Cornwall offers mountain bikers a great variety of routes from quiet country lanes weaving through popular tourist villages to more challenging routes around the coasts of Falmouth, Penzanze and St Ives. As such, has broken down the routes accordingly.

Experienced riders in Cornwall will consider mountain biking as one of their main personal activities and pride themselves in their abilities. They will have ridden off-road extensively and developed their skills to a level where they can deal with the unexpected and handle very rough terrain, steep drops and considerable exposure at the side of a trail. They will ride a high-quality mountain bike capable of handling extremely harsh terrain, most likely with suspension at the front if not the rear of the bike.

Red or Black Trails

These riders might find red (difficult) or black (severe) graded trails a suitable challenge. Visit the Trail Grading Explained page to learn what trail grading is. Red grade trails are easier than black but are still true mountain biking trails requiring a high level of endurance, commitment and focus.

Be Careful

For the intermediate riders, don’t fear, consider some of the promoted routes on our interactive cycling map. Cornwall is one of the most popular cycling holiday destinations in the UK and is able to cater for riders of all abilities and skill. Remember that the grading system refers to the technical challenge of the trail, not how long it is.