Rating the Difficulty of Bikepacking Routes
The grading of difficulty for the route from BT 700 Productions can be broken down into two main components: Physical Difficulty and Technical Difficulty.
Of course, there are several factors that come into play when considering the challenge of a route. Fitness of the rider, distances covered in a day, past bikepacking experience, and weather can all impact how “hard” a route appears.
Physical difficulty
1-2 - Relatively level riding
3-4 - Regular rolling terrain with sustained climbing
5-6 - Rugged terrain with frequent climbs, some of which may be steep and unrelenting
7-8 - Very rugged terrain with abundant climbing, some of which is very steep and unrideable
9-10 - Numerous very steep, climbs requiring bike-pushing and/or carrying
Technical difficulty
1-2 - Smooth riding surface with few obstacles (e.g., graded dirt roads, rail trails); suitable for novice mountain bikers
3-4 - Track has occasional obstacles and steep sections (e.g., maintained forest roads, mellow singletrack); suitable for beginner mountain bikers
5-6 - Continuous sections of track may be rocky, loose, and steep; (e.g., 4x4 roads or singletrack in rugged/rocky terrain), suitable for intermediate mountain bikers
7-8 - Narrow trail with regular obstacles, sustained steep grades; suitable for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers
9-10 - Very challenging riding with frequent large obstacles, exposure, very steep grades; suitable for advanced mountain bikers
Here is a rough idea of what I consider the appropriate difficulty rating for the BT 700 bikepacking routes. Just remember, this is not a perfect science.
BT 700: 3-4
BT XL: 5-6
Grand Nith Ramble (GNR): 3-4
Farmers Folly: 3-4
Hasty Highlander: 3-4
No Winter Maintenance: 5-6
Over the Loon: 3-4
Bogs & Locks: 3-4
Three Amigos: 5-6
High Five: 5-6
Big Griz: 5-6
Bruce on the Loose: 3-4
Le Grande Gaspesie: 5-6
Frontier Lake Loop 2-4
The grading of difficulty for the route from BT 700 Productions can be broken down into two main components: Physical Difficulty and Technical Difficulty.
Of course, there are several factors that come into play when considering the challenge of a route. Fitness of the rider, distances covered in a day, past bikepacking experience, and weather can all impact how “hard” a route appears.
Physical difficulty
1-2 - Relatively level riding
3-4 - Regular rolling terrain with sustained climbing
5-6 - Rugged terrain with frequent climbs, some of which may be steep and unrelenting
7-8 - Very rugged terrain with abundant climbing, some of which is very steep and unrideable
9-10 - Numerous very steep, climbs requiring bike-pushing and/or carrying
Technical difficulty
1-2 - Smooth riding surface with few obstacles (e.g., graded dirt roads, rail trails); suitable for novice mountain bikers
3-4 - Track has occasional obstacles and steep sections (e.g., maintained forest roads, mellow singletrack); suitable for beginner mountain bikers
5-6 - Continuous sections of track may be rocky, loose, and steep; (e.g., 4x4 roads or singletrack in rugged/rocky terrain), suitable for intermediate mountain bikers
7-8 - Narrow trail with regular obstacles, sustained steep grades; suitable for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers
9-10 - Very challenging riding with frequent large obstacles, exposure, very steep grades; suitable for advanced mountain bikers
Here is a rough idea of what I consider the appropriate difficulty rating for the BT 700 bikepacking routes. Just remember, this is not a perfect science.
BT 700: 3-4
BT XL: 5-6
Grand Nith Ramble (GNR): 3-4
Farmers Folly: 3-4
Hasty Highlander: 3-4
No Winter Maintenance: 5-6
Over the Loon: 3-4
Bogs & Locks: 3-4
Three Amigos: 5-6
High Five: 5-6
Big Griz: 5-6
Bruce on the Loose: 3-4
Le Grande Gaspesie: 5-6
Frontier Lake Loop 2-4