Tweed Valley MTB

The Tweed Valley has grown in popularity in recent years and an impressive local infrastructure has been built up alongside the trails to support the influx of riders from bike shops to guiding companies and trail associations also. The Tweed Valley Trail Association play a huge part in managing the trails and raising funds to ensure this destination continues to grow in a sustainable way. We firmly believe the Tweed Valley is the ultimate UK mountain bike holiday and the perfect substitute for an MTB holiday in the Alps. 

The Tweed Valley has also hosted several rounds of the Enduro World Series (EDR), with the events taking place in renowned mountain biking locations such as Glentress Forest, Innerleithen MTB and the Golfie. These rounds are part of a global series that consists of multiple races held in different countries each year and have provided huge exposure for the Tweed Valley. 

The Tweed Valley is built up of several different mountain bike locations including Glentress, Innerleithen, The Golfie, Yair, Thornielee and Cademuir Forest. Glentress trail centre is the largest of the trail centres in the Tweed Valley. Glentress MTB Centre has a well-developed trail network consisting of over 80 kilometres (50 miles) of trails. The trails cater to different disciplines, including cross-country, downhill, enduro, and freeride. They are marked and graded according to difficulty levels, ranging from green to black, ensuring there are options for riders of varying abilities.

Some of the very best trails in Glentress include Spooky Wood, a Red grade trail, Ho Chi Min, a Black grade trail, and Thunderstruck, another Black grade trail. These trails are our personal preference and contain technical sections with rocks, drops and berms. See all Glentress trails HERE. The centre also has a cafe and ample parking at the bottom next to Alpine Bikes or halfway up the hill at the Buzzards nest. On occasion, Adrenaline Uplift also provide a shuttle service to the Buzzards nest which can save some pedalling! There is accommodation nearby to the Glentress trail centre. Glentress will also host the Enduro and Cross Country elements of the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. 

Glentress MTB Trail Centre: Location

Who should ride here: Everyone, the trails are suitable for beginners all the way up to expert riders.

What can you expect: Man-made berms, tabletop jumps and a freeride zone. Dip a little deeper and you will discover some steep and technical black local trails departing from the mast at the top! 

The trails at Innerleithen MTB Centre are focused on Downhill and Enduro, they are technical, steep and have man-made features such as jumps, gaps and berms. There are Downhill specific trails such as Gold Run, Cresta and Matador easily accessed from the Adrenaline uplift service. Adrenaline Uplift is a shuttle service that provides mountain bikers with transportation to the top of the trails in Innerleithen. Instead of having to pedal uphill, riders can take advantage of the uplift service, which saves time and energy, allowing them to focus on the thrilling descents.

The main attraction of the Innerleithen MTB trails is now the Enduro lines that are popping up all over the place, trails such as Angry Sheep, Green Wing and A Salmon's Journey are handcrafted by locals, technical single-track descents a short pedal away from the main trail centre. Innerleithen has also hosted the Enduro World Series (EDR) events on several occasions with the final stage finishing in the field next to the bike park parking.

There are no facilities at the car park but the town is only a few minutes away with some great local bike shops such as I-Cycles and The Bike Shop Innerleithen. There is a great pub in the Traquire arms and a supermarket. 

Innerleithen MTB Trail Centre: Location

Who should ride here: Experienced to advanced & expert riders

What can you expect: Downhill and Enduro trails with van and trailer uplift facilities

The Golfie also known as Caberston Forest is the most famous set of mountain bike trails in the Tweed Valley, is located on the other side of the road to the Innerleithen MTB trails and has made quite a reputation for itself over recent years hosting the Enduro World Series (EDR) and boasting some of the most technical enduro tracks in the whole valley. These trails are for advanced riders and have no grading, you choose your trail, drop in and hold on. 

Some of the most famous trails at The Golfie and in the whole Tweed Valley are located on this hillside and include New York New York, Wolves, 3G, Big Baw and Flat White. The list of incredible trails here just goes on and on. There has also been recent investment into the trails and the pedal-up track with the Tweed valley trail association raising funds to improve this across boggy land. There have also been rumours of the golf course selling up and a chair lift being installed but this is yet to be seen. There are no facilities at the Golfie trails but again the town of Innerleithen is very close by.
 

The Tweed Valley Trail Association (TVTA) is a local organization based in the Tweed Valley, It is a volunteer-led group dedicated to the development, maintenance, and promotion of mountain biking trails in the area. The TVTA's primary objective is to create and maintain sustainable mountain biking trails within the Tweed Valley region. They aim to provide a diverse range of trails that cater to different skill levels and riding preferences, including cross-country, downhill, enduro, and freeride disciplines. 

The TVTA places a strong emphasis on trail maintenance and upkeep. Volunteers from the association regularly inspect and repair trails, ensuring they remain safe, enjoyable, and sustainable. Maintenance activities include trail surface repairs, erosion control, vegetation management, and signage maintenance. You can learn more HERE

As the Tweed Valley has grown and developed into one of the best Mountain Bike destinations in the UK the infrastructure around the MTB trails has also grown, from bike shops to Guiding companies, MTB-specific accommodation and uplift centres. There really is everything you need in the Tweed Valley for a very successful trip. 

Bike shops in the Tweed Valley are plentiful with some of the best including Alpine Bikes at Glentress, Located in the trail centre at the very bottom meaning they are not far away at all if you have a mechanical issue when riding the Glentress MTB trails. If you are riding the Innerleithen or the Golfie you have a choice between I-Cycles and Ride Innerleithen. Both are excellent shops with a good stock of products and superb workshops for repair work. 

Bike hire in the Tweed Valley also presents a few options with E-MTB and analogue bikes available from E-BIKE Hire Scotland and The Bike Shop in Innerleithen. 

We have been operating Mountain bike holidays in the Tweed Valley for several years now, we use local guides who know the trails inside out and are fully qualified to guide and coach on level 3 terrain that you will encounter in the Tweed Valley. We have great relationships with accommodation providers in the valley from Hotels to Self-Catered houses and can arrange bike hire and airport transfers from Eningbrough also. If you wish to have a custom tour of the valley and explore further down the valley to Yair and Thornielee then we have vehicles and trailers to accommodate this. 

If you have any questions about Tweed Valley MTB tours please use the contact us form below and one of our friendly team will get back to you asap.