The Great British Mountain Bike Trail Guide

FACILITIES

Car park and charges: Yes; charges apply

Cafe: No

Toilets: Yes

Showers: No

Bike wash: No

Nearest bike shop: I-Cycles, 4 Traquair Road, Innerleithen, Peebleshire, EH44 6PD (01896 833848)

Bike hire: Alpine Bikes, Neidpath Church Building, Peebles Road, Innerleithen, EH44 6QX (01896 830880)

Accommodation: B&Bs, hotels, camping and self-catering accommodation in and around the Tweed Valley area.

Other trails on site: Downhill tracks, permissive paths and forest tracks.

Ordnance Survey map: Explorer 337.

ENJOYMENT FOR SKILL LEVEL

Beginner: 3/10

Intermediate: 6/10

Advanced: 10/10

Getting there: From Edinburgh, take the A703 to Peebles. Turn left at the roundabout in Peebles and head east on the A72 towards Galashiels. You will pass Glentress Forest on your left. When you come in to Innerleithen, take a right turn just after the Co-Op sign posted to the trails. The car park is just out of town over the bridge on your left.

Grid ref: NT 33584 35809

Sat nav: EH44 6PD

More info: www.7stanesmountainbiking.com; www.upliftscotland.com

TRAIL 1

On-site grade: Red

Clive’s grade: Red with Black sections

Distance: 18.5km

Technicality: 8/10

Ascent: 585m

ENJOYMENT FOR SKILL LEVEL

Beginner: 3/10

Intermediate: 6.5/10

Advanced: 9/10

Innerleithen has been home to mountain bike race events for years. It’s hosted national championships and regional races for over two decades. The hill has also featured in many DVDs and regular uplifts provide all important practice time to enthusiastic racers and amateurs alike.

The Red XC trail has to be one of the toughest of the 7stanes mountain bike trails. The trail is a simple climb up to the top of Minch Moor and return via a long descent with short bits of climbing and traversing.

From the car park, follow the outbound trail, crossing over the country lane and turning right, then climbing up next to a fence. Be careful as this area gets very busy: this is where the downhill trails all finish. You will switchback up the hillside with fields to your right. The gradient here is quite steep and there is no easy way other than walking to deal with this section of trail.

Up in the treeline the trail levels out and follows a double track that continues to climb. After approximately 500m you will leave the double track and turn left into a single-track trail that climbs up and switches its way around the hillside. Throughout this section you will encounter rocks in the trail that you have to ride up onto and over. Many of these now have desire lines around them, which you can opt for if you feel the gradient is too challenging.

You will join a forest road, taking a right then taking a slight descent before branching off to the left and climbing on more single track. Further along this section of trail you will descend ever so slightly – don’t be fooled into thinking the climb is over as you will soon be back into the world of burning thighs. Partway up the climb you will come across a disused quarry. Here the trail drops through a series of switchbacks into the quarry. The surface here is a very rough and loose.

The exit to the quarry section has various option lines, all of which are quite steep and will bring you out on a forest road. When you join the forest road take a left turn and continue to climb upwards. This forest road comes out into the open and traverses around the hillside – you will have wonderful views out to your right. This section leads you to the next piece of single track which will be on your left-hand side. You will pass over an old dry stone wall as you enter this section of trail. Beyond the wall get ready for technical rock sections and plenty more climbing.

Throughout this next section you will cross over a forest road and at a right-hand switchback you have the option to take a shortcut, missing out the top of the hill. This can be advisable on very windy days.

Beyond the right-hand switchback the trail will eventually come out into the open as you traverse across Minch Moor. The gradient up here is not as bad as the start of the climb and you will arrive at the summit cairn in no time. On a clear day, the views up here are spectacular: you have a 360° panorama of the Scottish Borders.

You will now begin to descend the open hillside. The initial part of the downhill has a smooth surface but in some of the corners it can get quite loose. The first section of the downhill is pretty uneventful and will lead you to the Southern Upland Way. Cross the Southern Upland Way and drop into a newly built section. Throughout this section of trail you will come cross rocky drops, jumps and bermed corners. Some of these features you really have to work for and others you will seem to float over with little effort.

This section links into a narrow single-track trail. The trees here have recently been clear-felled and this has dramatically changed the overall feel of this section. The trail levels out before you start to descend down towards a forest road, Take care through this section as the speed is quite high and there is a wooden pinch fence to slow you down onto the forest road.

Turn left onto the forest road and traverse around the hillside, dropping down and climbing up slightly. The next section of single track will be on your right-hand side. This is a fantastic piece of trail with great features. There are some good technical rock sections and if you fancy an even greater challenge partway down you can take a right turn and join a Black-graded section.

Both the Red and Black trails are rough and feel very natural. The lower part of this descent is bench cut into the hillside and you will have to navigate multiple rock drops and switchback turns. The trail then starts to climb uphill slightly and will join a forest road. Take care on the weekends as this forest road is used to uplift the downhill riders so you may come across vehicles.

Follow the forest road straight on, passing a large quarry on your left and traverse around the hillside, climbing up slightly. You will arrive at the top of the last descent clearly marked with good signage and large rocks.

This section of trail, named Caddon Bank, really does push the grade into the next level. Full of large rock drops, the surface is loose and there are many blind crests to deal with. You will also find that the speed is quite high in places.

In the lower sections of the downhill there are some great opportunities to catch some air with step-downs, doubles and tabletop jumps. The final switchbacks are quite tight and are a good indicator that your descent is over. Simply cross back over the country lane and roll into the car park.

DOWNHILL TRAILS

Clive’s grade: Orange/Black

Distance: N/A

Technicality: 9/10

ENJOYMENT FOR SKILL LEVEL

Beginner: 3/10

Intermediate: 7/10

Advanced: 10/10

There are four permanent downhill tracks at Innerleithen. All of these trails have been specifically built for downhill and long travel suspension bikes. If you decide to ride them, prepare for off camber, large roots, rock gardens, drop-offs, double jumps, tabletops and a variety of trail surfaces. There is an uplift service that runs most weekends throughout the spring, summer and autumn. More information can be found at www.upliftscotland.com.

INNERLEITHEN