Cross Country (XC)

Below are a couple of examples of a full day in the saddle.

Border Patrol    Distance: 50km Altitude: 16000m (600 with bus uplift) Grade: Hard

This ride taks its name as it runs along the border with France at the foothill of Mt. Saccarello.. A true alpine ride. The initial climb can be taken by bus as far as P. Guardia, from here its a gentle 600m climb over 20km so rather gentle with stunning views to keep you going. We eventuall arrive at Mt Grai at an altitude of 2000m, from here you can see the nearly 20km of descent all the way to Molini...almost all on singletrack! Half way though the descent wearrive at C. langhan (1150m) from here is an optional addition of 20km arriving in Badalucco.

Descent to Badalucco	Mt Saccarello

View towards France from the border

20km to Molini, view from Mt Grai

Giro di Mt Faudo    Distance: 50km Altitude: 16000m (600 with bus uplift) Grade: Hard

Starting from Badalucco this ride takes us along the coastal trails at an approx alt of 500m. Here are rocky dusty trails with open vistas towards the sea. a spot of lunch in Civezza and then its a climb up towards Mt Faudo at 1150m. Here you will enjoy a stunning 360 degree view and nefore hitting the fast 14km descent allthe way to the Riva Ligure on the sea....again a much deserved beer or gelato is on offer.

Trail Grading

We have graded our trails in the international format as Blue, Red and Black in terms of technical capability.

BLUE trails mainly consist of fast smooth singletrack or broken up double track with the odd rocks and maybe a couple of steps downs thrown in, usually there are multiple lines that you can choose. These trails are found on the less steep areas especially in Finale Ligure.

These trails compare with those found in the MTB centres of Wales such as Afan Argoed and Coed y Brenin where your speed dictates the level of difficulty.

RED trails get steadily steeper with more rock gardens and quite a few switchbacks thrown in. Here you will also find berms, jumps and some north shore sections. Red trails are often our longest with descents between 9 to 20 kilometres and last on average an hour!!!.

BLACK trails are often very steep with many rock gardens, drops and very tight switchbacks that will test your balancing ability as well as your skill. These trails are mainly found in the Argentina Valley and France and are usually ridden with assistance of the minibus to the trail head.

With Rivierabike you will be riding all grades of trails throughout the week and some of our trails have much variety and include all 3 grades in one run. So don’t worry if you think the trails are too extreme as by the middle of the week with our assistance and coaching you will be tackling the black runs, and become a confident and skilled mountain biker.