For a small patch of Scotland, the Tweed Valley produces more than it's fair share of riding talent. We head up for the annual Tweelove festival and check out the riding, racing and community, which make the area so special.

Just south of Edinburgh lies an unassuming valley through which its namesake river winds its leisurely way. At first glance, there is little in the way of obvious excitement or adrenaline, other than folks knocking small white balls across immaculate lawns towards flags. The Tweed Valley has historically been the haunt of traditional countryside activities, such as shooting beasts, or trying to extract fish from the river.

Geographically too, it offers up little in the way of jaw-dropping scenery as could be expected from a mountain bike hotspot. It's a beautiful area all the same, with forested hillsides rising up to respectable heights, and the aforementioned river cruising downstream, but it certainly lacks the scale of the Alps or the Rockies. In more recent years, rather than waders, country style clothing and flat caps, you are just as likely to see kneepads, goggles and baggy shorts. But we are not talking about a casual interest in bikes, the association with bikes in the valley runs deep, and as the past few years have shown, they mean business.

What is it that makes this area of Scotland so prolific in producing mountain bike success, and punching way above its weight? At any round of the EWS or World Cup Downhill, you will find names associated with this valley on the start list, and most likely gunning for the podium. This must be down to more than just a great set of trails, what is it that's made the area so successful for bikes? And what's the recipe for success?

To get a closer look at the area, I headed up for the Tweedlove Festival, a two-week celebration of all things on two wheels. With an eye on the Tweedlove International Enduro, the festival gave me a chance to poke around the area and get a local perceptive on the area. I asked Katy Winton, local rider and EWS rider to give me a local take on the riding in the area and how she would sum it up:

"Buzzing, no matter what your ability there is something for you whether you ride a hardtail or want uplifts on a DH bike or just want an easy pedal along the flat cycle path to go from town to town. There is always something going on and people on bikes wanting to have a good time. Come for a couple of days to explore the area and make sure you make it to the No.1 Cafe in Innerleithen for all your coffee and food needs :)"

Perhaps the tweed valley's hottest export right now Lewis Buchanan burst onto the EWS scene earlier this year trading mud for dust in the first two rounds of the series. His efforts saw him walk away with 13th place in round one and 7th in round two (not to mention a 2nd place stage result), not bad for a 22 year old from Innerleithen. So how has the area helped him?

"It’s helped me massively. Being an Enduro racer and having the access to Glentress, the Golfie and the tracks at Innerleithen means I have a huge choice of different tracks to pick from and all having different dirt and gradient is cool. I have it all here to enable me to be the best I can, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else as I think this is as good as it gets."

There's (trail) gold in them hills...

The Valley is made up of two official trail centres, Glentress and Innerleithen, with the latter focusing on Downhill.  Glentress started out as a small cabin in a car park with a bunch of trails in the woods and over time this has developed into one of the best trail centres in the UK. As well as these trail centres, the fantastic open access policy for recreation in Scotland has led to trails being developed in the forests all down the valley.

Most notably the 'Golfie' has achieved almost mythical status amongst riders in the UK, with tails of trails so steep it feels like plummeting off the edge of the world. Lewis has been busy over the past year adding yet another trail to the network.

"Flat White is a trail my friends and I have been building since April of 2015 and only recently finished it a few months ago. We went for a different approach to the trails up there and built it smooth with some big berms & cool features. The feedback we have had from the riders and just the community, in general, has been awesome and I think building this one trail has brought people to the area. The trails in the valley have it all from tracks that you and your family can ride on at Glentress to the extreme DH level at Innerleithen. The trails over at the Golf Course side are mostly all technical with a lot of roots and more naturally built with a fair bit of difficulty to them, but there is a lot to choose from."

This constant stream of new trails gives the area a real sense of being at the cutting edge of trail development, and with the sheer enthusiasm builders have in the area; there always appears to be something new. How important are trail builders to the Valley?

"It takes a lot of work to build a full new trail & in the end it gives us all something to ride on and enjoy. I think the trail builders in the area are important so that the valley keeps progressing with more and more people coming to ride the tracks we have to offer."

Gene Pool

What makes this Valley special is the sheer numbers of quality riders that it manages to produce. Gary Forest, Katy Winton, Ruaridh Cunningham, Innes Graham, Lewis Buchanan to name but a few. Those of you believing that ability on a bike is simply an inherited trait from one's parents would do well to consider the example set here. Unless the Valley's gene pool is particularly small, it would appear that it takes more than just genetic make-up to create great riders.

Head up to the trailhead on any weekend and see the hoards of young riders all sporting PCC (Peebles Cycling Club) jerseys, this population of young shredders alone could keep Isla Bike, Frog and Early rider in business for years. We doubt it is just the incredible trail network that churns out amazing riders? What do the locals think?

Lewis Buchanan:

"The trails, the social, the community and mountain bike scene, It's down to all these things, to be honest. The trails are that good over at the Golfie and 7 Staines side that everyone enjoys them but the community and amount of people in the area that have great passion and just love getting out with their friends really gives the area that buzz & recognition it deserves."

Katy Winton:

The trails help, but also that it is so easily accessible for everyone: we have a huge variety of riding, there are trails for people who are trying mountain biking for the first time and trails that are a challenge for the best in the world. There is a lot to be said for that. I also think we have a special community that loves the outdoors and mountain biking. The amount of kids in the area thriving on the outdoors and bike riding is incredible which makes Tweedlove so special because it brings all of that together.

Something For Everyone

It's also worth remembering that this area is not some machine designed to create the ultimate mountain biker, but to engender a love of bikes from an early age. During the festival I was invited out on a local evening ride, to which anyone could turn up and get involved. Run by the local cycling club it was a great opportunity to chat and find out how it all works.

By far the most common theme was inclusivity, both in terms of age and ability. The aim never being to push for excellence (though this obviously is a by-product), but to get as many folks on a bike and having fun. This ride out was a testament to that, with riders of all abilities on all types of bikes getting involved, and making me feel welcome. Even the man behind the Tweedlove festival Neil Dalgleish was out for a play, further emphasising that the festival is not some corporate affair, but a natural progression and outlet for the passion for bikes in the valley. 

At this point, it's probably worth reminding myself, and readers that mountain bikes are not the only type of bike (strange I know), and the area caters for every type of wheeled machine, even the skinny tyred types. A shout must go out to the Lovecross event, which takes to the streets of Peebles and pits any type of bike against an urban cyclocross circuit while being attacked by water pistols. What's not to like?

The Friday night before the International Enduro saw an incredible display of young talent in the form of the Kiduro hosted by KICC (Kids Innerleithen Cycling Club) yet another club for young-uns! Coaching sessions from pros including Tracey Moseley and Greg Callaghan were followed by some flat out enduro racing. The level of support for young riders and their level of engagement is truly inspiring. Katy Winton grew up in Dunfermline but joined PCC and would travel down most Saturdays to ride with the kids clubs.

"Coming down to ride with the PCC kids club and making friends was a huge thing for me, it meant when I started racing there was a crew of us having fun and messing about. The Kids Club leaders used to take us to different locations and trails in the area which was brilliant because it tested your riding in different ways which helps to become a better all round rider."

Having hosted the EWS for two years, it was time for the series to move on, but that was never going to stop them putting on an event. Timed for the weekend after the Emerald Enduro, the Tweedlove International would perhaps be the jewel in the crown for the festival. With an international field and EWS standard stages, it was set to be a tough weekend of racing.

Two and half days of practice led into a day and a half racing over terrain ranging from red grade trail centre to what the Valley does best- improbably steep trails which blur the lines between falling and riding. The competition was as fierce and as challenging as the stages and coupled with some typical Scottish spring weather that saw everything from blazing sunshine to snow. The race attracted the likes of Iago Garay, Mark Scott and Eddie Masters but in the end taking the win in the men's was Greg Callaghan and the women's race was dominated by Tracey 'She never said she was retiring' Moseley.

The Future's Bright, The Future's Tweed

What is the secret recipe for success? Resources certainly, and nature has been kind to mountain bikers here, the sheer quantity of land available is staggering, and with the forestry infrastructure and excellent access legislation trail development, both informal and formal is off the scale. Great trails are a must, but not without a community with such an infectious enthusiasm for bikes.

This keeps participation levels high with amazing volunteers to run the kids clubs and get them psyched at an early age. Investment still has to happen, either with time or money, and events like Tweedlove galvanise local support for cycling in the area and generate interest on an international scale to support local development and investment. Now that mountain biking is so established in the area, a feedback loop has begun with ruthless efficiency. Inspiration from recent exports to the world circuit such as Lewis Buchanan or Katy Winton show the up and coming youth just what can be done, and amazing new riders will be produced. Watch this space as they say!

Thanks To

Fiona and Neil from Tweedlove for putting up with us for the week! http://www.tweedlove.com

We stayed in a fantastic holiday cottage in the valley for a week, find a similar one here:  http://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/south-scotland

Videos

Shimano TweedLove International Enduro 2016
TweedLove LoveCross 2016
Glentress Seven at Shimano TweedLove Bike Festival
By Ewen Turner
Ewen Turner is a self-confessed bike geek from Kendal in the Lake District of England. He runs a coaching and guiding business up there and has a plethora of knowledge about bikes with an analytical approach to testing. His passion for bicycles is infectious, and he’s a ripper on the trails who prefers to fit his working life around his time on the bike.

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