Description

Braking Bad was inspired by the cult classic television series set in nearby Albuquerque...

but with a bit of a mountain bike spin put on it! This trail is renowned as the quintessential downhill race course in the Pajarito Bike Park, so it's no coincidence that it's also one of the rockiest and steepest trails on the mountain. This trail is a steep, chunky, mostly fall-line descent down the mountainside.

While there aren't any major manmade wooden features on Braking Bad like you'll find on many of the other trails, instead, you can expect a relentless onslaught of rocks and roots, a few optional drops, a few steep chute-y sections, and lots of chunk and chunder. Arm pump is the name of the game on this trail.

This trail is a relentless top-to-bottom run with no respite at all.

Nearby Dog Patch has a similar flavor to Braking Bad, but it's shorter and ends with a flowy section.

Braking Bad, on the other hand, is full commitment shredding top-to-bottom.

While Braking Bad is veritably filled with rock gardens and roots.

One scree field rock garden, in particular, is especially iconic, with a few different lines to choose from.

True racers will attempt to gap over vast sections of this rock garden, but the landings are extra-spicy. On the lower section of the trail, you'll see a massive step-down drop that requires jumping about 20 feet out to fully clear it.

If you're just riding for fun, you can bypass the step-down pretty easily.

But if you’re flying down the trail at race pace, there’s no fast way to skip the jump.

If you want to place in a downhill race on Braking Bad, you're really going to have to send it fast and deep—this run is no joke!