The book Off Road Cycling Adventures uses this ride rating system, which we occasionally quote.
| Technical difficulty | Skill level | Fitness level | ||
| Very steep climbs. Rough technical descents. Rocky, rutted or very loose surfaces. |
D | Requires advanced technical skills. Walking may be required. |
4 | Highly trained, race fit. Able to maintain constant high power output. Highly developed muscular and cardiovascular systems. |
| Dirt-based track of varying width. Often with poor drainage. Likely to be slippery or muddy when wet. Frequent hills. |
C |
Requires confidence and intermediate technical skills |
3 |
Well developed riding fitness. Able to handle long mountain climbs over varying terrains for extended periods |
| Single track. Dirty or rocky surface. Logs, obstacles and ruts likely. |
B |
Moderate skills needed. Good opportunity to gain confidence and experience. |
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| Degenerated or partly overgrown tracks. Predominantly dirt or rocky surface. Expect logs and other obstacles. Occasional steep hills. |
2 |
Moderate endurance required to cope with hills and a ride duration of 2+ hours. |
||
| Fire trail, relatively wide. Few obstacles. Often a gravel or mixed surface. Possibility of real hills. |
A |
Basic MTB skills. Transition from bike path and road riding to bush and single track |
1 |
Basic cycling fitness. Able to ride flat and undulating surfaces for 1-2 hours. |
| Dirt road, possibly some sealed sections, and/or bike path. Undulating rather than hilly. |
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Examples:
A two hour ride along a fairly smooth dirt road with few hills would be rated as A 1.
A ride with technical difficulty of C and fitness rating of 3 would indicate a 2-3 hour ride over a variety of trail surfaces and plenty of hills.
