went a spin around innerliethen xc route today with friend paul,innerliethen forest is more famous for being the home of down hill racing here in the UK,situated 4 miles from glentress in the tweed vally both centres are classed as one in the 7 stanes mountainbike centres...the xc loop is basicaly all up to the minchmoor summit then all down with some optional red or black routes which rejoin for the gran finally of Caddon Bank..a descent that if your not smiling after then you should take up some other hobbie!... the xc climb passes the red bull downhill track..here is the matador drop-around 7 feet... which drops to the ski jump and doubles...where i fractured my skull 5 years ago... pictures dont show how steep this hill is... the xc trail has some nice technical features to keep you interested and your mind off the climbing... eventully we reach the minchmoor summit with great 360 views in good weather and then an amazing descent awaits... helmet camera was mounted pointing down too much for these films...also cant seem to get a rear facing camera working...last try it filmed sky and tree tops...this time my back pack covered half the picture so will make a seatpost mount...
scotland isnt that big a country...you can drive from here in the south east corner to the north west coast in 5 hours easy...but it has alot to offer for offroad cycling,for myself owning a surly pugsley there`s the beaches and coast,then all the miles of natural trails created by walkers/sheep/cattle and all the recorded old historic rights of way,the old unmaintained roads...and in the last 10 years trail centres... for those non mountainbikers reading trail centres are specific offroad cycling centres with purpose built manmade all weather tracks only open to cyclists and are usually loops of various lenghts and degrees of difficulty...from easy green to blue then longer red and black routes... trails are signed and numbered and have a specific name (spooky woods, pie run etc...) and theres escape routes- signs leading back to the shop and carpark if you`ve had enough...there is also many natural trails between the official trails so all routes can be mixed up... most centres are on forestry commission woodland and have climbs followed by descents.. with no other traffic,one way direction,and purpose built there probably the safest place to ride fast...glentress is regaurded as the biggest and most popular centre of the 7 stanes centres in the south of scotland...and being all weather means trails are built on top of existing ground and drained so ridable all year round except deep snow/slush like this winter with the unusual snowfall...there is a big popularity with trail centres as they are ideal for folk who just want to drive, get in a 2-4 hour ride, then eat and go home- not everyone likes having to plan routes and sometimes ending up hiking along/up an unridable hillside that looked promising on a map beforehand,(though i do like it...as long as im outside...)also they save damage done to sensitive areas which can get overused in wet weather, i hear this alot about the pentland hills near edinburgh... there is also other centres across the rest of scotland similar to GT with a similar set up...laggan wolf tracks and nevis range and my favpourite in the highlands is the highland wildcat trails at golspie... it has a long climb thats technical in places but a great 25 minute descent... here at GT the red route is swoopy and bermed with table top type jumps you can jump or roll...while the longer black route is a bit more natural in places and provides more of a cardio workout...most folk wear knee and elbow armour if they like to get some airtime on the jumps of the freeride park and red route... but armour isnt nessecery if you keep your wheels on the ground and either is an expensive bike...a good thing about cycling is you can do it to suit your budget...and cycling is a great leveller... and unlike many hobbies there is little snobbery and most folk are real friendly and helpfull if you need advice on getting started... along the road is innerliethen centre which has a cracking more technical xc route with a long climb followed by amazing descents... i prefer innerliethen but GT has more of a social feel to it and a good place to meet up with friends and chat while riding..up and down hills!... with the cafe which does top grub and a friendly bike shop... here are some films of some descents at GT last saturday... camera was set a bit low today as giro helmet was moving with the bumps and the squeaky noise is 3M snap velcro! so in future will use the jump lid which has the proper camera mount fitted with counter wieght and is more steady...
super G & hit squad hill...(red xc route)...bit mud on lense so did not upload to vimeo or youtube,but gives an idea of the trail... click on thumbnail to watch...
double X & the bitch...(black xc route)
pie run & magic mushroom...(red xc route) uploaded to vimeo...
some healthy food for energy for the weekend... a good nights sleep then after a big breakfast take this... on a 50 minute drive on quiet scenic backroads down to the scottish borders... to glentress...and meet old friends... ride the wheels off your bike...and do a bit of this for 3 hours.... click on thumbnail for minute film... catch up with other folk through the day and new friends at the cafe where you can scoff lots of nice food and mugs of tea then home for more food!... go for a wee walk after dinner and watch a nice sunset... then sit in front of a nice fire... and enjoy some of this... sleep well then after another big breakfast go for a ride on local trails to the beach on the pugsley... enjoy yourself...even though high tide... and soak up the scenery... ride home and was pugsley,wash clothes and crash out in hot bath for a good hour... spend evening lying in front of fire listening to favourite music and reading... a lovely weekend...except missing the owner of these...
I live in East Lothian, S.E. Scotland.
I fill my time with my hobbies, interests and passions. Often cycling along the coast here. I ride steel bikes with big wheels, I like to enjoy all interests of the coast, Its scenery, wildlife, local history, with my other interests in art and music when out and about...
I was diagnosed with Relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis in August 2018, it`s early days but i plan to continue to live my life as i have and show that having a medical condition like MS does not mean you need to stop enjoying your life,
Please excuse the bad grammar, i am working on it!
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