Should I split a way to set different values of minor tags for it?

(My question is about any minor tag, but also specifically about mtb:scale)

It often happens that I want to add mtb:scale for a way, but its value would be different for different parts of the way. To do it, I would need to split the way into two or more parts. I only do such splits if I feel that the tag is especially important for the way I am editing.

(I can imagine adding different values of “surface”, “smoothness” and “trail_visibility”, but I am currently not interested in adding them)

What are the tradeoffs for splitting a way in such situation?

I can imagine the following:

  • More data is better
  • More accurate data is better
  • Splitting increases file size: all existing tags will be stored twice
  • Splitting increases the size of the realtion(s) the way belongs to; I heard big relations (e.g. Israel National Trail) are problematic

How important are these considerations? Are there others?

I would not think twice and would split and add those tags which applies only on part of the way.
Done this many times for maxheigh tag on road under the bridge.

For max height, would it be better to mark the entire road from junction to junction with the minimum max height at any point along it?

Eric22, that what I was doing once, but later I realized that if a new junction being added in the middle it’s completely impossible to guess new maxheigh values. So I started to map only actual data w/o trying to optimize it.