iBikeRide has introduced a new set of UK MTB categories that now sit behind both the live UK MTB Trail Index and the upcoming Trail of the Year 2026 campaign. The aim is simple – to recognise the different ways people ride in the UK and to compare like with like, whether you are into bike parks, pump tracks, wild trail networks, urban bike parks or classic trail centres.

Why new categories were needed

Until now it has been hard to talk about all UK riding spots in a single breath. Trail centres, wild networks and urban skills parks all feel very different on the ground. The new categories bring some structure to that variety so that the Index and Trail of the Year can:

• Group similar places together into sensible shortlists.
• Give space to smaller and more focused venues such as pump tracks and urban bike parks.
• Still produce a single overall Top Ten across all types.

The categories are now live on the UK MTB Trail Index and the same structure will be used for the Trail of the Year 2026 campaign.

The five UK MTB categories explained

• Pump Track – Compact pump tracks and parks where the main draw is a pump loop or loops. Typically a mix of rollers and berms, sometimes with small jumps, often surfaced in tarmac or well built dirt. Some are stand alone community tracks. Others sit inside larger venues but the pump track is still a clear feature in its own right.
• Bike Park – Purpose built, bike specific venues that are mainly about gravity and sessionable lines. These places usually offer multiple short tracks or zones that you lap such as downhill runs, jump lines and freeride trails. Access is often through day passes, memberships or uplift tickets and the footprint is usually more rural than urban.
• Trail Centre – Officially managed venues with graded, waymarked singletrack loops that start from a clear trailhead. Climbing is part of the designed ride and there is usually a map or information board on site. Facilities range from full visitor centres with cafes to more basic parking and signage. Some trail centres have bolt on jump zones or downhill lines, but most riders go for the looped singletrack.
• Wild Trail Network – Larger woods and hills that riders experience as a web of trails rather than a single waymarked loop. These areas usually mix clearly mapped and agreed trails with more informal or unsanctioned rider built lines. There is no single trail centre or bike park operator that defines the whole area and local riders or groups often work with land managers in different ways to keep as much of the riding as possible sustainable.
• Urban Bike Park – Compact bike venues in or close to towns and cities. These typically bring together short trails or loops, jumps or skills lines and often a pump or BMX style track on the same site. They sit on a smaller, more urban footprint than a rural trail centre or bike park and are often run by councils, community interest companies or charities.

Some places blur the lines between these categories. For example a trail centre might have a dedicated downhill area or a wild hill network might include sections that are now formally agreed and maintained. In those cases iBikeRide places each venue in the category that best reflects how most riders use it overall, then explains any extra zones such as DH tracks or jump spots in the description.

How the categories work in the UK MTB Trail Index

The UK MTB Trail Index is a live ranking that updates every time a rider leaves a rating and review. It uses the iBikeRide five part framework – Grin Factor, Trail Variety, Skills, Trail Quality and General Setup – to generate a rating for each venue. A Bayesian average is used so that very small numbers of reviews do not cause extreme scores.

The new categories now sit behind the Index tables:

• Each venue has one primary category such as Pump Track, Bike Park, Trail Centre, Wild Trail Network or Urban Bike Park.
• There are category specific tables such as Highest Rated Bike Parks and Highest Rated Wild Trail Networks.
• There is also an overall Top Ten that blends all categories together so that very different places can appear side by side when riders score them highly.

A minimum of five reviews is required before a place appears in the Index. That keeps the tables useful while still allowing newer or smaller venues to show up once enough riders have logged feedback.

How the categories feed into Trail of the Year 2026

Trail of the Year 2026 uses the same underlying data and the same category structure as the Trail Index. The difference is that Trail of the Year is a snapshot at a specific point in time and uses a higher minimum review threshold. Only places with strong rider participation in that year are considered for the annual Top Ten and the category awards.

The campaign will include:

• Category awards – Pump Track of the Year, Bike Park of the Year, Trail Centre of the Year, Wild Trail Network of the Year and Urban Bike Park of the Year.
• An Ultimate Trail of the Year Top Ten list across all categories, with one overall Trail of the Year winner at the top.

That means a pump track, an urban bike park or a wild hill network can all feature in the same headline list as long as riders rate them highly enough.

What riders and trail crews can do with this

For riders the new categories make it easier to find places that match how you like to ride. You can browse the Index tables to see which trail centres, bike parks, pump tracks, wild networks or urban parks are currently doing well, then drill into individual listings and reviews for more detail.

For trail crews, bike parks and land managers the categories and the Index provide a way to see how your venue compares to similar places. The review scores and comments can highlight what riders value and where there might be room for improvement, while movements up or down the Index over a season can prompt a closer look at recent feedback.

If you want to help shape both the live Index and the next Trail of the Year campaign, the most useful action is still the simplest – rate and review the places you ride. Once a venue hits the review thresholds it will appear in the Index and those same scores will feed into the category awards and the Ultimate Trail of the Year Top Ten.

Read: 17 times Published: 01/12/2025