Cycling Tour Difficulty Classification

Our cycling tours are diverse: sometimes we glide on paved roads, other times we tackle old village paths, ascend mountains, or navigate serpentines. We’re not afraid of mud, rivers, rain, or wind.

We want you to know in advance what challenges await on a cycling tour, so here’s a breakdown.

The difficulty level is determined by:

• Road surface
• Number of climbs
• Distance
• Traffic (the number of passing cars, which we try to minimize given our reality)

Regarding traffic: we always aim to choose less crowded routes, though it’s not always possible.

You may find different classifications on various websites, which can be confusing. That’s why we’ve created a system tailored to CCN tours. We’ve also assigned colors to these difficulty levels to help you easily understand whether a tour matches your abilities.

Difficulty Levels:

⬤ Very Easy (Yellow)
The road surface will be easy gravel or asphalt, with almost no climbs. Distance: 15–30 km. Minimal likelihood of encountering cars.

⬤ Easy (Green)
The road surface will be easy gravel or asphalt with a few small climbs. Elevation gain: up to 200 meters. Distance: 30–60 km. Low likelihood of encountering cars.

⬤ Moderate (Orange)
The road surface will be asphalt or gravel, requiring some technical bike handling skills on gravel. Climbs: 500–600 meters elevation gain. Distance: 30–70 km. Moderate likelihood of encountering cars.

⬤ Difficult (Red)
The road surface will be asphalt or gravel with challenging climbs and descents on uneven terrain. Climbs: 1000–2000 meters elevation gain. Distance: 50–170 km. High likelihood of encountering cars (or none, depending on the route).

⬤ Very Difficult (Blue)
The road surface will be asphalt or gravel with serpentines, steep climbs, and technical descents requiring high-level bike handling, endurance, and strength. Climbs: 1500–3500 meters elevation gain. Distance: 70–250 km. High likelihood of encountering cars (or none, depending on the route).
 

Even if you think a difficulty level doesn’t match your abilities, don’t be afraid to try. If not on the first attempt, you’ll succeed on the next!