunteers who spend their time building/repairing trails?

ScottyC Virginia // 2015
1 week ago

In my experience, the veteran riders who can ride more difficult trails pitch in. The weekend warrior never shows up.

Absolutely - I contribute to trail work days doing stuff like fixing berms, and I also stop and deal with face-slapper branches and kick out leaves causing mud puddles.

I'd be thrilled for new trails to be handmade singletrack and not machine-built.

Hap Proctor Florida // 2014
2 weeks ago

Probably not enough for truly advanced riders, but our trail builders have used just about everything that is available to them. The central Florida terrain is quite limiting that way.
Myself, when I am so inspired, I enjoy short technical climbs, skinnies that aren’t too far off the ground, and rock gardens, especially those featuring an obstacle to clear (2-3’). My skills are limited and at my age recovery is slow. My ceiling is probably “gray” or dark blue.

We need more and longer intermediate trails. Some of the advanced trails are too dangerous for most people to enjoy and take up the resources and land that could be used for more mass utilization

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