Bike Tour Difficulties

We classify our tours as either Local or Epic. Our Local tours are open to all levels of cyclist since the routes we choose can accommodate non-cyclists as well as offering a challenge to stronger riders who can do the daily extra routes on offer. Epic tours, on the other hand, are more geared towards riding longer distances and taking on more challenging terrain. The frequent changing of hotels and the ‘expedition’ focus of these tours makes them less suited to the novice cyclist.

Our grading levels compliment this distinction by providing a more detailed breakdown of the sort of rider that you are. This breakdown corresponds to the way that we classify the difficulty levels of each tour and are based on distance, terrain and time in the saddle. In some cases, this grading incorporates two levels as the tour can contain a mixture of terrain which makes it hard to place it into one classification.

The visual symbol we use to present our grading system is the espresso cup. Our logic is that the harder the tour the more coffee shots you will need to complete it and thus by design our easiest tours are denoted by a single cup – in reality, a cappuccino cup would probably be more apt. Where a tour is deemed to suit participants from 2 levels – if it sits somewhere in the middle – we use a half cup grade. For example, our Provence tour is classified as 1 ½ cups, somewhere between a Cappuccino and a Due espresso!

Victorian Alps cycling

“Cappuccino”Ride and Seek Bike Tours Espresso Cup

Who am I? I’m relatively fit and am comfortable with steady hills that are less than 750m in length.
Distance: 30-50km (18-30miles)
Altitude gain: 200-500m
Time in the saddle: 1-3 hours
Terrain: Flat to undulating

“Due espressi”Ride and Seek Bike Tours Espresso Cup

Who am I? I ride my bike on a regular basis either for fitness, to commute, or just for fun. I enjoy an active lifestyle, as well as a physical challenge.
Distance: 50 -70km (30-45miles)
Altitude gain: 600-1000m
Time in saddle: 2-4 hours
Terrain: Undulating terrain, with hills up to 2 km in length.

“Tre espressi”Ride and Seek Bike Tours Espresso Cup

Who am I? Fitness is a central part of my life. I ride my bike on a weekly basis and am comfortable with rides of 2 hours or more at a relatively strong tempo. I like a physical challenge and like to get my heart pumping.
Distance: 70-115km (43-71 miles)
Altitude gain: 1000-2000m
Time in saddle: 3-5hours
Terrain: All terrain, with hills averaging 3-4km, but up to 10km in length.

“Quattro espressi”Ride and Seek Bike Tours Espresso Cup

Who am I? I ride my bike an average at least 160km per week and enjoy riding at a fast pace for an extended period of time. I love to push myself to my physical limits.
Distance: 100-160km (60-100miles)
Altitude gain: 1500-4000m
Time in saddle: 4-8hours
Terrain: Whatever is put in front of me!