If mountain bike trails are the cake, trail features are the icing. Features give trails their character, and they’re the bits riders look forward to again and again. With that in mind, we want to know which type of trail feature is your favorite!
Follow up question: Why is it your favorite type of trail feature?
Drops. My jumping sucks.
Roots…they are the most challenging feature IMHO
Was just thinking about this “feature” on a ride yesterday. Roots can definitely add an interesting and fun challenge to trails, though IMO wet roots are the worst. They really force you to ride much slower, and ‘sniper roots’ can easily take you out, even when you’re doing everything else right.
Yes, the fall leaves conceal those sniper roots well. A few of us succumbed to such feature all in succession during a group ride. It’s was entertaining to say the least!
Same on our group ride yesterday. 🙂
OTHER Technical climbs….
Jeff… Answer H: All of the above.
You left out the most obvious answer of em all, my friend!
Tight twisty rooty rocky single track
Old school trails, tight and twisty.
Drops
Singletracks all the way😅
Drops!
The wide, flat, straight bits!!!
🤣
Personal Feature order from most to least favorite
Rock gardens
Slabs / steep plunges
Skinnies (but not bridges)
Drops (how did you forget drops, lol)
Jumps
Berms
Rollers
Honorable mention – Roots. Can be challenging for sure but not really a feature, i.e. they are not usually incorporated into the trail on purpose, they just seem to appear over time.
As much as I love a steep, techy descent (and I do very much!), my fave is what I would deem: the in-flow natural pop (!) defined as: any natural feature, most often a root, but could be a rock, that allows for “in the flow” air, at speed. The amount of air matters less, it’s more about picking-up the air in the flow and moving on 😁
Next question….least favorite? Tree gates for me! Here in Iowa where other forms of technical features aren’t as readily found, the ubiquitous tree gates (narrow trees that your bars done for through straight-on) are everywhere. They are dumb. #widebarssavelives
+1. I think I also added a survey to the calendar for least favorite trail features to run in the spring haha.
Slow down, lookin’ good, my man; haha
All the above of course and then some .. lately have been enjoying a the fun and variability of various A-frame features.