Grading trails ...

[kosmonooit]

The topic or grading mtb trails or sections of mtb trails / races has come up following the fiascos of the Nissan Van Gaalens yesterday, where many of us were caught unaware and did damage to ourselves.

 

There seems to be no reason why some grading system can not be standardised on, and the grading of sections marked or put on the maps / profiles before the event. Surely this is a something that CSA (who's operations and existence that we pay for) should be doing? or at least lobbied to do? Then event organisers have to implement, otherwise wtf are they collecting license fees?

 

In rock climbing there are very established grades, so you know what you can tackle, or what's within your skills. Why not MTB? I did some googling, seems the UK has some system of grading they park trails with colour codes - here - that's a start. If was implemented yesterday, a lot of the downhill track would have been graded Black imo.

 

I am not asking for a nanny state approach - just information is power, if you know what you are in for, that is going to guide your actions and ensure a safe and enjoyable ride.

 

What do you guys think? Surely this is do-able and us, we can get together and lobby for action?

[HaydenWilson]

dude i totally agree! the climbing system is great cos its gradual and the grade actually makes sense according to the number of difficult moves that need to be made. applying that to mountain biking should not be too difficult either! maybe slope angle, dropoff size, slope stability etc could be used to establish grades? i know a lot of it is subjective depending on rider skill but the climbing method gets over that so i do not see why it cant be applied to mountain biking. it would also be good for those of us who have weak frames and do not want to snap them. Ie nothing over a 23 as that is the grade that you need to start using either a dirt jump or freeride frame...

[deanbean]

IMBA Trail Difficulty Ratings

[Andyr249]

CSA seem next to useless so I wouldn't expect much from them.

If it exists Deanbean then it should rather be the organizers who implement it. That would be more effective as you basically cutting out an obstacle in CSA.

[The expat cyclist]

Grading trails...Hmmmm...How would you grade it? First of all when you grade something, you must have something to compare with.

 

Ok, so most of us Gauteng folk know Babba's. So as far as technical goes, Babbas will get a 1 on a scale from 1 to 5.

 

So now the powers that be, go and decide van Gaalens was a...uhmmm...3.5 outa' 5. So now you finish the race all up in arms because it should have been a 4.5!!! 4 vark steaks man - it is a 4.5.

 

And then the question is who decides what the rating is. I mean if you ask Burry Stander he might give it a 2 because his 5 is not your 5.

 

Look, in a way I see your concern...BUT you won't be able to keep everyone happen and it won't ever be perfect!

 

My personal opinion is that guys and gals are not prepared for what they are getting themselves into!!! The get bullied into doing the 70km because real men don't the 40km and bla, bla, bla. So they do the 70km - trained 5 hours a week, a camelbak having one liter of water, a spare tube and some bombs and off they go!

 

And then when they get to the waterpoints there are now more water and bla bla bla. Then they slip doing a downhill (because they lost concentration from getting tired when doing a climb of 13km) and bla bla bla.

 

Bla bla bla. Bla bla bla. Stop bitching! Train more. Train harder. Be prepared. Rest more. Rest harder. JY K@K AF WANT JY IS UIT JOU LEAGUE UIT EN ONVOORBEREID. OOR UIT EN KLAAR!!!

 

And if you are going to tell me that we are not all Burry Stander - well, that is just you looking for an excuse to be...AVERAGE (read roadie)

Edited November 14, 2010 by MJ loves MTB

[Dicky DQ]

Grading trails...Hmmmm...How would you grade it? First of all when you grade something, you must have something to compare with.

 

Ok, so most of us Gauteng folk know Babba's. So as far as technical goes, Babbas will get a 1 on a scale from 1 to 5.

 

So now the powers that be, go and decide van Gaalens was a...uhmmm...3.5 outa' 5. So now you finish the race all up in arms because it should have been a 4.5!!! 4 vark steaks man - it is a 4.5.

 

And then the question is who decides what the rating is. I mean if you ask Burry Stander he might give it a 2 because his 5 is not your 5.

 

Look, in a way I see your concern...BUT you won't be able to keep everyone happen and it won't ever be perfect!

 

My personal opinion is that guys and gals are not prepared for what they are getting themselves into!!! The get bullied into doing the 70km because real men don't the 40km and bla, bla, bla. So they do the 70km - trained 5 hours a week, a camelbak having one liter of water, a spare tube and some bombs and off they go!

 

And then when they get to the waterpoints there are now more water and bla bla bla. Then they slip doing a downhill (because they lost concentration from getting tired when doing a climb of 13km) and bla bla bla.

 

Bla bla bla. Bla bla bla. Stop bitching! Train more. Train harder. Be prepared. Rest more. Rest harder. JY K@K AF WANT JY IS UIT JOU LEAGUE UIT EN ONVOORBEREID. OOR UIT EN KLAAR!!!

 

And if you are going to tell me that we are not all Burry Stander - well, that is just you looking for an excuse to be...AVERAGE (read roadie)

 

Here Here. I once went out riding with some dudes who said they loved single track and we did what we considered a gentle fast flowing rush. WTF the crapped themselves.

[Shebeen]

Lived in vancouver a while back,told my new flatmates I was into mountainbiking. So when I go cruising round the forests near the house once I got tuned about my terminology.

 

Forest paths is:trailriding

Monster drops and fooling around north shore:that's mountain biking

(The one guy was a norco team rider)

 

Point of the story.it's not a sport for poefdes, always expect the unexpected.big dropoffs should probably be sign posted in a race, but otherwise you're on your own.its one of the + points to the sport.

[Dicky DQ]

However there are gradings Green Blue Red and Black. Some days i feel that a blue is like a black and visa versa. but that is on the same trails.

 

Being unfit at the moment I cant even enjoy the gentle blue trails at Hillcrest!

[leeu52]

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/77841-anyone-else-nearly-break-their-neck-at-nissan-diamond-rush/page__view__findpost__p__1109302__fromsearch__1

[El Saltemontes]

I was also at van Gaalens yesterday and those guys complaining are soooo lucky they didn't take us up to the top of poffadda where the back side down hill is

3 x's more technical than what was on offer yesterday.

personally I knew that the single track would be clogged up with slow riders and that the downhills would have walkers, but I still had to do it as this is up there with the best Gauteng can offer in terms of adrenalin fixes. I guess next years van Gaalens will be with out those guys complaining or maybe the committed wantabees shold get to the skills clinics, hell, I've attended them and I'm still learning.

[covie]

Should be simple enough to get a basic system, nothing perfect, but if you take the length of the trail, the amount of climing, % single track , and type of single track i.e. advanced, technical, flowing, and work on assigning a mathematical factor to each of those elements a fairly basic but suitable system could evolve.

[The expat cyclist]

Should be simple enough to get a basic system, nothing perfect, but if you take the length of the trail, the amount of climing, % single track , and type of single track i.e. advanced, technical, flowing, and work on assigning a mathematical factor to each of those elements a fairly basic but suitable system could evolve.

 

And who is going to decide what is advanced, flowing etc? A panel of judges? So every year the entry fees will be more expensive because the trails will have to rated...And, you will have to use the same judges for all the trails because what is advanced for you, is not for me.

[Weight Weenie]

try this ? http://www.entelecteventmanager.co.za/CMS_Documents/94/WTGv1.pdf

[Paddaman]

grading:

 

All trails in Jhb are black, not because they are difficult but because Jhb is a tuff place, and if you have to get off the road bike then it is difficult.

 

All trails in PTA are green/blue because Pta is more laid back and a PTA rider just won't admit that he finds them difficult. (ja dude, it is easy especially if you walk the last bit).

 

All trails in CT are midnight black because they sort of invented falling off the bike.

 

Trails in Natal are DH because Greg Minnaar and Morewood bikes hails from there.

 

Trails in Northern Cape are dusty and gravel roads and go on forever, because they have heard of tar but thing it is a bad idea as it melts in summer.

[Danger Dassie]

Personally I think the grading issue will just cloud matter more. It was mentioned that much of the downhill at vG was a black grade, I disagree the route was a red. So already there is an issue as to grading.

 

Using climbing as an anology is a bad one, there something like three different grading systems in climbing, depending on if you do sport, trad, bouldering, ice climbing, multi-pitch etc etc .... There, often climbers even disagree on the application of a grade.

 

As we have it, races use the standard signage of arrows for descents, with three being the most advanced.

van Gaalen had topographical data and maps loaded before the event, also the area is known as being technical and rough. If someone is not sure of the levels required to complete, they should research a bit and make sure, there is more than enough info out there.

The ultimate responsibility is down to individual to be sure they are able as well as willing, no grading system will be able to take place of that.

[leeu52]

"Bring your family along and make them all experience the excitement of mountain biking!"

This would be appropriate for Babbas/Northern Farm/Groenkloof where us "family-types" hang out.

 

Unfortunately it was used for Cullinan Diamond Rush. So me and others ended up in hospital.

 

This thread is meant for the family-social-weekender-appie cyclist community NOT for the experienced, dedicated, skillful, cyclists, so please consider our concerns.

 

Our entry fees entitle us to act like idiots, clog the bottle necks and totally ruin your fun!