Scout off-road cycling permit: environments, levels and what to log
By a volunteer Scout leader
Updated 16 October 2026
3 min read
Mountain biking in Scouts falls under the off-road cycling permit. It’s based on the riding environment, much like hillwalking terrain. Here’s what the levels mean and what to record from every ride.
Please note: this is practical advice from one leader to another, not official guidance. Always check the current Policy, Organisation and Rules and talk to your county or district assessor about their process.
The short version
- Off-road cycling in environments one and two needs a permit; environment zero doesn’t.
- Blue trail-centre runs are typically environment one; red and black are environment two.
- Supervisory permits cover up to three groups, from within 3km on foot or bike, or 10km in a vehicle.
- Leading after dark needs night riding shown at assessment, or the permit is restricted to daylight.
- Log every ride: trail grade, environment, distance from help, group size and your role.
What your permit covers
| Environment | In short | Permit? |
|---|---|---|
| Zero | Within 2.5km or 30 minutes’ walk of emergency access, rideable seated at walking pace | No |
| One | Within 2.5km or 30 minutes of emergency access, such as a blue trail-centre run or an obvious line choice | Yes |
| Two | Red or black runs, drop-offs above hub height, no obvious line, or further than 2.5km / 30 minutes from emergency access | Yes |
Permits are issued at off-road cycling 1 or 2, and can be restricted, for example to a location, to daylight hours or by load carried.
- Personal lets a young person under 18 ride with others who hold a personal cycling permit.
- Leadership lets you lead one group, staying with them at all times.
- Supervisory lets you remotely supervise up to three groups, from within 3km on foot or by bike, or 10km in a vehicle.
What to log each ride
- Date, location and route, including trail grades if at a trail centre.
- Environment: zero, one or two, and why.
- Distance from emergency access.
- Group size, and number of groups if supervising.
- Daylight or after dark. This matters if you want night riding on your permit.
- Mechanicals, injuries or route changes you dealt with.
Building experience
The most reliable way to build experience at a new level, or on a new type of water or terrain, is to support a current permit holder in their sessions. Take on more as your confidence grows, and log every session, noting that you were supporting and who held the permit. When you come to be assessed you can show exactly what you’ve done, rather than relying on memory.
If you want to lead long-distance, multi-day or expedition rides, the guidance expects you to have experience managing that kind of ride, so log those trips carefully.
Don’t let it lapse
Adventurous activity permits expire within five years of being granted. When yours expires, you must be assessed and granted a new permit before you can run the activity again, so an unnoticed expiry date can mean cancelled sessions.
Keep logging between assessments. When renewal comes round, you’ll already have years of evidence ready to show.
Log your next off-road cycling session in Paracord
Free for one activity type, with unlimited logs. Export a PDF of your history for your assessor with Pro.
