One of the first things I learned when I started mountain biking was how to check the trail difficulty, mainly because I was terrified of falling if I rode a trail that would be too hard for me.
Trail difficulty can vary by region and across the world but there are typically 5 levels:
- Green -> Easy
- Blue -> Intermediate
- Black -> Advanced
- Double Black -> Expert
- Orange -> Pro
If you use the Trailforks App or website, you can check the legend they use for their map: https://www.trailforks.com/map/legend/
What I didn’t know at the time is that difficulty is relative to the area where the trails are located. That means that an easy (Green) trail in the Don Valley, for example, can have a different skill level requirement compared to a Green trail in Whistler.
However, it is still useful to learn the trail ratings because once you ride a trail in your area of interest you can decide if you want to try easier or harder trails and you adjust your expectations for the trail system.
Make sure the first time you ride a trail you do so with caution before riding at full speed.
Green Trails (Easy)
With Green trails you can expect mostly flat terrain without obstacles that cannot be rolled. Meaning, no gaps or big jumps. These are typically kid-friendly trails.
Blue Trails (Intermediate)
Blue trails can have a very wide range of skill level. There are blue trails that could be considered green and some that can be considered black. It is always best to check out photos or videos of the trail before riding to ensure you are prepared. What you should expect is to see optional features on the trail with ride-arounds. This gives you the option to try new skills in a relatively safe environment.
Black Trails (Advanced)
Once you start riding black trails, you start getting into the more advanced terrain. You should expect harder climbs and descents. You could also find mandatory features or jumps that cannot be rolled. As always, it is recommended you pre-ride a trail at a moderate pace and make sure you are comfortable before riding at full speed.
Double-black Trails (Expert)
Double-black trails are the most commonly found ‘hard’ trails in most systems. It is rare for locations to have ‘Pro’ lines (below). So if you are riding at this level you should expect to come across any type of terrain or feature. These trails assume you know how to handle your bike on very tight turns or even exposed single track.
Orange Trails (Pro)
I personally don’t have experience with these trails, but as the name implies, these are for Pros only. Do not ride if you are not comfortable riding all the expert trails in the same system.
