How hard is the NEBDR? . . . (hardest roads ranked)

🙋‍♂️GOT QUESTIONS? ASK! 👇
Once, I was a fresh adventure rider on a Suzuki Vstrom and trying to figure out whether I could tackle the NEBDR. If you are in the same shoes, this should help! After making 3 videos telling the story of riding the NEBDR, this video looks only at the difficulty of the hardest roads that have easier alternate bypasses in the NEBDR tracks.
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00:00 Intro
0:28 Which roads on the route are ranked?
01:04 #15 Perry Road
01:38 #14 Liberty Hill
01:50 #13 Grassy Lane
02:13 #12 Bannis Road
02:54 #11 Green Road
03:23 #10 Pepper Road
03:39 #9 Cookeville Road
04:04 #8 Tucker Mountain
04:28 #7 Dunn Rd
04:57 #6 West Hill Rd
05:28 #5 Joy Road
06:01 #4 Mtn Moses Trail
06:56 #3 County Road 3 (Elevator Shaft)
07:40 #2 Tabor Rd
08:18 #1 Icebed Rd
08:54 Washed out roads
09:28 Overall Route Difficulty

[@StravaigADV]

What are these roads I am ranking? This video ranks the hardest roads on the main track of the BDR as denoted in the tracks by the listed easier alternatives. BDR has not listed these harder roads as separate tracks, so the way you know you are on a harder road is when there is an easier alternative to that road. Wherever there is a track listed as “easier”, then what it is bypassing is a “harder” segment. EXCEPTIONS: 1) there are a couple roads that are not considered harder, but have alternate tracks because of seasonal closures. I did not rank these. 2) There are also a few expert sections in Maine that are separate tracks and not part of the main route.

[@rocks4brains]

may not be the kind of videos you enjoy making but it is the kind of comprehensive videos i look for if I'm planning on riding it. Thanks. I want to know ahead of time if I want to risk the road.

[@texlee1640]

It appears that the difficulty is almost solely dependent on how wet/muddy the conditions are at the time you travel. There doesn't appear to be much in the way of actual "technical" terrain (aside from #1-3), at least not in the traditional sense. Looking back on the available BDR's I never thought I'd have any interest in the MA BDR or the NE BDR but here I am considering both on my bigger adventure bike. If nothing else I find it exciting to explore the NE parts of the country in a way that most never thought possible, "off-road".

[@Sixbears]

I did most of the NH and Maine route on a Honda PCX 150 scooter -because it was funny. No problems.

[@StravaigADV]

Wow! Sounds like you need to make a video about that. I will say, VT is quite a bit harder than the rest.

[@oDIRECTORo]

Heck yeah! I'm gonna do it soon on my Honda ct125. Super excited.

[@rogerbiss7915]

Great video. I live reasonably close to Ice Bed. Did the first bit now I’m stoked to complete it!

[@daltoncarter8535]

Awesome video man! Ready for that iron mountain footage!

[@StravaigADV]

Coming soon!

[@AlexUlleri]

Thanks for making this. Going to be doing this route one day and it’s helpful.

[@StravaigADV]

Good to hear! Let me know if you have any questions I can answer about it.

[@HJH413]

Liked, subscribed and commented. Good work.x

[@DirtObseXXion]

Great job on this, loved the justification of rankings and the 5 factor ranking system. Narration was on point!

[@StravaigADV]

Thank you sir! I expect the rating system will evolve as I use it, but it’s a good starting point.

[@DirtObseXXion]

@@StravaigADV I hope you keep it up! I know full well how difficult it can be to maintain a channel, but you did a great job with this whole series. Noticeable improvement on audio quality from your first couple videos to this one, and your narrative is very natural, reminds me of Everide, which I mean as a compliment!

[@StravaigADV]

⁠​⁠@@DirtObseXXionthat’s a big compliment especially coming from someone with a channel like you have! Super stoked you noticed the improvement. This channel has been a long time coming, so I think it’s here to stay!

[@ginnstats]

Great video and narration!

[@StravaigADV]

Glad to see you following along!

[@ripnriding1]

Great info!

[@StravaigADV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@frostbitevinnie]

Good info!

[@StravaigADV]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tbank86q]

Looks like a Blast!

[@AJxrr]

awesome edits. thank you for creating them. glad i found these videos while researching my bdr trip this season. may i ask what time of year you guys did this ride? sorry if i missed it.

[@StravaigADV]

Fall of last year. 2023.

[@bikegiant1376]

Really well done video! You earned a subscription from me!

[@StravaigADV]

Welcome aboard! And thank you. More coming soon!

[@MotoOffroadAdventures]

I am looking at the NEBDR and the MABDR. Thanks for the information.

[@StravaigADV]

I have ridden both. I will be doing MABDR video later this year.

[@MotoOffroadAdventures]

@@StravaigADV I will be looking forward to it. Thanks 👍

[@StravaigADV]

@@MotoOffroadAdventures any question you’d like answered about MABDR?

[@xochimil93]

Thanks for sharing, aids in our planning for 2024

[@StravaigADV]

Let me know if you have any questions (camping, eating) and I’ll try to help

[@newenglandscrambler2262]

Pepper Rd can vary a LOT in difficulty depending on how wet it is. When I first rode it a several years back it was sucking mud over the wheel axle depth, submerged logs, waterbars that you would bottom out on in an enduro. Just nasty. I've been down it a few more times since and it has been a bit drier and a lot easier.

[@StravaigADV]

And that is an important point: weather makes a big difference in conditions and difficulty.

[@LCARSADV]

Great edit! How long did it take you to complete it?

[@StravaigADV]

We started section 1 Saturday at around 5 pm, I made it to the end of 8 around 5 on Friday afternoon.

[@LCARSADV]

@@StravaigADV thanks. Is that stopping to enjoy the scenery and eat, or all out miles every day?

[@StravaigADV]

@@LCARSADV we stopped to eat at a restaurant once each day. Sometimes for lunch, sometimes dinner. We were not very efficient getting out of camp especially because I had a cold at the start. We stopped for some sights like the Persian mansion. We lost time with a small breakdown. I did skip a small section of route, but mainly because of bad weather. If you are considering going, definitely check out the other videos I made on the route to give an idea of our pacing. If we had more people in the group, or more issues, we would have needed to be more efficient or another day.

[@LCARSADV]

@@StravaigADV great! Thanks man, I will watch those videos, great narration by the way. Where are you based out of?

[@StravaigADV]

Thank you! I am based out of NC.

[@timothybroga1704]

I wish I was the impression I thought most of these roads were unmaintained which means don't be no one repairing them unless the local does it on their own accord

[@StravaigADV]

Hi Timothy, are you referring to these ranked roads? The NEBDR traverses some class IV unmaintained roads, but many more maintained roads.

[@SERB98]

What would a 5 ranking be? Impossible? Were there any short sections within the hardest sections that you would rate a 5? How would the hardest sections of the NEBDR rank in comparison with other BDRs? That was almost as fun to watch as it was to ride.

[@StravaigADV]

Nothing was rated a 5. 5 would be, single track, with obstacles that require serious skill, and be on perilous terrain (side of mountain kind of thing). The hardest trail I have done is the hard trails at Brown Mountain, NC. That’s a 4 with some parts I didn’t ride maybe even 4.5 (I didn’t ride the whole loop, so going by what I’ve been told). I have ridden COBDR and MABDR, the NE is harder, but the roads connecting the hard roads are very easy. The COBDR doesn’t have roads as hard as the NE, but the average road is harder than the average NE road. The side of a mountain thing is very true of the CO. I’ll be on the UTBDR this year and will also make a MABDR video.

[@budreeves5438]

I'm confused, are these roads you are ranking marked as the Expert roads or are they on the bypasses around the expert roads?

[@StravaigADV]

This video rates the hardest roads on the main track of the BDR as denoted in the tracks by the listed easier alternatives. BDR has not listed these harder roads as separate tracks, so the way you know you are on a harder road is when there is an easier alternative to that road. Wherever there is a track listed as “easier”, then what it is bypassing is a “harder” segment. EXCEPTIONS: 1) there are a couple roads that are not considered harder, but have alternate tracks because of seasonal closures. I did not rank these. 2) There are also a few expert sections in Maine that are separate tracks and not part of the main route.

[@budreeves5438]

Thanks for the clarification. Great information!@@StravaigADV

[@victorp5491]

m riding this for the 1st time Aug 2024. I have 2 bikes DR 650 and Tiger 900 Rally Pro. Which would you recommend?

[@StravaigADV]

Left my response on your other comment

[@victorp5491]

Im riding this for the 1st time Aug 2024. I have 2 bikes DR 650 and Tiger 900 Rally Pro. Which would you recommend?

[@StravaigADV]

Depends… 😆 a) your skill off-road on a big bike b) how much you enjoy the tiger on the paved stuff, also if you are riding black top a lot to get there. c) how concerned are you about maintaining the aesthetics of the big bike d) are you bypassing any of the harder stuff If A skill and B enjoyment/paved roads answer is lots, take the tiger. If A is little skill and C concern is high, take the DR. If D is bypassing hard stuff, take the tiger for sure as the the non-hard roads are quite easy. Hopefully this helps you make a decision. I think the best thing you can do is ride both of the bikes fully loaded on some similar difficulty stuff you can find near your area and see which you like more.

[@PatSeguin]

I'm wondering why there are closed road signs and barriers if it's the official BDR? Is it running through private properties that owners have not approved of or is it just people who live nearby who have no legal right to put gates and signs?

[@StravaigADV]

It is people with no legal right. I talked to a local that said many people move in and want to privatize public roads. But they are in fact all public open roads.