Learn about how we grade each route and get an idea of what to expect on your rides around Perthshire.
Easy
These routes are suitable for all fitness and/or skills levels.
They can be finished in less than two hours, are not longer than 20 km in length and contain no more than 400 m of ascent. They include no steep sections, both on and off-road, and are a maximum distance of 5 km away from the nearest public road. The distance between services, to stock up on food and water, is no more than 10 km. They might contain short sections of singletrack up to level S1, comprising mostly compacted gravel or solid earth with some flat roots and smaller rocks. The surface may become loose at times and periods of stand-up riding may be required to overcome obstacles. They include no sections without an obvious path and will not exceed an altitude of more than 300 m above sea level. They can contain gates along the route.
Moderate
These routes are suitable for riders with good fitness and/or advanced riding skills.
They can be finished in less than three hours, are not longer than 30 km in length and contain no more than 600 m of ascent. They may include steep sections up to 12% off-road and up to 15% on-road, and are a maximum distance of 10 km away from the nearest public road. The distance between services, to stock up on food and water, is no more than 20 km. They might contain short sections of singletrack up to level S1, comprising mostly compacted gravel or solid earth with some flat roots and smaller rocks. The surface may become loose at times and periods of stand-up riding may be required to overcome obstacles. They include no sections without an obvious path and will not exceed an altitude of more than 400 m above sea level. They can contain gates along the route.
Challenging
These routes are suitable for riders with good fitness and/or advanced riding skills.
They can be finished in less than five hours, are no longer than 50 km in length and contain no more than 1000 m of ascent. They may include steep sections up to 15% off-road and up to 20% on-road, and are a maximum distance of 20 km away from the nearest public road. The distance between services, to stock up on food and water, is no more than 25 km. They might contain short sections of singletrack up to level S2, comprising a looser surface, as well as many roots and rocks. Narrow curves and steeper gradients are to be expected. Readiness to brake at all times is required, as is the ability to shift your center of gravity on the bike. They may include sections of up to 1 km without an obvious path, which requires pushing the bike, and will not exceed an altitude of more than 650 m above sea level. They can contain gates along the route.
Expert
These routes are suitable for riders with very advanced fitness and/or expert skills.
They will take more than five hours to finish, are longer than 50 km in length and may contain more than 1000 m of ascent. They may include steep sections over 20% off-road and on-road, and may be more than 20 km away from the nearest public road. The distance between services, to stock up on food and water, can exceed 25 km. They might contain short sections of singletrack up to level S2, comprising a looser surface, as well as many roots and rocks. Narrow curves and steeper gradients are to be expected. Readiness to brake at all times is required, as is the ability to shift your center of gravity on the bike. They may include sections of more than 1 km without an obvious path, which requires pushing the bike, and can exceed an altitude of 650 m above sea level. They can contain gates and stiles along the route, which may require lifting the bike over fences.