Intensity Index
You deserve to be on a tour that best suits your interests and riding ability - after all, vacations are meant to be enjoyed, not feared. And at the end of the day we strive to hand out cold beverages, not Band-Aids, before raising a toast to a great adventure that was potentially demanding of you, but never death-defying.
We've created an intensity index that takes into account both the physical and technical demands of the terrain we ride. Each tour has an aerobic rating, a technical rating, and an overall rating as a result. The ratings on a given tour are the average overall rating. Detailed trip itineraries are provided before a tour that have more details on each day's route.
Mixed abilities are always a concern of our guests and the reality of a group tour is there's inevitably going to be a spectrum of talents. Dirt Gypsy Adventures is well versed in maximizing value and enjoyment with groups and riders of varying abilities. We can craft an intermediate tour to easily be conquered by a beginner and vice versa. Adding or removing distances, having bail out options, letting a little air out of that fast kid's tires (kidding!).......we've got our ways - you just have to join us to find out for yourself.
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AEROBIC
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GREEN - Generally flat terrain with gentle climbs not lasting more than 10 minutes each. Expect daily rides between 2-4 hours, distances up to 20 miles & climbing that totals around 1500' or less. An overall tour with easier trails for the weekend, every other weekend, or 'this is my first weekend' warrior. A great introduction to trail riding that will improve your comfort on the bike and periodically offer the opportunity to challenge yourself if you desire. Consider this a green circle designation.
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BLUE- Features hilly terrain with periodic steep climbs not lasting more than 20 minutes each. Better suited for riders comfortable with 3-5 hours on the bike, with distances up to 28 miles and climbing that totals between 1000' - 2900' elevation gain. Being able to pace your efforts, monitor your nutrition and body, and ride accordingly will allow you to enjoy these intermediate rides to the fullest. We stop frequently on these tours to ensure rest and recovery can take place. Consider this a blue square designation.
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BLACK - A bit burlier and more challenging than your average ride. Joining an advanced tour means you’re capable of tackling a variety of terrain with hard, long climbs between 30 minutes to 1 hour each. Daily distances totaling up to 35 miles and cumulative elevation gain between 2500' ~ 4800' elevation gain is to be expected. Your bum and body better be ready for these tours, where you’ll spend upwards of 6 hours daily on the bike. Be sure to spend a few days a week on the bike before joining our advanced tours to enjoy them to the fullest.
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RED - Look no further if you’re looking to turn yourself inside out. You’ve found an exceptionally challenging tour, where each day delivers doses of delight and demise. You can expect rides lasting up to 7 hours, climbing stats that total between 3500' - 6000', and an abundance frequent hard, long climbs lasting 30 minutes to 2 hours each. If you’re joining this tour, you’ve committed to multiple rides weekly and people talk about you with colorful terms such as "bike dork" and "hardcore rider".
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Please take note that for our eMTB tours the mileage and elevation stats can be higher, with the technical elements remaining the same.
Mileage and elevation stats shown above reference what can be expected on our mountain bike tours. A gravel bike tour with a similar rating typically has 10-20 miles more per day with an additional 500' - 1500' of elevation gain.
TECHNICAL
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GREEN - We cover relatively smooth terrain on mostly hard-packed trails. The routes are absent of or feature infrequent amounts of obstacles, rock gardens, or elements that can be easily avoided or ridden around. There is little to no exposure on these trails, which are usually wider and enjoyed by beginners looking for a casual, low stress experience.
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BLUE- Here you’ll find a variety of smooth and rocky terrain with periodic rock features, obstacles, drop offs, berms, and jumps that can often be avoided or maneuvered around. Jumps are not mandatory, but you’ll want to know about line choice and anticipate unavoidable obstacles that are typically 10” tall or shorter. For these trips it is best to have a good understanding of the core fundamentals to riding (including proper braking, cornering and body positioning).
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BLACK - Plan to ride a little bit of everything that will keep you on your toes and hopefully on your tires, including rock gardens, off camber sections, drop offs, and steep and loose climbs and descents. Designed for those seeking challenges, you can expect periodic to frequent exposure to segments of trail that hug natural rims or ledges with consequences if you fall. You’ll want to have a baseline of quick reactions, focus and finesse to clean tabletop jump lines, drops and technical stretches that are highlights of the daily itineraries. You can ride most of what the mountain dishes out with confidence
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RED - The full monty - ledges, drop offs, jumps, rock gardens, more rock gardens, steep descents and leg-cramping climbs. Frequent exposure to continuous segments of trail that hug natural rims and ledges & require precision when navigating rock gardens or raised features - these trails have severe consequences if you fall. Not for the faint of heart, these epic technical rides feature trails and segments that many would walk, but also are so steep that walking isn’t a great option. If bigger drops, chunkier rockgardens, and gap jumps make you salivate then step on up.
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Dirt Gypsy Adventures offers a variety of coaching and skills clinics to help riders improve their confidence and control on the bike. Read more about our offerings HERE and consider joining an upcoming clinic to take your riding to the next level!
OVERALL
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GREEN - An overall tour with easier trails for the true beginner, weekend, or every other weekend warrior. A great introduction to casual trail riding that will improve your comfort on the bike and periodically offer the opportunity to challenge yourself
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BLUE- A progressive tour with trails for the weekend or seasoned rider, such as the road cyclist looking to get on the dirt or general fit & athletic people looking for a challenge. These tours often feature beginner and advanced components that even out to an intermediate tour. There’s always the option to increase or decrease both technical or aerobic elements to meet the rider’s specific desires. We encourage those on our intermediate tours to ride 1-2 times per week for at least a month leading up to the trip.
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BLACK - Our advanced tours feature terrain and trails for the experienced cyclist. These feature consecutive hard days with tough climbs, technical descents, longer miles, and perhaps a bit of exposure to keep your adrenaline pumping. Not for the faint of heart, but nothing that the intermediate rider couldn't tackle with shorter options available on most days. An advanced tour participant should ride 2-3 times per week for at least two months leading up to the trip.
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RED - Mostly found in our custom and private offerings, our epic tours are for the most hardened of cyclists and athletes. We spare no expense when trying to find the most intense climbs and devilish descents around and create a tour that's designed to might make you want to puke, scream, hoot, cry, and laugh. Our hardcore fans love these tours, where the concept is to punish yourself during the day and pamper yourself at night.