Understanding trail difficulty ratings and colors
RidePal trail data comes largely from OpenStreetMap-style tagging. The app turns numeric and text tags into familiar North American symbols and colors when possible, and it can show a separate European singletrack scale when that data exists.
IMBA-style symbols (most common)
These align with how many trail systems mark difficulty with shapes and colors. RidePal uses them in submission forms and maps.
| Symbol | Typical meaning | App notes |
|---|---|---|
| Green Circle | Beginner-friendly | Wider, gentler terrain; fewer technical obstacles. |
| Blue Square | Intermediate | Steeper or tighter sections, more roots and rocks. |
| Black Diamond | Advanced | Sustained technical riding, larger obstacles, steeper pitches. |
| Double Black | Expert | Very technical, high consequence, possible mandatory features or exposure. |
In the trail submission and change forms, short descriptions match this idea (for example easier terrain for green through high consequence for double black).
OSM numeric and text difficulty
Tags such as mtb:scale, mtb:scale:imba, and mtb:difficulty are normalized into the green–double-black bands you see in the app. The exact mapping can be adjusted over time as data quality and conventions change, so treat the on-map symbol and trail detail as authoritative—not a spec for third parties to reverse-engineer.
Hardest published grades still collapse into the expert tier in the main difficulty model rather than a separate marketing label.
European singletrack scale (S0–S5)
Some trails use singletrack_scale instead of IMBA symbols. RidePal can display S0 through S5 with a distinct color ramp. If you mostly ride where S grades are used, rely on the S label together with the color.
Colors on the map
Trail lines use difficulty-driven colors. Custom or saved routes may use a different highlight color when difficulty does not match a standard bucket.
Styling can vary slightly by screen (map, detail, bookmarks), but the underlying category is one of the difficulties above or unknown.
Trail type (style), not the same as difficulty
Separate from difficulty, OpenStreetMap mtb:type describes the style of riding. RidePal understands common types such as cross country, trail, all mountain, enduro, downhill, freeride, jump trail, and north shore.
“Flow” or machine-built character is often implied by how a trail is tagged rather than a single universal “flow” value on every feature.
Surface
Surface (dirt, gravel, rock, paved, sand, grass, etc.) is stored separately from difficulty and type. A wide gravel road can be easy terrain while still being a different surface from narrow singletrack dirt.