Riding new to me, fabulous but very techy new trails these last couple of weeks on a business trip (with bike) in the US.

As there is so much going on both up and down, I was frequently finding myself saying out loud “Jesus wept, my brain is doing a lot of work!”

You are constantly looking ahead, picking lines, looking for turning points, braking points, things to pop off, things to avoid, what’s round this hairpin.. Argh!, oh shit steep uphill – saddle up, wrong gear… push, ahhhh – down the other side, OOF big drop, rocky exit…

etc etc

Now, as these were new trails, it really was mentally very taxing, and great fun! but different from riding home trails where it’s more about max flow and fun lines as you know the lines.

A very different experience – what’s your kinda fun?

My first runs down a trail are always a case of sussing out grip, trying to stay safe and so my 2nd/3rd runs are always much more fun and faster, I tend to get a little faster and push more and more on each run.

Riding stuff blind is also fun, but a different kind of fun, as you said.

I prefer trails I know. I like to push on a bit but tend to be over cautious on new stuff.

I prefer techy, rooty, rocky and unknown trails in many ways, the thought of “I have no idea how I got down that” really is great.
However it’s really hard to find them as places like bike parks etc out in massive jumps in the tech trails, in not a jumpy kind of guy.

Always wary of what is out of sight on a new trail, especially unofficial or fresh stuff as you don’t always have an idea what the builder/local kids are up to.
More relaxed on built trails as most places have grading sorted now and some brief idea what the style is.

If it’s something I know then it’s more about getting it right as the mental challenge over getting through in one piece!!

Both are fun in very different ways, though a few times what was a brilliant trail has left me disappointed as I had one shot to ride it and wasn’t in the right mood for it.

🤔 , y’all make good points – I do take my bike with me when I go places, but often it ends up being a trail centre/bike park that is ridden – great fun for a first time, because, as you say, you kinda know its all ridable. you’ve just got to pin your ears back and go.

Best trails, maybe even the best trails I’ve ever ridden, (e.g. 10-20mile loops with a LOT of climbing) were in the Thousand Oaks/Simi-valley area of LA. Endless single track, relentlessly techy, fabulous stuff. would love to come back and ride it some more, maybe on a full suspension, rather than the hardtail with 100mm of travel!

Here’s one example, watch the video, which of course doesn’t do the steepness justice…
https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/4589947/chumashhummingbird-loop

I do enjoy riding new stuff , but the opportunity is becoming rarer these days so I love to ride familiar “trails” simply to see how the seasons change the surroundings.My missus often can’t understand why I’d go back to do the same route over and over.

I love following someone down new trails. Gives me the best of both worlds as I have to react to stuff but there’s a little bit of warning if the guy in front disappears off something massive!

Used to get away loads to different places riding but it’s rare that I have more than a couple of hours free nowadays so I tend to stick locally.

Regularly ridden trails can become a little perfunctory, I try and alternate as much as possible rather than throwing everything I really like into every ride so there’s a bit of variety.

Love riding new trails totally unaware of what’s coming especially natural lines as generally more challenging, better views and less people about. Saying that I rode the Marin on Saturday for the countless time and still had a hoot!

Both different kinds of fun, but I always enjoy riding new stuff, well, because it’s new. I also really enjoy the blind racing format. There’s something quite refreshing about having a wavering mindset on just how fast you can ride something blind.

The only thing I don’t like is blind trails with sizeable gaps in. I need to see them to get an idea of speed needed. I’ve never been one for hitting a jump blind, not knowing if it’s 10ft or 30ft to the landing.