Three colors shaped my childhood: Blue, red and black. They were the colors of the ski slopes. Blue was for beginners, red meant fun and the black slopes were a challenge. Everyone understood these color codes and they have remained the same in winter sports to this day. What works for ski slopes will probably also work for bike trails! When I launched the "Singletrail Maps" twenty years ago, I transferred the rating system from winter to summer. Everyone already understands the red, blue and black color code, but now it's on a mountain bike map instead of a piste map. So far, everything is clear.

Too many factors

I quickly realized that the difficulty rating for single trails is not as simple as on the ski slopes. For example, many a trail has turned from black to red over the years. Not because a trail crew with pickaxe and shovel has pulled its teeth out, but because tires have become thicker and suspensions more generous in the meantime. Mountain bike technology has a considerable influence on the trail rating: it is not the same to ride a route with a hardtail and narrow tires or with a chunky enduro bike. The weather also has a say in the trail rating. Rain turns many a red trail into a black route. A grippy rock slab becomes as smooth as glass in wet conditions. And then there's the direction of travel: a mountain trail can be flowy in one direction and downright unrideable in the other. And finally, there is the question of whether a route should be judged by its most difficult section or its entire length. It's not all that simple after all!

Let yourself be surprised!

For twenty years now, I have been discussing the evaluation of single trails and have come to the conclusion that it is not really possible to provide objective information. But it doesn't need to be. Rating systems such as the color code of the "Singletrail Map" or the widespread singletrail scale from S0 to S5 can at best give us an idea of what to expect in the terrain. However, we mountain bikers should say goodbye to the idea of a scientific and reliable measuring method because it actually contradicts the fundamental values of the sport. Our social safety mentality may make sense for many in everyday life, but a mountain bike tour can and should still be a little adventure in the future. One of the attractions of mountain biking is that not everything is predictable and calculable. The rating systems give us an illusion of safety that we are not actually looking for.

More blog posts by Thomas Giger

ride.ch/blog/giger