|
Factors affecting grading include: degree of up/down, difficulty of the surfaces
to be ridden, amount of bike handling skill required, distances covered and
other factors such as heat, altitude or remoteness. All our trips require basic
fitness, preferably acquired through riding your bike, and please remember that
any cycling involves some physical exertion, so you cannot expect that you will
not feel tired on an 'easy' trip.
PLEASE NOTE: Conditions for a
particular tour may vary from one month to the next. The main benefit of grading
is to provide an overall indicator to compare one trip against another.
Biking Grade Guide
Easy
Suitable for anyone who can ride a bike and can manage a bit of exercise. No
routes are 100% flat, so there might be the odd climbs and descent, but on the
whole - easy.
Moderate
Suitable for reasonably fit people who are confident riding long distances.
Fitness is more important than technical ability for trips of this level, and
some specific training or preparation is recommended, e.g. running, cycling,
swimming or aerobics once or twice a week (preferably cycling!).
Active
Longer cycling days mainly on tarmac, broken tarmac but no real off road. There
may be some hills and descents but not too many. 100% vehicle support and you
should have some fitness and be prepared for the bike trip.
Challenging
Long cycling days and tougher terrain (for both on- and off-road trips)
requiring specific experience of more demanding and technical cycling. Vehicle
support may sometimes be more limited; the routes can contain rough tracks, so
some off-road riding skills are an advantage. You should be confident of your
physical condition and bike handling skills.
Extreme
Cycling for up to 7-8 hours a day over mountain
passes requires you to be in
great physical shape. Roads/tracks are well
defined but some off-road riding
skills will help. You will be spending time
at altitudes above 1500 meters
and could go as high as 2000 meters at
certain times in the tour. Riders
should be happy to undertake a long tough rides up and down steep mountains or
following very technical trails in testing conditions. A high level of fitness
required, as well as proven mountain biking skills. |
