Easiest: Grade 1
Standard: Fairly flat, wide, smooth track or gravel road
Easy: Grade 2
Standard: Mostly flat with some gentle climbs on smooth track with easily avoidable obstacles such as rocks and potholes.
Intermediate: Grade 3
Standard: Steep slopes and/or avoidable obstacles possibly on narrow track and/or with poor traction. There may be exposure at the track’s outside edge.
Advanced: Grade 4
Standard: A mixture of long, steep climbs, narrow track, poor traction and obstacles that are difficult to avoid or jump over. Generally exposed at the track’s outside edge. Most riders will find some sections easier to walk.
Expert: Grade 5
Standard: Technically challenging. Giant climbs, narrow track and numerous hazards including dangerous drop-offs, sharp corners and difficult obstacles. Expect walking and possibly bike carrying.
Extreme: Grade 6
Standard: Downhill/free ride specific tracks. Extremely steep sections with large drop-offs and other unavoidable obstacles. May include man made structures and jumps.
The way you ride, the way you interact with people when you ride and the respect you show to the environment all have a big impact on the way NMTBC is seen by our community. We aren’t going to preach to you about how to behave, but please be a considerate trail user.
Most of our tracks are on land that we have been very kindly granted access to. We don’t own it. We rely on great relationships with the land owners and managers, built up over decades, so that we can have access to build trails and have fun on our bikes.
Below is the basic code that we request all mountain bikers follow. Most of it is just common sense, but not sticking to it will have real implications for us all.
Oh yeah – and have fun, smile, say ‘hello’ when you meet people and help out if someone is in trouble.
