The best riding around Aviemore is not in the town but immediately around it. South and east, the Caledonian pinewood runs almost unbroken through Rothiemurchus and Glenmore Forest Park, crossed by gravel forest roads that hold a bike better than most tarmac lanes. Much of what follows is on those tracks and on the traffic-free Old Logging Way, with the Speyside Way as the long-distance spine. Both hire shops rent e-bikes as well as ordinary ones, which is how riders of different fitness levels share a loop without anyone grinding unhappily up a hill.
The reason is the forest itself. The Cairngorms’ pinewoods sit right at the town’s edge, so a ride starts from the centre and is under trees within minutes. The tracks are mostly gravel fire roads rather than single-track, which suits hardtail mountain bikes, gravel bikes and sturdy hybrids alike. On the hillier sections an e-bike takes the sting out, and the two shops below both hire them. The Cairngorms National Park has the landscape; the Old Logging Way gives you the flat, traffic-free route out to Glenmore and back.
Rothiemurchus calls its Three Lochs Trail the gentle off-road loop past Lochan Mor, Loch an Eilein and Lochan Deo. It runs 10.8 km, about 6.7 miles, and the estate’s own estimate is one to two hours. That is the family starting point, and the sensible first ride if anyone in the group has not ridden off-road before. Start at the bike hire point at The Pavilion in Rothiemurchus Woodland Car Park, beside the Farm Shop and The Barn café; the estate publishes a free PDF trail map worth downloading before you leave. The Farm Shop sells estate beef and venison, so picnic supplies for the loch shore are right at the trailhead.
Once the Three Lochs loop feels easy, the estate’s Ancient Forest Trail is the second ride. It is the quieter option: 19.8 km, about 12.3 miles, with Rothiemurchus’s estimate of two to three hours. Expect more climbing, mountain views on the higher ground and a long downhill finish. The trail network is shared ground, not a dedicated bike park. Pull in for faster riders, and slow right down for horses, walkers and dogs — most of these paths are walked as much as they are ridden.
The Old Logging Way follows the nineteenth-century route that floated timber down to the River Spey, and today it is the flat, traffic-free spine from Aviemore out to Glenmore. Ride it to An Lochan Uaine, the Green Loch, and the out-and-back is 12 km, about 7.5 miles each way, with two and a half to three and a half hours a fair allowance. The loch sits in Glenmore Forest Park, which has had wildfire damage in recent years; Forestry and Land Scotland says the path to An Lochan Uaine reopened on 5 October 2026 after recovery work, and the Old Logging Way itself was unaffected. The same source marks Allt Mor car park closed as of 26 October 2026, so check the FLS Glenmore alerts page the day you ride. The route out of town is covered in the car-free guide.
The Speyside Way is a walking route first, and only parts of it make sense on a bike. The whole thing runs roughly 100.6 miles from Newtonmore to Buckie. The section south of Aviemore, Newtonmore to Aviemore, is 19.5 miles; the Kincraig stretch is described by the official guidance as quite new and very well maintained, but steep in places with quite a few gates. That is a real day on a bike, and the gates will have you on and off the saddle. For the hilly sections, the official guidance suggests an e-bike.
The Aviemore to Grantown-on-Spey section runs 16.2 miles, and the official guidance calls it really family friendly, particularly between Aviemore and Boat of Garten. The Strathspey Railway runs alongside for part of it, so the steam trains are the soundtrack, and Aviemore parkrun uses the path on Saturdays. Boat of Garten is the natural turn-back point: ride out, stop in the village, and take the railway back if legs or daylight run short.
Past Boat of Garten the riding gets harder quickly. Grantown to Ballindalloch is 13.7 miles of undulating track with many gates and stiles, and the official advice for cyclists and horses is to use the B9102 between Ballindalloch and Cromdale instead. Beyond that, the Ballindalloch to Tomintoul spur is about 15 miles of exposed, rough hill track that the official guidance says is not suitable for bikes. Treat it as a walking route and leave the bicycle at Ballindalloch. For wider walking from the same trailheads, the walks guide covers the foot versions.
Two shops do the renting, and their seasons matter as much as their prices.
Aviemore Bikes works from Aviemore Village Centre, with a large car park. Its fleet runs from e-mountain bikes and step-through e-hybrids to ordinary hardtails from £30 and gravel bikes from £35, plus youth mountain bikes for ages 7 to 11. A helmet, lock and basic repair kit come with the hire; child seats, trailers, racks and full-suspension bikes do not, and its hire bikes are not permitted on the Cairngorm Mountain Bike Park. Autumn hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 to 16:00, with Sunday and Monday on request, and there is no instant online booking — use the form or email, or walk in. The shop closes for annual maintenance from 8 to 17 November 2026, reopening on the 18th at 10am. Prices on the page are starting prices; check the current rate sheet before you commit.
In Your Element hires from Rothiemurchus, a fifteen-minute walk from the bus and rail stations. It opens daily from 2 April to the end of October, so by late October it is winding down for winter. A half-day means three and a half hours. Children are £19, teens and adults £26, e-bikes £57 with a £100 deposit, and trailers, tag-alongs and baby seats £11 for the half-day; extra days cost less than the first. Helmets and a puncture kit come with the bike, e-bikes are not for under-14s, and helmets are compulsory for under-18s. There is no same-day online or phone booking — you walk in.
The gap to watch is early November, when In Your Element has closed for winter and Aviemore Bikes is shut for maintenance. Check both shops before you set out if you are riding between the end of October and 18 November.
These tracks are shared with walkers, horses and dogs, and Rothiemurchus asks riders to pull in for faster traffic and slow right down for the rest. Carry more water than you think you need and a small tool kit; the hire shops include the basics, but a multi-tool and a spare tube are cheap insurance. From late October the days are short, so carry a light even on a loop that should take an hour. The Farm Shop and The Barn café cover food at the Rothiemurchus trailhead.
Late October is the best of the pinewood — the birches turn and the forest roads stay firm after rain — but it is also the season when hire availability tightens. In Your Element stops daily hire at the end of October, and Aviemore Bikes takes its November break, so a mid-November visit means checking both before you ride. The daylight is the other limit; on an overcast October afternoon the light goes early, so plan to be back before it fades.
One seasonal ride worth the trip is the Reindeer Christmas Fun at the Glenmore paddocks, run by The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd on 28–29 November, 5–6, 12–13, 20–21 and 22–24 December 2026, 10am to 4pm. Entry is £7.88 per person including fees, under-2s free, and booking opens 30 days ahead and tends to sell out. The paddocks are reachable by bike along the Old Logging Way, which turns it into a short family ride with a reason. Confirm dates on the organiser’s page.