ROUTE DIFFICULTY RATINGS
Cycling routes are defined according to the trail grades, so that it is easy for a cyclist to find routes that suit his or her skill and fitness level without previous knowledge of the area and route in question. Bikeland.fi trail grades have been created based on the national mountain bike trail grades.
Very easy – pink or green route
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A pink route refers to a pavement road that can be cycled on by a road bike and other types of bikes. There may also be other traffic on the route and special attention should be paid to large vehicles, such as trucks and campervans, which may overtake the cyclist at close proximity.
A green route means a very easy gravel or forest road. It is therefore a wide, flat and hard-bottomed path or a route without traffic or very low traffic. The hills are gentle and the height differences are small. The bridges on the route are wide and there are no duckboards. The route can be taken by those with normal cycling skills and is suitable for all bike types except road bikes.
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Easy – blue route
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A blue route is an easy mountain biking route, which is usually a wide path or a forest road. The ground on the route is generally hard. Roots, stones and other obstacles can be rolled over or avoided. Bridges and duckboards are wide. The route can have long ups, downs or other sections that require attentiveness and pace control. The route is suitable for mountain biking with basic cycling skills or gravel biking with basic mountain biking skills.
Moderately demanding – red route
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A red route is a moderately demanding mountain biking route, which is a clear path or a forest road. The route can include duckboards, rocks, roots and other obstacles, and soft sections, as well as long gentle and short steep hills. Crossing obstacles may require shifting balance and lightening the front end, as well as choosing a suitable riding line. Cycling the route requires constant attention and basic mountain biking skills. The route is somewhat physically or technically challenging and it is recommended to use a mountain bike.
Demanding – black route
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A black route is a demanding mountain biking route, which is a narrow path or route and has several difficult sections, such as rootstock, loose rocks, boulders, steep sections, soft spots, bends and demanding duckboards or a combination of these. There may be small jumps and drops along the route. Riding requires precise riding line selection, timing of balance change, pedaling and braking, and the correct situational speed. The route requires advanced mountain biking skills and may require you to walk the bike on certain sections. The route is only suitable for mountain bikes.
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Very demanding route
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The path or route of a very demanding mountain biking route can be narrow and has continuously difficult sections such as very steep hills and bends, boulders, big jumps, gaps, high drops and other particularly demanding obstacles or combinations of these. A very demanding route will require exceptionally good mountain biking skills.
A section from the Arctic by Cycle: Arctic Post Road MTB Route, where the route difficulty is defined using the color coding.