The 4T's for Mountain Bike Riding

1. Terrain (Climbing & Profile)

1 – Flat <500’ [Benchmark: Lava to Slough, Sisters Tie, La Pine State Park]
2 – Rolling 500-700 [Benchmark: Phil’s area -Marvins–ELV–Phil’s, Horse Butte Loop
3 – Moderate Climbing 700-1000 [Benchmark: Phil’s area – Ben’s – Ext – Phil’s]
4 – Challenging 1000-1500 [Benchmark: Welcome Center – Storm King – Grand
Slam – Ticket to Ride]
5 – Big Effort 1500+ [Benchmark: Tumalo Creek – North Fork – Mrazek – Farewell]

2. Trail (Surface &amp; Technical Features)

1 – Smooth: Wide paths, no obstacles [Benchmark: Lava to Slough, Sisters Tie, La
Pine State Park]
2 – Mild: Mostly smooth singletrack, small roots/rocks [Benchmark: Kent’s Trail,
Marvins, Catch and Release]
3 – Moderate: Consistent small obstacles, tighter turns [Benchmark:Ticket To Ride,
Maston, Peterson Ride East]
4 – Technical: Rock gardens, steeper descents, switchbacks [Benchmark:
Southfork, Flagline Tie, COD – Black section, VooDoo Black section
5 – Highly Technical: Drops, exposure, advanced features [Benchmark: Peterson
Ridge’s Eagle Rock, Phils’ The Lair]

3. Tempo (Pace & Ride Style)

1 – Social: Frequent stops, regroup often
2 – Casual: Relaxed pace, occasional stops
3 – Steady: Moderate pace
4 – Brisk: Faster, fewer stops
5 – Fast: Continuous effort

4. Time (Distance & Duration)

1 – Short: < 8 mi / < 1.5 hr
2 – Medium: 8 – 12mi / 1.5 – 2 hr
3 – Moderate: 13 – 15 mi / 2 – 3 hr
4 – Long: 16 – 20 mi / 3 – 4 hr
5 – Endurance: over 20 mi / 4+ hr