Trip Gradings Explained

At Trailbrakes we pride ourselves in being the most flexible mountain biking holiday provider out there and as such we'll always try to tailor our trips to suit you in every way possible. All of our trips can be altered from the standard itinerary on our website to suit your fitness and technical ability.

However, in order for you to decide if a trip is right for you, we've given all of our mountain biking and cycling trips a fitness grading between 1 and 5. In addition, all of our mountain biking trips have been awarded a technical grading, from green to black.

Fitness Level for all Holidays

Here is a brief explanation of our fitness grading system so that you can choose the right mountain biking or cycling route for you.

1 - You have a basic level of fitness from taking part in exercise a couple of times a week. You are comfortable riding for a few hours per day on flat terrain.

2 - You have a good level of fitness and are comfortable riding for up to 5 hours per day on gently undulating terrain.

3 - You have a good level of fitness and take part in cycling based activities regularly. You're comfortable riding for 6 hours per day on terrain that can include short, steep climbs.

4 - You have a high level of fitness and stamina from regularly taking part in cycling-based activities. You are comfortable riding for 8 hours per day. The route will include sections of physically demanding terrain including long, steep climbs. 

5 - You have an excellent level of fitness and take part in cycling-based activities several times per week. You are comfortable riding for as much as 10 hours per day. The route will include sections of steep, physically demanding trails so excellent stamina is also required.

Technical Grades for Mountain Biking Holidays

Here is a brief explanation of our technical grading system so that you can choose the right mountain biking route for you.

Green - Suitable for beginner and novice cyclists and mountain bikers. Biking is on flat and wide trails with no challenging features.

Blue - Suitable for intermediate cyclists and mountain bikers with basic off-road riding skills. Trails may include small obstacles including small rocks and roots. Most gradients are moderate but may be steep in short sections.

Red - Suitable for proficient mountain bikers. Trails can be steep and rough with some technical sections including large rocks and water crossings. Some off-road biking experience is required.

Black -Suitable for very experienced mountain bikers. Trails can be very challenging with steep, technical climbs and descents.