Flow trails are an easy way for newer cyclers to get a good feel for what downhill speed can be without all of the pelvis-breaking obstacles. The idea behind flow trails is to have a smooth trail with a sustained higher speed, usually with a series of berms or rollers to allow riders to pump. When I first heard of Thompson Ridge thanks to a youtube comment, I actually had no idea it would be a flow trail.
Starting in 2012, the Methow Chapter of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance has put countless hours in to trying to make their trails more accessible to everyone by focusing on mountain bike advocacy along with proper trail building techniques. Thompson Ridge is one of the Methow Chapter’s crowning achievements. Flow trails definitely have their place in mountain biking, but honestly, I do all I can to avoid them. You can notice some differences between a manicured flow trail versus what I would consider a ‘Backcountry Banger’, as a backcountry trail looks more like a herd of deer ran through the forest away from a bloodthirsty cougar in chase. Here’s a great comparison video of Kachess Ridge- quite obviously, you can see the differences.
Going with the flow can be easier said than done. This flow trail has a whooping 12 miles of berms to shred through, so even if the trail itself doesn’t pose to many challenges it is a longer ride than usual. A lot of work has clearly gone into Thompson Ridge, and it is a trail even newer riders should absolutely check out.
Just because it’s a flow trail doesn’t mean you can’t ride it your way!Here we can see a wild Ibis HD5 in its natural habitat, grazing high above the surrounding forests. Sharp banks keep flow trails like these going for miles and miles without slowing down. However, those same sharp banks can also cause you to stop abruptly if you aren’t paying attention. Feels like bobsledding on dirt marbles, smooth as can be.
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Starting in 2012, the Methow Chapter of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance has put countless hours in to trying to make their trails more accessible to everyone by focusing on mountain bike advocacy along with proper trail building techniques. Thompson Ridge is one of the Methow Chapter’s crowning achievements. Flow trails definitely have their place in mountain biking, but honestly, I do all I can to avoid them. You can notice some differences between a manicured flow trail versus what I would consider a ‘Backcountry Banger’, as a backcountry trail looks more like a herd of deer ran through the forest away from a bloodthirsty cougar in chase. Here’s a great comparison video of Kachess Ridge- quite obviously, you can see the differences.
Going with the flow can be easier said than done. This flow trail has a whooping 12 miles of berms to shred through, so even if the trail itself doesn’t pose to many challenges it is a longer ride than usual. A lot of work has clearly gone into Thompson Ridge, and it is a trail even newer riders should absolutely check out.
