What is 'Off Road'?

[BajaSportsmobile]

Originally Posted by accrete

when my wife and i were married ~30 years ago living in Reno... "Off Road" meant spending the weekend on part of the Rubicon in our Chevy Powered FJ40 Landcursier... Now at ~55 in our AWD van... "Off Road" is moseying on a nice fire trail in the pacific northwest seeing 2wd Honda Accords and similar coming down the trail with a mom behind the wheel and kids hanging out the windows ;-)

Sorry to hear that! At ~55 my wife and I spend days at a time driving hundreds of miles in Baja, marking the race courses, without seeing pavement, and I race the Baja 500 and 1000 every year - that is Off-road.

[macmcintire]

It would seem to me that the original definition of "off-road" was off road, meaning going where there was no road at all. Back in the good old days, people with 4x4 vehicles used to plow through the desert, woods or mountains anywhere they pleased, thereby making their own "road". Now, however, there have been so many off roaders making roads, off roading today is riding on roads previously created by off-roaders. And, because there are so many off-road roads, the Feds have had to restrict off-roading for off-roaders to the current off-roading roads so no more off-roading roads are made by range-roaming off-roaders. I hope that clears it up for everyone.

[jstanley]

Off-road: Anywhere you can't or at least shouldn't take the family car...

I race the Baja 500 and 1000 every year - that is Off-road.

Again, it is a matter of perspective. I see LOTS of Mexican family type cars on the Baja Mil course before, during, and after the races.

Actually it is usually easier to drive in the desert NEXT to the road in Baja because it is smoother.

How about a hierarchy of terms describing the route?

"freeway"
"highway"
"paved road"
"graded graveled road"
"graded road"
"track"
"trail"
"trace"
"off-road"

"Western Cwm-Southeast Ridge On Chomolungma" - "Very steep road"

"Wicked Twisted Road" http://youtu.be/wpUXrDrUfDM

Honey, are you sure we are on the right road?
Hummm... Im not sure, how long before high tide?


"Mother thinks the road is long and lonely, little brother thinks the road is straight and fine, little darling thinks the road is soft and lovely, I'm thankful that old road's a friend of mine." - Townes Van Zant

[daveb]

I figure anything off pavement to be off road and then rate it using a scale similar to what Roger Mitchell or Peter Massey made up.

http://www.ericrench.com/FOURWHEEL/RATING/index.htm

Massey's scale seems to be more suited to our vans because it's in line with a road worthy vehicle and spreads out the level of difficulty.