It is easy to forget, when you live on the coast, that the Alpes-Maritimes are a mountain department. An hour from Nice or Cannes, the ground rises from sea level to 1,800 m — and with it opens up mountain-biking terrain that most locals have never explored.
This guide covers what genuinely exists for riding in the mountains of the 06: the waymarked loops, the bike park, the big labelled network — and what an electric mountain bike changes in a massif like this one.
Why go up rather than ride the coast
Three reasons, in the order you feel them.
The temperature. This is the killer argument in July and August. When the coast reads 32 °C, it is commonly around ten degrees cooler at 1,400 m. You ride when you want, not only at 7 am.
The traffic. On the coastal strip, a bike ride is negotiated between roundabouts and lorries. In the mountains you are on forest tracks and singletrack, with no cars.
The view. From the ridges of the Préalpes d’Azur you can see the Mediterranean. That is not a figure of speech: on a clear day you can pick out the coastline from Saint-Tropez to Monaco.
Where to ride in the Alpes-Maritimes
Gréolières-les-Neiges — the waymarked loops
This is the most accessible starting point from the coast. The resort offers 7 waymarked loops (n° 10 to 16), more than 60 km in total, between 1,400 and 1,800 m, all starting from the Maison du Fondeur.
The range is wide: loop 12 is 4 km with 120 m of climbing, rideable as a family; loop 16, graded black, climbs 400 m to the Cime du Cheiron (1,778 m), the highest point of the Préalpes d’Azur, with its three orientation tables and a 360° panorama.
Two things are specific to this spot:
- The Huskies chairlift opens to bikes in summer — weekends in June, daily in July and August. You ride up with the bike and link descents.
- An enduro track cut through the pine forest: rounded berms, optional jumps, wooden features. Enough to build skills without frightening yourself.
The loop-by-loop detail is in our guide to the 7 MTB trails of Gréolières.
L’Audibergue and La Moulière — the downhill
If you are after pure downhill, that is where to go: the La Moulière bike park, on the communes of Andon and Caille, has dedicated downhill runs. The resort is run by the same syndicate as Gréolières and sits about an hour from Nice.
The two sites complement each other: Gréolières for cross-country, all-mountain and enduro; La Moulière for sending it downhill.
The Monts d’Azur MTB Park — the big network
To think much bigger, the department hosts a site labelled by the French Cycling Federation: the “VTT Parc des Monts d’Azur”, with 31 routes and 390 waymarked kilometres — 2 green, 6 blue, 10 red and 13 black — covering cross-country, all-mountain, enduro and gravel.
It has 6 entry points, including Gréolières, Saint-Auban, Briançonnet, Valderoure and Le Mas. That is enough to fill a whole week without repeating a single route. And one detail that matters: every route is open to electrically assisted bikes.
How far is it from you?
Here are the drive times to Gréolières-les-Neiges, the entry point closest to the coast:
| Departure | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Vence | 44 km | ~50 min |
| Grasse | 46 km | ~50 min |
| Valbonne | 47 km | ~50 min |
| Cagnes-sur-Mer | 50 km | ~55 min |
| Mougins | 53 km | ~1 hr |
| Antibes | 59 km | ~1 hr 08 |
| Cannes | 59 km | ~1 hr 10 |
| Nice | 62 km | ~1 hr 10 |
Two routes from the coast: via Cagnes-sur-Mer and the Loup gorges (exit 48 on the A8), or via Grasse and the RD5. The second is wider and faster. On arrival, a free car park with 2,800 spaces at the foot of the slopes — no shuttle, no parking meter.
Muscle-powered or electric?
The question deserves a straight answer, because in this massif the answer is not neutral.
On a regular bike, the green and blue loops of Gréolières are perfectly manageable: rolling terrain, 120 to 220 m of climbing. The reds and the black, however, demand real endurance — 350 to 400 m of ascent on sustained gradients.
On an e-bike, everything changes scale. The black loop to the Cime du Cheiron becomes a realistic goal for an occasional rider: the assistance absorbs the climbing and you keep enough freshness to enjoy the descent. It is also what lets a group of mixed abilities ride together without anyone suffering.
Managing your battery in the mountains
A few habits, valid anywhere it climbs:
- Start at 100 % and plan generously: it is the climbing that drains the battery, not the distance.
- Alternate modes — high assistance on the climbs, low on the flat. You will gain a lot of range.
- The half rule: if you have burnt more than 50 % at the halfway point, turn back or take the short return.
- Cold reduces range: at 1,800 m in early or late season, a battery gives less than in high summer.
When to ride
The 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 — less for the heat, which is very bearable at altitude, than for the quiet and the light.
In spring, watch for residual snow patches on the north face and muddy sections under the trees.
What to bring
The massif is wild and there is no water point on the loops. Carry plenty — 1.5 L minimum for two hours in summer — plus a helmet, an inner tube with pump and tyre levers, a windproof for the exposed ridges, and sunscreen: at altitude the sun bites harder.
You will most likely meet flocks and their guardian dogs. The right behaviour: slow down, get off the bike, go around at a wide distance, and never force your way between the dog and its flock.
Rent on site rather than loading the car
Bringing a mountain bike up from the coast means a bike rack, handling, and a bike that gathers dust the rest of the year. Renting on site solves all of that — and you ride a maintained bike suited to the terrain.
Bogho Sports rents electrically assisted mountain bikes all year round at 310 Traverse du Cheiron, in Gréolières-les-Neiges — at the foot of the slopes, right at the start of the waymarked loops. Three ranges: Baby Van for the youngest, junior mountain bikes, and full-suspension adult bikes.
See our e-MTB rental prices: from €15 for a half-day, €40 for an adult electric bike, with reduced rates up to seven days. We are open every day from 9 am to 5 pm, and we are happy to point you to the loop that matches your level and the time you have — a call to +33 6 21 45 80 87 is enough.
To round off the day on site, see our tips on where to eat at the resort, and if you are staying over, our roundup of local accommodation.