About Bike Packing
Get away from the traffic and enjoy the freedom of trails and mountain paths. Contour's range of MTB activities will give you the skills and confidence to enable you to make the transition from busy roads to quiet paths and trails, far away from the traffic. Our courses include riding skills, bike set-up and maintenance, as well as tuition and advice on route planning, clothing and nutrition. If you just want a day or a half day on the hill or at the trail centre then visit our Personal Guiding section for details on prices and discounts
What to Expect
LEVEL I
Fitness Level I | Basic fitness from exercise once or twice per week. Can ride on flat, or gently rolling terrain at a steady pace. Usually have the stamina to spend 2-4 hours out on a ride.
Technical Difficulty Level I | Little or no experience of mountain biking, previous riding mainly on gravel tracks, smooth trails, forestry trails, but with an interest in developing off-road skills. No experience of bike packing and limited camping skills. See walking and navigation page for details on navigational skills appropriate at this level
LEVEL II
Fitness Level 2 | Basic fitness from two to three sessions per week. Able to negotiate similar terrain to Level 1 but capable of 4-6 hours riding.
Technical Difficulty Level 2 | Ride with confidence on gravel tracks and have some experience of rougher terrain. Feels confident on trail centre Blue routes (UK trail centre grading). Limited experience of bike packing, with some experience of conventional camping. See walking and navigation page for details on navigational skills appropriate at this level
LEVEL III
Fitness Level III | Moderate fitness from three or more sessions of exercise each week. Can ride hilly terrain, at a steady pace or more demanding terrain, but only for shorter rides.
Technical Difficulty Level III | Ride with confidence on gravel tracks, trails and over loose stones and some rough ground. May have some prior experience of man-made trail centres and feel happy on Blue and Red routes (UK trail centre grading). Some bike packing experience, with some single or multi-day rides and camping under the belt. See walking and navigation page for details on navigational skills appropriate at this level
LEVEL IV
Fitness Level IV | Good fitness from regular exercise sessions and time spent actively involved in cycling. Can ride full days, in any terrain, at a steady pace.
Technical Difficulty Level IV | Able to ride over variable terrain including steep, rough, narrow tracks with tree roots and other small obstacles such as small rocks. Confident on all man-made trail centre trails and able to ride small drops/step-downs or other technical trail features. Familiar with bike-packing and what it entails. Bike-pack during the spring, summer and autumn. See walking and navigation page for details on navigational skills appropriate at this level
LEVEL V
Fitness Level V | Excellent fitness from regular training and a significant amount of time spent riding or racing. Can ride in any terrain and maintain a demanding pace
Technical Difficulty Level V | Can ride over any terrain including very rocky, severe descents and drop-offs up to 60 cm in height. Bike packing all year round in a variety of terrain. See walking and navigation page for details on navigational skills appropriate at this level
