Tour Gradings

Tour Gradings

We specialise in long distance luxury tours. So yes, our tours are long and challenging, but we provide comprehensive support to ensure they are pleasurable, achievable and above all enjoyable.

Read on for our grading system to see what level of grading best suits you.

Riding with a partner of different strength? Absolutely no worries! On any given day, you can take a rest day and ride in the van or just ride to lunch time. On the other hand you can do the extra loops Bike Odyssey supplies for those wanting more of a challenge. We accommodate whatever you want and need on our tours.

We classify the difficulty levels of each tour based on distance, average daily elevation and time in the saddle. The visual symbol we use to present our grading system is the all time energy food, the banana! (If you don't like bananas, imagine they are Snickers bars!) Our logic is that the harder the tour the more bananas you will need to complete it. Where a tour is between two levels, we use a half eaten banana. We grade out of 5 bananas and our lowest grade is 2 bananas.

Grade 2
3 banana cycling

I am a reasonably fit person and some sort of exercise is a regular part of my life. I am up for an adventure and am comfortable on a bike.

Distance: 30-75km (20-50miles)

Average Daily Elevation: 600m (2000 feet)

Time in the saddle: 2-4 hours

Grade 3
3 banana cycling

I am a reasonably fit person and cycling and/or sport is a regular part of my life. I am comfortable on a bike and ride reasonably regularly.

Distance: 60-100km (31-56miles)

Average Daily Elevation: 1000m (3280 feet)

Time in the saddle: 3-5 hours

Grade 4
4 banana cycling

I am fit and partake in exercise regularly. I enjoy a challenge, am comfortable on a bike and ride regularly, averaging over 100km most weeks.

Distance: 90-120 km(56-75 miles)

Average Daily Elevation: 1250m (4100 feet)

Time in the saddle: 4-6 hours

Grade 5
5 banana cycling

Keeping fit is very important to me. I love pushing myself to new and exciting limits on my bike. I am riding 150+km (93 miles) per week.

Distance: 100-150km (75-93 miles)

Average Daily Elevation: 1500m (4920 feet)

Time in the saddle: 4-7 hours