Tweed Valley Ability Assessor

Riding bikes in the Tweed Valley requires both skill, fitness and endurance. These valleys are steep, the trails are long and technical and if you do not have an E-Bike under your feet the climbs can be a grind, but trust us when we say every single pedal stroke getting you to the top of that hill is worth it as some of the best descents in the UK await you. 

Skills and Technical ability - 2/3

• 2 - Weekend Warrior
• You are all about charging, and you taste the dirt more often than you’d like to admit, but it’s worth it to bring a grin to your face. You’ll happily take on table tops, even attempt a short double. Small rock gardens of 2 - 5 metres in length are intimidating but you’ll try. You can handle modest roots and off-camber terrain but it takes a couple of attempts to feel confident. 
• 3 - Dedicated
• You’ve developed skills on the bike that give you confidence in most situations. Drops over 4 feet, technical rock or root sections over 5 metres in length and rooty, steep sections of trail may need a look before riding, but you’re happy to hit them. Jumping and being in the air is comfortable. You have good knowledge of your body position on the bike and are comfortable shifting your weight about to get the bike moving should you find yourself in a tricky situation
   

Fitness - 3

• 3 - Dedicated
• You’d be able to ride most of the day, pedalling up a local trail centre to get to the descents if there’s no space on the uplift. You’ll finish the day tired but you could do it all again tomorrow. Your palms have the start of tell-tale callouses of someone who loves to ride whenever they can.
   

The best bike for the Tweed Valley, regardless of the location you are riding in is 100% a modern Trail or Enduro bike with 140mm - 180mm travel front a rear. If you are riding the Glentress Trail centre you can get away with a 140mm bike front and rear on most tracks. For the Golfie and Innerleithen, you will want 160-180mm as it is steeper and more chunky. This will keep you higher on the bike and handle the lumps and bumps better. 

We class the riding in the Tweed Valley as All Natural / Full Enduro

• All Natural
• From Single track to ridgelines, roots to rocks you are happy riding all types of terrain mostly keeping two wheels on the dirt. 

• Full Enduro
• You love technical riding, going up is good, coming down is better. Natural jumps, gaps, and transfers are all good. 
   

The next debate is do you ride an analogue or E-Bike in the Tweed Valley! Well, our two Pennys worth here is this. 

1. If you are fit and can pedal like a beast all day and are not time-restricted go Analogue 100%. The steep and technical trails reward a nimble bike that you can manhandle. 

2. If you have a lightweight E-Bike like the Specialized Levo SL and you are storng and fit... USE IT! You can do laps all day long, or at least until you have rinsed your battery. Take a range extender and drain that first then dump it at the car and ride lighter and faster again. They are still light enough to have a blast down the steepest trails and nimble enough to navigate the technical terrain. 

3. If you are recovering from injury or very time-restricted use a full-fat E-Bike but it is not our cup of tea for the mighty Tweed Valley MTB experience. 

If you are unsure of your ability and have concerns over your fitness we can answer any questions you might have. Our guides are Tweed Valley locals and know this area inside out, they are also professional coaches and we can tailor any private or single group tours to fit your ability and requests. Mixed groups are harder but we do try as we go. Any questions please use the contact us form below and one of our friendly team will get back to you asap.