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Tips for cycle tourists

How to choose your bike trip: the difficulty scale

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Cyclando

16 March 2023

3 Minute read

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How to choose your bike trip: the difficulty scale

Have you ever wondered, dreaming of a new bike trip, "will I make it?" All our routes are marked with a specific level of difficulty, aimed at helping you understand which trips are best suited to your needs. Today we explain how to interpret them.

To guide you in the choice of your next bike trip, in fact, we have created an infographic on the levels of difficulty, which you can find below, where we explain what kind of stages to expect based on the level of difficulty indicated in the pages of each trip, with the range of kilometers and daily elevation gain.

To find trips at your level, go to the Cyclando search page and set the difficulty filter by answering the question "How fit do you feel?" with the number (from 1 to 5) corresponding to the difficulty level you feel able to face.

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Difficulty level and route: what to expect

One thing to keep well in mind is that in any case the difficulty levels indicated in the trips you find on cyclando.com, but also on other sites, are an average between the different characteristics of the route: they are there to give you an indication on the distances and daily elevation gains that you need to be able to handle to face the trip serenely, but there are also other factors to consider, such as the surface you will find yourself cycling on.

Difficulty level 1 out of 5

These are simple routes, characterized by flat terrain and stages of few kilometers per day. No training is required for this type of itinerary and it is also suitable for children.

Difficulty level 2 out of 5

It corresponds to touring level itineraries, which mainly develop on cycle paths and mostly paved secondary roads, on flat or slightly hilly terrains. This type of itinerary is suitable for everyone, even beginners and those traveling with children: short stages allow frequent stops, or to reach the destination fairly early in the day and thus have time to enjoy some relaxation, or to engage in activities other than cycling.

Difficulty level 3 out of 5

These are intermediate level itineraries, to face which we advise you to start already with a small base of training and the habit of spending more than one day in a row on the saddle. Even if we are still within the scope of tour routes, be prepared to cycle up to 85 kilometers in one day and to face continuous ups and downs.

This level of difficulty could present the same number of kilometers and the same daily elevation gain as the previous difficulty level (2 out of 5), but develop on a dirt road, for which a greater familiarity with the means is required.

Difficulty level 4 out of 5

The level starts to approach the sport level: stages can reach 100 kilometers per day and the elevation gain can exceed 1000 meters. Make sure you have adequate preparation before you leave to avoid problems during the route.

Difficulty level 5 out of 5

The itineraries with this degree of difficulty are sport tours, often designed for mountain bikers or road cyclists. If you are an athlete in search of new challenges, or spectacular landscapes as the background to your workouts, this is the type of trip for you!

Now that you know how to choose the bike trip most suitable for you based on the difficulty level, all you have to do is set the search filter as we explained at the beginning of this article and leave for your next adventure.

If instead you still have doubts about which is the most suitable trip for you, set up a telephone appointment with us: we will answer all your questions!

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