[Az-Geocaching] Bicycles aren't "special" equipment: Reserve "5" only for truly difficult caches

[Ken Akerman]

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If they had used the rating system on the site when listing it, they would have had a much higher rating (I think a 5 for special equipment)

Unless the mountain biking trail is very difficult (like the Slickrock Trail near Moab), then there is no way that it should rank a "5".  The "5" rating should be reserved for only extremely difficult caches only, one that the majority of geocachers would not be able to get (even if they rented or borrowed the equipment needed).  Some caches may be in remote lands and you need a 4WD to drive to it, (hiking is possible, but the hike may be long), but most of us do not consider a 4WD vehicle to be special equipment, either. It's easier to ride a bike 17 miles on a smooth, flat trail than it is to hike a half-mile up a very steep, rocky, and brushy mountain without any trail (like my Granite Mountain cache in northeastern Scottsdale, a true "4").  Therefore, why should the biking cache, with less difficult terrain, be rated higher than the mountain cache? The "5" rating should be assigned very infrequently.  The rating of "4" that I calculated still is pretty high, only one step lower. Ken
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<DIV><EM>If they had used the rating system on the site when listing it, they would have had a much higher rating (I think a 5 for special equipment)</EM><BR><BR>Unless the mountain biking trail is very difficult (like the Slickrock Trail near Moab), then there is no way that it should rank a "5".&nbsp; The "5" rating should be reserved for only extremely difficult caches only, one that the majority of geocachers would not be able to get (even if they rented or borrowed the equipment needed).&nbsp; Some caches may be in remote lands and you need a 4WD to drive to it,&nbsp;(hiking is possible, but the hike may be long), but most of us do not consider a 4WD vehicle to be special equipment, either.</DIV>
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<DIV>It's easier to ride a bike 17 miles on a smooth, flat trail&nbsp;than it is to hike a half-mile up a very steep, rocky, and brushy&nbsp;mountain without any trail (like my Granite Mountain cache in northeastern Scottsdale, a true "4").&nbsp; Therefore, why should the biking cache, with less difficult terrain, be rated higher than the mountain cache?</DIV>
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<DIV>The "5" rating should be assigned very infrequently.&nbsp; The rating of "4" that I calculated still is pretty high, only one step lower.</DIV>
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<DIV>Ken</DIV>
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