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We're up there early April for a few reasons, but 2 of the main ones are the SDA race at Innerleithen and some riding for a couple of days after.
To keep things simple i was thinking of using https://www.adrenalinuplift.co.uk/innerleithen which seems to take you to Matador, Gold Run, Cresta Run etc trails.
However looking at the videos they seem a bit on the insane side of things for me personally, although the boy would love them (and may be racing one or more of them that weekend anyway i think).
The reason for thinking of the Uplift is that it means we only need to take 2 manual bikes for the trip, if we pedal/eeb we'd be taking more as he wouldn't race DH on anything other than his Session of course.
We're only staying for 2-3 days after the racing and probably only riding on the Monday (which is a day they run uplift too)
So any thoughts appreciated please.
We will be coming back later in the year for longer potentially as just a me and boy trip and purely for riding, but this one is a race/family one so needs to be planned accordingly.
I did a day uplift at Inners on the way back from the Cairngorms a while back. Due to a persistent flat I didn't do as much as I wanted so headed to Golfie in the evening to get some proper mileage in.
The Golfie was far better, even having to cycle up the hills rather than sit in a bus. The trails were much better defined. Inners was just a brown trashed hillside with no actual defined route and hence no real line. ( I exaggerate for effect, but the point still stands)
(Xxxc sheep excepted)
Not sure what the question is...
Are the trails suitable for you? They're all pretty steep and tech, but from the lift can you can also do Angry Sheep and Green Wing to warm up / ease you in. You can lap those with a short climb back up - no need for an uplift.
Edit: As thegeneralist says, Golfie probably better.
Don't know your fitness & tech levels or willingness to climb.
You know you can cycle to the top of trails without an e-bike, don't you?
Uplift is fun but to get value out of it I think you need to be riding lots of the trails and, you are right, most of them are techy and steep, too much so for me. Golfie has more variety of trail, you can ride to the top and it is certainly where I would be spending my time if I only had one day (and I don't have an e-bike). Also, it is where you go to ride Flat White which is an absolute work of art.
You know you can cycle to the top of trails without an e-bike, don’t you?
Yes, however that means taking extra bikes, we've already got a full van of stuff like gazebos, tables, chairs, tools, kit etc... so the uplift idea means we can take less bikes as he'd then ride the same bike on the Monday as he will have at the weekend.
We have Ebike options (i can borrow a Rail for 1 of us, the other would use our Rise)
It sounds like heading to Golfie is a better plan though based upon the replies ... Which as i say does mean additional bikes, but isn't impossible.
To keep things simple i was thinking of using https://www.adrenalinuplift.co.uk/innerleithen which seems to take you to Matador, Gold Run, Cresta Run etc trails.
Yes, but there are so many more trails in between them, e.g. 39 Steps, Past Blast.
Cresta is fun and easier than the other main DH trails too.
If you do the push up, the top bits from the start hut are really good - plus you can push along the firebreak to Alastair Lees and Quarry Trail - both are brilliant and less steep.
And - as above - you can roll back down from the drop off for Angry Sheep, Green Wing and (my fave) Salmon's Journey.
If you're on the uplift, you can turn left at the bottom of these and traverse a bit then head down the trails to the pickup point.
Edit to add: You can have a really good day on the uplift and accessing less severe trails than the Golfie. Just be aware it finishes at 3pm a lot of the year and the drivers have a habit of all taking lunch at the same time (FFS!)
When the off piste enduro tracks were open (before the trees came down), Innerleithen was mega. But now, I'd get pretty bored riding blown out tracks.
There is so much in the Tweed Valley to ride, Golfie is great, selection of different grade trails (easiest is probably equivalent to something like ski run at FOD). Glentress has a ton of off piste stuff to explore, none of it is murder death kill like golfie can be. Then there are other places, but given you are only there for a few days, that'd be one for another time.
If you are clever with route planning, you can avoid doing a full ascent of Golfie, which is 45mins on a manual bike.
Adrenaline uplift is good for what they do, used them quite a few times now. Yes, the trails are looking rough now and it's a bit of a rabbit warren with all the trails on the hill, (can be difficult to stay on the same trail). Shame that forestry aren't allowing the uplift to maintain trails like they want to do. Would be good practise for your lad if he's going to be racing there later. If you had a few day's up here I would do a day at the uplift and a day at the golfie personally speaking
Would be good practise for your lad if he’s going to be racing there later
Racing will be done before the family stuff. We're coming up on the Thur/Fri, racing is over the weekend, then it's family stuff for a few days. Yes practice before would be nice, but he's got school.
Inners was just a brown trashed hillside with no actual defined route and hence no real line. ( I exaggerate for effect, but the point still stands)
Sadly true, it’s a right warren of crisscrossing trails and a bit of a nightmare if you don’t know the best ways to string them together. At least they all arrive in the same place.
I think you’d probably have an ‘ok’ day, but not your best day riding ever. There are plenty of non-wild ways down. Green Wing and Angry Sheep being good options, but not in a great position for getting back to the Uplift (especially as Caddon Bank is shit)
I concur with much of what has been said. The easier trails such as a dry sheep, Salmons Journey etc are nice warm ups as with a bit of easy fire road you can ride round and to the last descent on the red trail which is a fun flowy trail. The rest are all in the steep and tech camp and they cross over so much you can easily not ride the same route down even if you planned to as they are so intertwined and not clear which is which once your on them.
Sadly true, it’s a right warren of crisscrossing trails and a bit of a nightmare if you don’t know the best ways to string them together. At least they all arrive in the same place.
This does have the advantage that if you don't like the look of that bit of trail you can just traverse a bit more until there's one you fancy. After a few runs it gets much easier to judge.
not in a great position for getting back to the Uplift (especially as Caddon Bank is shit)
It's OK once in the day as a challenge to keep your speed up.
But there's always Date Night instead if you want something more challenging 😉
Accommodation booked in Peebles now.
If anyone fancies riding 7/8th April do shout
Anyone who fancies coming to watch the racing, we'll have beer/food.
If you fancy having your brains picked about Peebles/Inners/etc over a beer anytime then we'll be about.
I'm guessing you won't be riding until the Mon/Tues. It's not too hard to ride up to Angry sheep and Green Wing if you have the time over the weekend but for Mon/Tues I'd head to the Golfie. You don't have to ride all the way to the bottom and back up again. You can do something like NYNY then head back up to do Repeat Offender/Wardell way. I'll be interested to see how Flat White holds up, it's getting a lot of traffic but there's so much good riding at the Golfie it's no big deal if you can't ride one or two trails. My other tip would be to get some pizzas and go to Durty Brewing next to the Traquair Arms, that's our usual post Friday night ride ritual.
My other tip would be to get some pizzas and go to Durty Brewing next to the Traquair Arms, that’s our usual post Friday night ride ritual.
I like the sound of that for sure. I'll get Mrs Weeksy to drive back to Peebles that night 🙂
Thanks for the tips all, it's starting to form into a proper plan now.
I might live to regret this but **** it anyway...
Before i moved up here i had a few locals show us round when we used to come up on holiday.
As gratitude to that and the generally friendly vibe in the valley I've repaid it many times over showing folks round now I live here.
So carrying on with that theme I'd be willing to show you* round anywhere in the valley but you'll have to pedal up as i'm not a fan of the uplift bus.
*or anyone else .
Just to throw my hat into the ring:
The Official DH trails (Gold / Cresta / Matador) aren't actually *that* spicy. There are some (non mandatory - there are chicken runs) massive drops on the top of Matador, and some of the exits onto the fire-roads mid hill are wee steep rocky/rooty chute things.
The steepest entrance to middle matador (I think) is also absolutely insane imo so most people use the easier one further down. But on the whole, they're less steep than the golfie - just your standard rooty chunky bumpy stuff. Fairly tattered and blown out. The lower Matador section is one of my favourite bits of trail actually, and I am a total bumbler.
The biggest challenges are route finding, as there are so many lines to follow that it is basically meaningless at points - it is easy to miss your turning and end up on something that turns into nothing. Also, another challenge is fearless 16 years olds on DH bikes coming down after you.
Angry Sheep and (my favourite) Green Wing are awesome fun too, which are like a 20 second freewheel down from the turning circle.
Almost feels like an STW Golfie ride, pizza and pub coming together...
In my opinion, the valley has so much to offer that you would be mad to miss it so you can use the uplift. Take the offer for somebody to show you around, even if it involves pushing up for the odd bit.
A day's uplift and next day at Golfie would be great. I'd skive off work to come along to that! 🙂
I’d be willing to show you* round anywhere in the valley
Whislt we've not exactly seen eye to eye in the past, i don't get the impression either of us are complete ar53holes, so sure, that'd be lovely. We'll likely bring 2 eebs for the day riding so we can maximise the time on tracks rather than killing ourselves pedalling.
🙂
Just bring a pedal bike.
The hills aren't that big. 😉
Just bring a pedal bike.
I was more worried for you than i was for me 😉
Euain, more than happy to have you (and the lad too if you want) along (and anyone else).
Like i say, we're in Peebles for the weekend and until Wed morning, so more than happy to hook up with anyone for beers/pizza/riding/whatever. Apart from the fact that Fri afternoon we'll be on track walk, then Sat and Sun daytime we'll be at the races. Anyone who wants to come heckle him gets free beer 😀
Eeb? All the cool kids are on hardtails.
I can promise you this, i won't be on a HT. I'll be on the Fuel, if we're pedalling, he'll be on the Fuel too.
I've booked him the uplift for the Fri so he can get a bit of race practice, they usually tape it well in advance so it should be on the track he'll be racing on Sunday. But will be good to get used to the terrain anyway even if it's not taped fully.
After Sunday we're completely free for riding on Mon/Tue. I'll ping the thread back up a little closer to the time.
If you're staying in Peebles you could do worse then ride up past the Hydro and the old-cabins to the Mast at GT and descend one of the off-piste trails then circle back up and run onto the new stuff, drop in to the cafe and then take the cycleway to Cadrona and climb up thru to the top of Gypsy Glen and descend back into Peebles (if time, a detour to Cademuir).
Eeb? All the cool kids are on
hardtails.
Rigid singlepeeds
So the plans changed a bit on this and we're not staying as long as we'd planned initially. It was a plan of Uplift practice for him Fri, then race stuff Sat and Sun, then riding till Weds. But now we're heading home Monday morning.
So the only chance i have to ride is Fri and booking the uplift as i'll want to be in the same place as him in case of any issues with him/bike. So really my only 2 options are taking the uplift on Fri or not actually taking my bike.
I do worry a little as it's the day before race weekend anything i'm riding will as you say have 40 teens on DH bikes ploughing after me at warp speed. LOL.
Don't forget sun cream and you might want mud tyres for the dust. You'll be able to do a few good runs of Angry Sheep and Green Wing, away from the downhill runs but just down from the drop off point.
I've done an uplift there on a Friday before a race and most tracks were deserted so it was easy enough to stay out of the way.
Don't forget sun cream and you might want mud tyres for the dust. You'll be able to do a few good runs of Angry Sheep and Green Wing, away from the downhill runs but just down from the drop off point.
That's interesting, i've just removed the Arogtal in favour of a Kryptotal on the front.
I've done an uplift there on a Friday before a race and most tracks were deserted so it was easy enough to stay out of the way.
awesome, that may change things a little. Thanks.
I'm booked on the uplift on Friday to get my fix in before a weekend as a commissaire, look for an old bloke on a dark blue Yeti and say hello!
There should be plenty options to ride outside of the course, as others have said, its a warren
I'm booked on the uplift on Friday to get my fix in before a weekend as a commissaire, look for an old bloke on a dark blue Yeti and say hello!
There should be plenty options to ride outside of the course, as others have said, its a warren
Hey mate, if you want a wobbler with you for some of it then i've just booked myself on. I'll be on an orangey/teracotta type Trek Fuel. I believe there's another STWer booked on possibly with some mates too.
p.s thanks tonnes for the work as a Comm, you guys really do an amazing job.
I'll be out marshalling at the weekend, the valley is ridiculously dry going on crumbly and skiddy at the moment, fantastic conditions. Depending on what they tape out the bottom of the hill could be pretty sketchy as it goes crumbliest, but further up could be prime blown-out rock hard innerleithen solving-all-problems-by-just-smashing-into-them conditions. I'm guessing for first race of the year it might be yet another crestador variant but they only do it because it works so well.
@mtnboarder didn't know you were a comm! Top work, thanks for making things possible.
I'll have a coldbox with some beers in Northwind, you're more than welcome to stop by for one.
@mtnboarder didn't know you were a comm! Top work, thanks for making things possible.
Just a trainee for now, its good fun and a bit more involved than marshalling..
Looks like a good field with some big names, and the global debut of the Aon team at a race event too
You'll be able to do a few good runs of Angry Sheep and Green Wing, away from the downhill runs but just down from the drop off point.
It'd be such a shame and not very good use of the uplift either to do that.
The whole hill is ram packed full of great trail you can mix and match all the way down and end up back at the bus.
It'd be such a shame and not very good use of the uplift either to do that.
They're alright for a warm up, or a bit of a change, but I much prefer Salmon's Journey next to them. It might even be fully dry at the mo.
Highlight of my last Inners ride was the 2-part Quarry trail (accessed from the push up, and along the fire break).
I dunno- a lap of Angry Sheep, quick climb up to Bye Driver followed by Deer Hunter or Date Night is always a good use of the last run before the drivers lunch break
a good use of the last run before the drivers lunch break
Yeah fine when there's no more uplifts on offer for a while but to suggest laps of AS and GW is leaving you with a pedal along and up a fireroad however you look at it.
That and the fact neither of them are particularly good enough trails to want to ride multiple times when there's so much more on offer that doesn't require any pedaling to speak of.
I'm sure the OP will have a great time though whatever he does or doesn't ride.
Very true- hadn't picked up on that bit!
a good use of the last run before the drivers lunch break
Yeah fine when there's no more uplifts on offer for a while but to suggest laps of AS and GW is leaving you with a pedal along and up a fireroad however you look at it.
That and the fact neither of them are particularly good enough trails to want to ride multiple times when there's so much more on offer that doesn't require any pedaling to speak of.
GW and AS followed by the red/rooty bank are a great way to get used to riding the off piste in the valley without the worry of getting lost in the warren of trails on the DH side and ending up on something difficult. They're usually not all that busy either and the traversing fire road climb is very easy.
neither of them are particularly good enough
There's always one.
You missed a bit in your quote there.
Like about 90% of what I actually said.
Oh my. Well this place is incredibly tough for me!!!
Going to try and find angry sheep this run. I did 1/2 Cresta and some Matador then back to Cresta. I need big boy pants and don't have them
Did you find it or your large pants then?
Did you find it or your large pants then?
I found the easier trails and stuck to them. I'd like to say if I wasn't riding solo or on my best day I could have ridden more, but in truth I'd need to work up to it. I was steeper and trickier than I'm used to.
One thing I've learned in last 5 years is to ride what you like, there's no hero points.
Maybe next time or next life, but deffo not yesterday.
It can be an eye opener round here for a first timer.
You'd actually be surprised how quick to get immune to it.
Fear not though there's always something new to get the buzz back.
I know you were out of your depth but you had a brief go and if you come back again you might be less phased by it all.
Though i am surprised that with all the places you've been with your lad that you though the trails you tried were that difficult apart from the bigger jumps.
Yeah maybe. But in truth, it's likely to be a fair while. My own riding isn't really my priority in terms of location and it was only circumstance that brought me here as the boy was looking at the college.
Next year we're unlikely to do the same race. However that doesn't mean we've not enjoyed the place as it's been lovely here.
It's a beautiful place at this time of year when the sun's out that's for sure.