In summer, Gréolières-les-Neiges swaps skis for bikes. The resort offers 7 waymarked MTB loops (n° 10 to 16), more than 60 km in total, between 1,400 and 1,800 m, starting from the Maison du Fondeur — across the cross-country ski trails, through the pine forest and up to the Cheiron ridge.
The big advantage of the area: an hour from the Riviera, you are riding at 1,400 m minimum. When the coast reads 32 °C in August, it is often around ten degrees cooler up here, and the trails stay rideable in the middle of the day.
How to read the waymarking
The loops use the same colour code as the ski runs, which makes choosing immediate:
- Green — very easy, accessible to the whole family
- Blue — easy, on rolling terrain
- Red — difficult, with climbing and technical sections
- Black — very difficult, for experienced riders only
Each start is signposted from the Maison du Fondeur. Take a photo of the trailhead panel with your phone: the network overlaps in places, and a visual reference stops you going round in circles.
The 7 loops in detail
For beginners and family riding
Loop 12 — green · 4 km · 120 m of ascent · ~40 min The gentlest on the network. It follows the forest edge and finishes with 200 m on tarmac. The right choice for a first outing with children, or to get your legs back after winter.
Loop 11 — blue · 6 km · 120 m · ~30 min Laid out on the cross-country ski trails, so wide and with no technical difficulty. Ideal for getting to grips with an e-mountain bike if you have never used one.
Loop 10 — blue · 8 km · 220 m · ~50 min Same spirit as 11, a little longer. A good warm-up before taking on the reds.
Loop 13 — blue · 8 km · 220 m · ~1 hr 30 It circles the resort and adds some riding pleasure: banked turns and a boardwalk. The best fun-to-difficulty ratio on the network for an intermediate level.
For riding longer
Loop 14 — red · 9 km · 350 m · ~2 hr This one really climbs. Plenty of forest, return by road. The elevation is concentrated in the first half: once you reach the top, the rest links up nicely.
Loop 15 — red · 17 km · 300 m · ~2 hr 30 The longest on the network, reaching the Plan du Peyron. Moderate ascent for the distance: this is an endurance ride rather than a technical challenge. Bring water — there is no resupply point anywhere on the route.
The showpiece
Loop 16 — black · 10 km · 400 m · ~2 hr 30 The one that climbs to the Cime du Cheiron (1,778 m), the highest point of the Préalpes d’Azur. Up top, three orientation tables and a 360° panorama: the coastline from Saint-Tropez to Monaco, the Mercantour to the north, and Corsica on very clear days. The finest reward in the massif — and the most demanding.
The Huskies chairlift: climbing without the effort
In summer, the Huskies chairlift opens to mountain bikes — weekends in June, then daily in July and August. You ride up with the bike and link descents without spending your legs on the climbs.
It is also the way to share an outing between mixed abilities: the fitter riders pedal up, the others take the chairlift, and everyone meets at the top. Check the day’s timetable and rates with the resort before you come.
The enduro track
The resort has cut a playful enduro track through the pine forest: little gradient, rounded berms, optional jumps and a few wooden features. It is designed to build handling skills without frightening yourself — good ground for moving from fire road to technical singletrack.
If you are after pure downhill, the nearest bike park is La Moulière, at l’Audibergue, with its dedicated runs.
Thinking bigger: the VTT Parc des Monts d’Azur
Gréolières is one of the 6 entry points of the FFC-labelled “VTT Parc des Monts d’Azur”: 31 routes and 390 waymarked kilometres (2 green, 6 blue, 10 red, 13 black), covering cross-country, all-mountain, enduro and gravel. Enough to fill a whole week without ever repeating a route.
The e-mountain bike changes everything
Good news: every loop is open to electrically assisted bikes. And in this massif, that changes everything.
With an e-MTB, the black loop to the Cime du Cheiron becomes a realistic goal for an occasional rider: the assistance absorbs the 400 m of ascent, and you keep enough freshness to enjoy the descent and the view. Families gain too — a parent can keep up with the children without suffering, or the other way round.
Managing your battery properly
A few habits that avoid unpleasant surprises:
- Set off with a full battery. On this kind of relief, plan generously: climbing consumes far more than distance.
- Alternate assistance modes. Keep the most powerful mode for the real climbs and ride in low assistance on the flat — you will gain a lot of range.
- Anticipate the return. Simple rule: if you have used more than half at the halfway point, turn back or choose the shortest way home.
- Cold reduces range. At the start or end of the season, at 1,800 m, a battery gives less than in high summer.
What to bring
The massif is wild and there is no water point on the loops. Plan for:
- Plenty of water — at least 1.5 L for a 2-hour ride in summer
- A helmet: strongly recommended even on the green loops
- An inner tube, a tyre lever and a pump
- A windproof: at 1,800 m the ridge is exposed even in August
- Sunscreen — at altitude the radiation is noticeably stronger
You will most likely meet flocks and their guardian dogs (patous) on the high pastures. The right behaviour: slow down, get off the bike, go around at a wide distance, and never try to force your way between the dog and its flock.
When to come
The good season runs from May to October. June and September are the best months: dry trails, few people, ideal temperatures for effort. In July and August, set off early in the morning — less for the heat, more bearable than down below, than to enjoy the quiet and the light.
In spring, watch out for residual snow patches on the north face and muddy sections under the trees.
Rent on site, at the trailhead
No bike, or no desire to load up the car? Bogho Sports rents adult, junior and Baby Van electric mountain bikes all year round at the shop, at 310 Traverse du Cheiron — at the foot of the slopes, right at the start of the loops.
See our e-MTB rental prices: from €15 for a half-day on the Baby Van, €40 for an adult electric bike, with reduced rates up to 7 days. We are open every day from 9 am to 5 pm, and we are happy to point you to the loop that suits your level and the time you have.
To round off the day on site, see also our tips on where to eat at the resort and, if you are staying over, our roundup of local accommodation. And to discover the massif on foot rather than by bike, the waymarked hikes from the resort are worth the detour.
Finally, if you want the department-wide picture of mountain biking — bike park, FFC-labelled network, drive times from the coast — it is all gathered in our guide to mountain biking and e-MTB in the Alpes-Maritimes.