Mountain Biking and Cycle Touring Trail Grades

Mountain Bike Trails + Dirt Roads

Kuno uses the seven difficulty ratings of the ‘Trail Difficulty Rating System’ (TDRS) for mountain bike or dirt road cycling trails

The short descriptions below are taken directly from Mountain Bike Australia, a more detailed outline can be found here:

Grade O: Very easy Wide trail with a gentle gradient smooth surface and no obstacles. Suitable for beginner cyclists with basic bike skills, and most bikes

Grade 1: Easy Wide trail with a gentle gradient smooth surface. Some obstacles such as roots, logs and rocks. Suitable for beginner cyclists with basic mountain bike skills, and off-road bikes

Grade 2: Easy with Intermediate Sections Likely to be single track with a moderate gradient, variable surface and some obstacles. Some obstacles such as roots, logs and rocks. Suitable for mountain bikers with mountain bikes

Grade 3: Intermediate Single trail with moderate gradients, variable surface and obstacles. May include steep sections. Suitable for skilled mountain bikers with mountain bikes

Grade 4: Intermediate with Difficult Sections Suitable for competent mountain bikers, used to physically demanding routes. Expect large and unavoidable obstacles and features. Challenging and variable with some steep climbs or descents and loose surfaces.

Grade 5: Difficult Suitable for experienced mountain bikers, used to physically demanding routes. Navigation and personal survival skills are highly desirable. Expect large, dangerous and unavoidable obstacles and features. Challenging and variable with long steep climbs or descents and loose surfaces. Some sections will be easier to walk.

Grade 6: Extreme Suitable for highly experienced mountain bikers, used to physically demanding routes. Navigation and personal survival skills are highly desirable. Severe constructed trails and/or natural features, all sections are challenging. Includes extreme levels of exposure and/or risk. Expect large and unavoidable obstacles and features. Some sections will be easier to walk.

Cycle Touring + Sealed Roads

Cycle touring on sealed roads are graded on Kuno as follows:

Grade 0: Very Easy Flat sealed roads with very easy terrain.

Grade 1: Easy Relatively flat sealed roads with some mildly undulating terrain.

Grade 2: Moderate Sealed roads with a mixture of terrain including some steep or challenging hills

Grade 3: Difficult Sealed roads with physically demanding terrain including frequent up and down sections of steep hills and long climbs and descents