How do I rate my riding skills and ability?
Athara Adventures wants to make sure that you fully enjoy your tour with us. To do that, we want to make sure that you, and we, have a clear sense of your riding ability and your fitness level.
This is not an exact science, and our groups will be composed of adventurers with a variety of skill levels, which is part of the fun!
Below are some guidelines to understand the way that we rate our tours. We are always happy to answer any specific questions that you might have after reviewing the tour and skills information. Our goal is for you to fully enjoy your tour and create memories that will last a lifetime!
The more time and effort you put into your pre-tour training, the more fun you will have when you join us in the mountains. If you would like assistance or guidance regarding pre-tour training, please contact us at contact@atharaadventures.com.
Mountain Bike or eMountain Bike Skill Level
Level 1 / Beginner
You are new to riding your mountain or e-mountain bike and ride an average of once or twice per month. You have a basic balanced body position on your bike and know how to apply that to riding on different terrain, ascents, and descents. You are familiar with your gearing and have a basic understanding of which gears to use and when. You have ridden a pedal assist e-mountain bike before and understand its features. You can pedal, brake, and steer appropriately and efficiently. You ride gravel roads and double-track trails that are mostly flat with some small hills. You walk your bike around or over obstacles or features that you have not previously attempted.
Level 2 / Beginner/Intermediate
You are relatively new to riding your mountain bike or e-mountain bike, but ride consistently on a weekly basis as time allows. You ride gravel roads, logging roads, and double-track trails over hilly terrain, and have tried single-track trails. You pedal efficiently and are comfortable with shifting and braking though you do not always anticipate correct gear shifts ahead of time. You are practicing cornering and tipping your bike, and you are getting comfortable with both left- and right-hand banked and berm turns. You tend to walk your bike over or around technical single-track features. You can ride comfortably at moderate exertion for 2+ hours at a time and want to continue pushing yourself and improving your skills.
Level 3 / Intermediate
You have been riding your mountain bike or e-mountain bike for at least two full mountain bike seasons, and ride weekly in varied weather and conditions. You are comfortable cornering, and anticipate gear shifts to quickly handle upcoming climbs, terrain changes, and to maintain momentum over obstacles. You may walk your bike over or around technical single-track features that are new to you, but you are willing to attempt to ride over them and understand the importance of your line selection. You are comfortable riding on gravel, logging roads, rough double-track, and non-technical single-track trails over hilly terrain. You are comfortable in the saddle for 3+ hours at moderate exertion with breaks and may have road riding skills and/or training that you apply to your overall riding repertoire.
Level 4 / Intermediate/Advanced
You ride your mountain bike or e-mountain bike two or three times per week, and you are comfortable riding on challenging terrain for longer periods of time. This includes technical intermediate level single track trails that feature a variety of climbs, descents, roots, rocks, and bridge features. You can shift, brake, and corner smoothly while maintaining momentum over all types of terrain. You enjoy technical singletrack, and you can commit to a line over features and technical sections that you haven’t tried before. You may walk your bike if you know that a feature is beyond your ability, but you will tackle most moderate to difficult features on any trail. You continue to push yourself to attempt to master additional technical features and varied terrain.
Level 5 / Advanced
You have been riding your mountain bike or e-mountain bike for years and are completely comfortable with its use and all features. You enjoy riding technical trails for long periods of time and you can ride just about any feature that you come across smoothly while maintaining your momentum. You enjoy long ascents and descents, and you can navigate new terrain easily with appropriate line selection and use of gears to optimize efficiency. You very rarely skip features and only walk a section if you need to contemplate your line. You work towards cleaning sections that are challenging for you, and you are always looking for new and interesting terrain. You are excited to seek out the next big riding adventure and nothing can stand in your way.