what is your riding experience skill level ?

rlb said:
It's all relative, an intermediate at allaire or six mile will be a beginner at chimney Rock until they get used to hills and rocks. I think intermediate implies you can sustain a steady pace and ride most of the terrain at a given park. Advanced is something I'll never be so I have no answers!
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I disagree, I think your skill level is based off other riders, not the park you ride. I don't suddenly become a better rider if I go to 6 mile. Different parks test different skill sets, 6 Mile really tests you ability to link corners to maintain speed. Chimney tests how well you flow over rocks.
 
I am a 6. On a scale of 1 to something greater than 6.

It is really hard to separate skill & fitness. Maybe how well you go down something like Stone Gate is a reasonable measure. But even then there's a reason the fastest enduro/DH riders are not fat slobs. The guys who go down the fastest go up pretty damn fast too.
 
On a scale of 1-1o, I'm about a 15. I'm usually 2-3 times as fast as all the riders I've ever ridden with.
A few times people have gone faster than me, but they had much better bikes, and I had a flat, or some other kind of mechanical. Plus they probably had a personal trainer!
 
Similarly to the "Puke with Johnny" table, use Strava. For example, a ride at 6MR, > 12 miles, use the following table :

avg speed skill level
<5 mph are you even on a bike?
5-7 B3ginn3r
7-9 Intermediate
9-11 Advanced
11-13 Expert
>13 You ride by yourself a lot

of course, by > 12 miles, I mean without repeating trails.

obviously park -specific; some parks start at "Intermediate"
 
I often see speed equated with skill... while that may be part of it, I don't think it's the whole story. I've seen folks zip through trails at breakneck speed, yet fail at the most simple log piles and other obstacles. Is somebody who manages to flail sloppily through the trails at a high rate of speed more advanced than somebody who goes at a moderate pace, but nails everything with textbook precision?

[I know I'm slow, and may eternally be looked at as a "beginner" because of that, but that doesn't bother me at all. While others may zip around a nasty washed-out root on a climb, I find it much more satisfying to be able to hop up and over that root - and if I fail, try it over and over until I get it right.]
 
i'll go the other way,
everyone is a 6.
adjust scale as necessary for alignment, in bowling & golf, you'd get a handicap......
 
The problem with judging your ability level by using speed is that it is, well, wrong. Fitness is generally what makes riders seem fast in terms of XC racing. There are lots of people who are fast, but I would not consider to be an advanced riders. I look at truly advanced local riders (Lenowski for instance) and while yes, he is extremely fast, this is not what makes him an advanced rider. You put him on any bike, in any type of race and he's going to do well. This is because he knows how to ride well. He knows how to handle a bike, where to pedal, where to pump, where to jump, where to scrub, what line to pick, how to ride smoothly instead of just crashing through a rock garden, etc. If you look at race reports, it's not like Jeff is winning every race he enters but that doesn't mean that he's not the most talented or most advanced rider at that race.

I generally judge a rider's ability level on how smooth they can be through the most gnarly terrain, up and down. While this certainly requires fitness, skill is what separates the talented.
 
There is a matrix of fitness and skill, without both yer riding the slow train.

I know a lot of people who have no fitness but know how to ride a bike yet belong on the slow ride.

I know a lot of people that are fit and fast but don't have any bike skills. Depending on the park, they will be frustrated, but belong in the slow ride.

Both fitness and skill are key.

I should also add, skill changes with speed, as the technique is totally different the faster you go.
 
Don't overthink it.

There are really only two instances (that I can think of of) where categorizing yourself as noob, intermediate or advanced even matters:

(1) you're racing and need to sign up in the correct category
(2) there's a group ride and it says it's for "advanced" riders (for example) ... Don't get on the pain train unless you know you can hang.

Other than that. It really doesn't matter.

...at least that's what I try to tell myself ;)
 
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If you can gopro yourself without sucking=beginner

If other people want to gopro you=intermediate

If the camera crew needs to document you = advance

makes me a squid without training wheels
 
I really enjoy the pace of Allaire beginner rides while moving. I could ride faster, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll tackle the trail as clean. I'm also pushing myself to get in good shape now too, so I'm sure that'll help. If I see something I'm not sure I could do, I hope off and walk it a couple times. Depending what it is, I'll try it if I'm confident enough.
 
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