The Tweed Valley has come of age. No longer just a trail centre, the valley offers such a vast amount of riding it is hard to ignore and is drawing visitors from around the globe. From downhill to XC and everything in between, is this the finest British mountain bike destination?

Nestled in the rolling hills south of Edinburgh, the Tweed Valley sits quietly flanked by forests as far as the eye can see. Once the land of the country sports, it's now an internationally recognised hot spot for mountain biking. Churning out world-class riders with factory-like efficiency, the valley is coming of age as a destination to add to any mountain bikers bucket list.

I've been visiting on and off for years, but in the past five years things have really gone up a notch, and the opportunity to visit during the annual Tweedlove festival was not to be missed. A celebration for all things bike (not just mountain bike), there is something for everyone from kids to adults, roadies to downhillers.

Glentress Classics

First up on the list was some Glentress gold, the original trail centre and the first venue to put the area on the map. With every grade of trail on offer, this is indeed a venue for everyone. If you fancy some flow trails, the blue trails have it in bucket loads, winding their way around the hillside, never too steep, but always keeping the momentum and fun turned up.

Climbing to the top of the hill, the options are endless, with choices of red blue and black which all can be linked to create a route down the hillside. Trail development continues at Glentress, and where some of the old classics like Spooky Woods are getting a bit hammered, other sections are opening and being repaired all over the forest. Midway down the trails is a skills and jump park to mess about on and a sublime blue grade trail in the form of Berm Baby Berm, which is essentially a downhill pump track and not to is missed.

Plans for the forest are afoot, which will see a new jump park and skills area at the bottom of the hill and this area replaced with cabin accommodation. The plans look good and will hopefully provide even more trails, including enduro style offerings, which will surely further establish Glentress as one of the finest trail centres.

Once you’re done with the classic trails of the forest, off-piste trails are there to be found by the inquisitive mountain biker, but if you really want more challenging action, you better get yourself down the valley to Innerleithen.

Uplifting Trails

Just down the valley, about 10km on a cycle path by the river is Innerleithen, home to one of the best cafes in the valley, 'Number 1'. It's worth visiting for this alone, but the riding is pretty good too.

I'm met by Gary from Adrenaline Uplift and the team who are keen to show me the new set up and get me plummeting downhill as soon as possible. Having recently taken over the contract for uplift they have a fleet of buses and trailers and offer a professional and efficient service for bikers. They also aim to link up the valley by shuttling between the venues and get the valley operating like a ski resort.

A quick drive up the fire roads gives access to the tops of the trails, of which there are many! The focus traditionally for Innerleithen has been downhill biking, but the rise of Enduro has meant that the riders visiting have become more diverse. The focus is still on descending but new trails have been developed, and the older, faster, jump focused trails are less popular. Tight singletrack with fall line gradients are in vogue, and there is plenty of this style of riding to be found. Endless corners, roots and sniper rocks provide information overload to the speeding rider. The terrain is complex and serious, and the idea of a flow trail is not even on the radar.

Community dug sections are cropping up more and more, and the berm diggers had been out in force recently providing some awesome updates to the trails. With investment from volunteers and the businesses such as Adrenaline Uplift, things are looking really great for trail development.

Away From It All

It's not all hiding in the trees, trying to find the thin line between riding and falling down the hillside. The valley does offer a mellower option, away from it all, on the other side from the dense forest. I met Andy Weir from Ridelines, who plans to show us the less travelled parts of the valley, including the mysterious Faerie Glen. Ridelines have been a part of the valley for years, and help thousands of riders improve or simply have a great time on their bike. If time is limited, guides are always a sure-fire way of getting the most from a trip.

After coffee and pancakes at Nashy's Coffee House, we head out to burn off some caffeine. Climbing efficiently up fire roads, which are stereotypical here, we climb above the trees and onto the rolling heather hilltops. From the top, you can see the scale of the forestry operations and also look north to the Pentland Hills and Edinburgh. The climb takes us onto a broad ridge with commanding views down the valley and rises more gently to our high point.

The descent from here is in stark contrast to the rest of the valley, wide open and fast, the trail is straighter, but not without challenge. Looser and rockier than in the woods, it's sketchy at high speed but exhilarating on the wide-open hillside. As the trail continues, it becomes more sinuous, twisting through the heather before launching you through the clipped grass of cattle fields and landing you by a river, brakes clicking and chiming with excess heat.

Golf Champs

The main event for the week is the British National Champs, and I was entered so I could experience first hand some of the hardest trails the valley can offer. This race would take me over to the infamous Golfie, another forest over the river from Innerleithen and home to hand dug trails for the highest calibre. The race would take on two trails at Innerleithen before transferring to the Golfie for three more, then a spin down the valley to Peebles would finish the event with a short, sharp stage in Glentress.

Having hosted two Enduro World Series rounds, the valley knows how to put on an event with style. This national champs looked like a who's who of British Enduro, and the majority of the top riders are EWS riders. The course was pretty brutal, with a 55km loop and 1700m of ascent. They build their riders and trails tough around here, as they say.

The race gave me the opportunity to tackle the infamous Golfie, and it certainly lives up to its reputation. Huge trails dropping the whole height of the hill in one go with endless turns and an infinite number of roots to catch you out. Few of these trails were dug to make you look good on a bike, or give you an easy life; they are tough, challenging and intoxicatingly addictive. My home diet of rocky trails means steep loam, soil and roots is not my thing, but I love these trails and how they hand me my cards every time.

There is little that makes the trails dangerous, other than the gradient, so they are rideable at a huge range of speed. From the brake dragging punters like me to the global elite, we can all enjoy the same trails, just differently. Having winched up the fireroads (again) multiple times, the legs get a real kicking and a day spent riding here would surely challenge the hardiest of rider. Combining a day here followed by uplifting at Innerleithen would be a fine way to spend a couple of days.

The race was eventually won by Bex Baraona and Lewis Bucannon in fine style, amidst top competition. A shout out to seventeen-year-old Polly Henderson who finished third overall, one to watch for the future!

Community Spirit

The festival is part of the fabric of the place, and without the army of volunteers, it wouldn’t be possible. The atmosphere on the green in Peebles is warm, friendly and inclusive. Family cinema screenings sit alongside the latest and greatest bike brands and the fastest racers in the country. Adding to the spirit was the urban cyclocross race on the Saturday night, which I'd slid myself into to get the full experience.

It was the first and probably last time I'd rock up on a start line with Tracey Moseley, but that's what happened. She knows a good race and is a big supporter of the valley and what they do here. Fifteen minutes of racing with hay bales and hairpins later, I'm broken, but the support and water pistol action certainly sums up the love of cycling here. 

With all the brands in attendance, there is a festival vibe on the green in Peebles. The start and finish of the races and events are here, with food, drink and sunshine in good supply. It's hard to think of another town that gets behind cycling with such enthusiasm. With further events throughout the year including the infamous Glentress Seven endurance race and the grassroots Enjoyro, there is never a bad time to visit the valley and get involved. As I found out, having a trip based around the events from Tweedlove is a great way to see the valley and get the most from a trip.

A Joined-Up Venture

With hotels, trails and services all offering the mountain biker the best experiences the valley has come of age as an international venue. I stayed in the Peebles Hydro Hotel, a classic Scottish Hotel with bike storage and leisure facilities to keep even the fussiest rider happy.  With Adrenaline Uplift providing more and more options to get riders around and the Tweedlove team offering events and racing throughout the year, it's a comprehensive proposal. Coaching and guiding companies are surfing the wave of development and the local cafes, and restaurants offer a far more sophisticated product than ever before.

Close to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, getting here is a simple affair, and with copious choices for accommodation, the logistics are easy. With enough riding to keep you going for weeks, there is no shortage, and with excellent road and gravel biking you can even mix things up a bit to keep it fresh.

I stayed with the Pebbles Hydro Hotel, which can be highly recommended, and was looked after by Adrenaline Uplift, Ridelines and the whole Tweedlove team.

Adrenaline Uplift Fact Box:

  • Adrenalin Uplift is Scotland's premier MTB Uplift & Shuttle service, providing maximum uploads at Innerleithen and Ae Forest.
  • Our fleet of 16 seater buses and trailers provide continuous upload with a capacity of 96 riders.
  • The "Ride With A Local" service, with a team led by EWS racer Sam Flockhart, let's riders rent a "Local" to show off the sickest trails in our locations.
  • Be the star in your own MTB Film - spend a day with Max Rendall of Sleeper.co and get the ultimate riding souvenir- your own video edit!
  • Let us plan your trip - Mid-Week and Weekend packages inclusive of accommodation, flights and airport transfers.

Videos

TweedLove Whyte British Enduro Champs 2018
RIDELINES - MTB Tuition@ Glentress Forest, Tweed Valley
G-FORM ENJOYRO 2018
TweedLove Islabikes Family Day 2018
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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