Trail Riding?

[Amber Valley Guy]

Can someone please explain to me what 'trail riding' is? Is it a US term for what we Brits would call bridleways and green lanes (p.r.o.w) ....or does it mean MTB trail parks, or does it mean UK trails like (in Derbyshire anyway) the High Peak Trail, Monsal Trail, Tissington Trail etc ( old railway lines that are now flat shared footpaths/cycleways).
It seems an odd name to use.

 

[Tubby G]

I’d say it’s the majority of typical MTB rides, unsanctioned forest trails , bike parks, trail centres, enduro. Not bridleways or old railways lines. Challenging and often steep paths cut by hand by mountain bikers with features such as drops, berms, gaps, jumps etc. Typical mountain bike riding terrain

 

[Doomanic]

I would say it's a step up from PROW and a step down from bike parks and enduro.

 

[Amber Valley Guy]

I’d say it’s the majority of typical MTB rides, unsanctioned forest trails , bike parks, trail centres, enduro. Not bridleways or old railways lines. Challenging and often steep paths cut by hand by mountain bikers with features such as drops, berms, gaps, jumps etc. Typical mountain bike riding terrain

Thanks, I've been wondering what it means for a while. Saying that some of the bridleways in and around the Peak District can be on the challenging side ( at least to me!).
So last week's Red Bull Rampage was a trail riding...errrmm I think I'll stick to the bridleways and prow's.

 

[Stihldog]

I thought a bridleway was something a girl walk down just before she gets married. Thanks for the new definition.

Double black diamond, black diamond, red, green, blue.…that’s the only trails I know.

 

[Amber Valley Guy]

I thought a bridleway was something a girl walk down just before she gets married. Thanks for the new definition.

Double black diamond, black diamond, red, green, blue.…that’s the only trails I know.

Diamond's of colours, please tell what are they besides shiny gems, never seen such a thing, are bridal ways like aisles, never seen in the sea?

 

[Plummet]

From easiest to hardest technical riding.

Road = riding on road
gravel = gravel roads
cross country or XC = Racing generally green blue trails in a loop
Tail riding = riding those similar green/blue trails but not racing
All mountain = Blue/black trail riding. Similar ish to enduro but no racing and a bit less gnar.
Enduro = black/double black trails with racing of the down. Usually pedal up, but sometimes not
Downduro = Bike pike down hill laps on either dh tracks or enduro tracks. black to pro lines. Shuttle up because the bikes are too heavy to pedal up. This could be described as down hill without the racing.
Downhill = Racing on purpose built downhill tracks. Double black to prolines

Have i missed any?

Obviously its a blended spectrum not as black and white as i describe above.

 

[Amber Valley Guy]

Yes, what the hell are coloured trails?

We don't have coloured trails here in the UK, Ok MTB parks do (I don't and never will ride there), but that's like 0.00001,% of the country (or less). I understand what you're saying but let's take say a green/blue trail what is it? What defines it? And who decides?

 

[Stihldog]

Diamond's of colours, please tell what are they besides shiny gems, never seen such a thing, are bridal ways like aisles, never seen in the sea?

Hmmm , maybe we’re all fake gemologist who don’t know any other way to rate our thrill. .

Ruby =red?
Emerald =green?
Opal=blue?

 

[Plummet]

Yes, what the hell are coloured trails?

We don't have coloured trails here in the UK, Ok MTB parks do (I don't and never will ride there), but that's like 0.00001,% of the country (or less). I understand what you're saying but let's take say a green/blue trail what is it? What defines it? And who decides?

Go and ride the bike parks and find out.

Green track:-
7 year old child can ride around. Its flowy, easy with no difficult parts. There could be super easy jumps, but they are all rollable.

Blue trails:-
Adds some rocks and roots and maybe some rollable drops or steeps but. No "victory or death" features You do not have to get your wheels off the ground. But there is likely to be bigger rollable jumps

Black trails:-
These tend to split into tech and jump tracks. A black track will require you to commit to challenging features, there is likely gap jumps, and non rollable drops on the black jump tracks. On the black tech tracks, things get gnarly with steeps, big rock or root sections that you have to have the skill to ride.

Double black:-
The same as black tracks except harder. Bigger features, more "victory or death" you must make it or break either yourself or the bike.

Proline:-
Usually these trails are blocked off and only open when there is a pro race dh race going on.

 

[RustyIron]

Can someone please explain to me what 'trail riding' is? Is it a US term

"Trail riding" isn't a term that we regularly throw around. If someone used it while speaking with me, I'd assume it to mean anything between difficult singletrack and a groomed multi-use gravel trail.

@Plummet sums it up nicely with the color system. And those colors pretty much correspond to skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced, talented, and pro. And the argument could be made that the style of bike suitable for each color/skill would be cross-country, trail, all-mountain, enduro, and downhill. To summarize, all this stuff is variable and debatable. But one thing's for sure, if you walk around saying "trail riding," it won't make you sound like a Yank.

 

[ragetty]

Is someone thinking too hard? … (or taking the p/$$ …)

A trail can be any non-paved path or way, e.g. coastal, mountain, forest or whatever. Old or new (e.g. made for a specific purpose).

Some might be designated as bridleways, bike trails, religious ways or whatever. Designated and/or purposed trails are perhaps more likely to be graded for difficulty (for sports). But they are basically still all ‘trails’.

Is ‘trail riding’ then not self-explanatory?

Some might tend to view this more as ‘riding designated trails’, but it’s not a hard and fast rule.

 

[Dax]

Yes, what the hell are coloured trails?

We don't have coloured trails here in the UK, Ok MTB parks do (I don't and never will ride there), but that's like 0.00001,% of the country (or less). I understand what you're saying but let's take say a green/blue trail what is it? What defines it? And who decides?

Uhh yes we do, every forestry commission (NRE/NRW now) trail Center in the UK uses green/blue/red/black grading. There’s a paper describing the characteristics of the different grades, although there is quite a bit of variance between different locations. The green circle/blue square/black diamond/double black diamond is American/Canadian trail grading but is roughly equivalent.

The slight complication is that XC trails and DH trails use the same colours, but are not equivalent difficulty. Don’t assume you can ride a black DH trail just because you slogged it round The Beast at coed y brenin. DH parks (mostly private in the uk) do their own thing but usually loosely align with the dh colours.

Regarding grading of natural/off piste trails, that’s down to whoever is talking about them, based on their experience with no official grading. For example I would describe the Brecon Gap as a red because of the loose fast technical descent and decent amount of climb, others will disagree.

So last week's Red Bull Rampage was a trail riding...errrmm I think I'll stick to the bridleways and prow's.

Rampage is ‘Freeride’.

 

[Doomanic]

Rampage is ‘Freeride’.

That's a funny way of spelling "mental"...

 

[Nomad1]

From easiest to hardest technical riding.

Road = riding on road
gravel = gravel roads
cross country or XC = Racing generally green blue trails in a loop
Tail riding = riding those similar green/blue trails but not racing
All mountain = Blue/black trail riding. Similar ish to enduro but no racing and a bit less gnar.
Enduro = black/double black trails with racing of the down. Usually pedal up, but sometimes not
Downduro = Bike pike down hill laps on either dh tracks or enduro tracks. black to pro lines. Shuttle up because the bikes are too heavy to pedal up. This could be described as down hill without the racing.
Downhill = Racing on purpose built downhill tracks. Double black to prolines

Have i missed any?

Obviously its a blended spectrum not as black and white as i describe above.

Some roads are double black diamonds have you seen how some people drive?

 

[mike_kelly]

I like the way the website mtbproject.com allows users to vote on the difficulty of the trail, using the standard color system. They publish that outcome for each trail. So you can see the spread of what riders think of the trail rating. It is funny to see a trail that 50% of the riders call black and 50% call it green.

 

[Stihldog]

It is funny to see a trail that 50% of the riders call black and 50% call it green.

Those are the trails I like …a little of this and that. There are a few “pro-lines” that are hidden and only used by few, but the effort put into building features is amazing.

The trails here are not marked or named with signs, so it’s easy for a visitor to get turned around or confused. I’ve seen it often. Most trail- name-signs are quickly torn down and removed. A gps phone with the proper maps is almost necessary for any newcomer. I have 8 map-apps on my phone.

“Phone-gazers” can be hikers or bikers and usually appreciate some help with guidance. I’m probably a “social-butterfly” because I know these trails, on this mountain, like the back of my hand. Besides up and down, there’s generally 4 directions on this mountain; a river, an inlet, a city, and wilderness. People still get lost though. That’s when Search and Rescue (SaRS) crews and helicopters show up. Lost dog pictures are regularly posted but most are found. (Personal experience).

 

[lee1112]

I thought a bridleway was something a girl walk down just before she gets married. Thanks for the new definition.

Double black diamond, black diamond, red, green, blue.…that’s the only trails I know.

Ive seen a couple of orange aswell to throw in the mix.

 

[Mcharza]

Trails are interpreted here in the Nordic countries and also in the Alps as a route that can be walked, hiked and cycled. Cycling is prohibited in some areas and walking/hiking in others. Few places have separate trails for cyclists and walkers.

In general, almost all of them used to be paths and were later also allowed for cyclists.
The classifications (color codes) usually apply to bike parks, but e.g. Trailforks has nowadays also classified trails by the riders.

 

[Amber Valley Guy]

I think I've asked a question, thought I had an answer...and it's gone a bit errm coloured (blue, red, black with diamonds).
So trail riding (or a bike that is said to be a trail MTB/emtb bike) is ermmm (sorry for my lack of knowledge) a specific MTB route but not necessarily at a MTB park but IS designed for MTB's alone is that correct? If so thanks for the replies!

 

[Dax]

So trail riding (or a bike that is said to be a trail MTB/emtb bike) is ermmm (sorry for my lack of knowledge) a specific MTB route but not necessarily at a MTB park but IS designed for MTB's alone is that correct? If so thanks for the replies!

Pretty much covers it

 

[Mikerb]

despite the efforts of all those a bove "trail riding" is just a generic term with no more or less meaning than "going for an MTB ride". I think the only time "trail" has at least some meaning is in differentiating a MTB/EMTB in terms of intended use as a trail bike as opposed to a bike designed for Enduro riding (or Downhill)..............the primary difference between the two bikes being that the Enduro bike will have greater suspension travel ( and probably also better specification) and slacker head angle together with other geo differences that make the bike more capable on more technical and/or gnarly terrain.

 

[Amber Valley Guy]

despite the efforts of all those a bove "trail riding" is just a generic term with no more or less meaning than "going for an MTB ride". I think the only time "trail" has at least some meaning is in differentiating a MTB/EMTB in terms of intended use as a trail bike as opposed to a bike designed for Enduro riding (or Downhill)..............the primary difference between the two bikes being that the Enduro bike will have greater suspension travel ( and probably also better specification) and slacker head angle together with other geo differences that make the bike more capable on more technical and/or gnarly terrain.

So trail riding is more a cover all term for non specific off roading and a trail bike a is jack of all trades MTB/emtb go anywhere off road bike not as 'tuned in' to specific categories like Enduro or Downhill. Yes? Still scratching my head slightly on the Red Bull Rampage as that fits a self built MTB trail (only kidding I know it's not for normal people who don't have a screw loose, but wow those guys have big balls).

 

[Dax]

So trail riding is more a cover all term for non specific off roading and a trail bike a is jack of all trades MTB/emtb go anywhere off road bike not as 'tuned in' to specific categories like Enduro or Downhill. Yes? Still scratching my head slightly on the Red Bull Rampage as that fits a self built MTB trail (only kidding I know it's not for normal people who don't have a screw loose, but wow those guys have big balls).

‘Trail bikes’ are a specific travel category, 140-150mm I think, bikes like the Levo/Stumpjumper and Orbea Rise. Typically trail bikes are less slack and pedal better than an 160-180mm enduro bike, but are less capable downhill as a result.

 

[Doomanic]

Typically trail bikes are less slack and pedal better than an 160-180mm enduro bike, but are less capable downhill as a result.

That being said, they are generally far more capable than most people...

 

[michael_bc]

Trail riding, as opposed to enduro, is a type of competition where you get points for each trail ridden. Enduro is typically a timed race, whereas a trail ride is more casual and about the amount of terrain covered. Here is an example of a trail riding competition: GRISCHA TRAIL RIDE

Trail bikes are more agile than enduro bikes, but less hard-hitting on the downhill. The difference isn't huge, though.

Both competitions happen on the same single-track trails you would find on Trailforks for example. Single-track trails can have a color ranking like ITRS. Sometimes these trails are shared with hikers, sometimes they are reserved for bikers.

 

[militantmandy]

Wow this is apparently a lot more complicated than I thought! I would say:

Trail - anything that has been designed for MTBs. The colour or grading is largely irrelevant.

Possible exceptions:

• Jump line
• Bike park (could still be full of trails!)
• Ft William? Is the DH World Cup track a trail?

No one says "I'm off for a trail ride" though do they?

ETA - where I live, 99.9% of the trails are illegal (but totally tolerated and raced on) and nearly all are just marked as black. I think at The Golfie, someone added in a numbering system (1-5) to help people who don't know the area.

 

[Tubby G]

No one says "I'm off for a trail ride" though do they?

I kind of do. I’ll say ‘which trails are we going to hit today?’

 

[Stihldog]

I kind of do. I’ll say ‘which trails are we going to hit today?’

Which brings me to “where are you?”.
5 years ago a dog walker was seriously injured on our mountain for three days and nights, in the rain and snow, and was eventually found by Search and Rescue crews. A book was written by her husband outlining the ordeal (Three Dog Nights). Four years ago she found my lost dog at a high altitude on the same mountain. (Thank goodness ).

This is Luke…he can count to three

I mostly ride solo and my ride can suddenly change depending on how I feel or what trail entrance I find myself at. I don’t have a planned route. Black, red, green or blue. Rarely do I let anyone know which trails I’ll be riding. I need to rely on myself to know the difficulty of a trail and prepare as best as possible.

Strava Becon, Find My Friends and a gps phone is absolutely necessary for me. Also a first aid kit and a few tools. The trail network on this mountain (any mountain) can be a puzzle until you’re familiar with the area. Hopefully a novice rider won’t go down a black diamond and hopefully a hiker won’t venture into the abyss. But s*it happens.

Trail Forks seems to have standardized the colour system for trail difficulty. A few pics are sometimes posted for that trail but rarely represent the true nature or difficulty.

Anyways, I try to stay on the trails within my skill level …but I’m also prepared to dismount, so I can ride another day.

 

[Binhill1]

I thought a bridleway was something a girl walk down just before she gets married. Thanks for the new definition.

Double black diamond, black diamond, red, green, blue.…that’s the only trails I know.

Women put the bridle on you first then you get married and the saddle goes on . After a few years the whip and the spurs come out of the cupboard yeeha