The Tweed Valley is an incredible mountain bike destination and so is our Glentress MTB & Tweed Valley Coaching Tour. If you're looking to advance your riding skills from an intermediate level, riding blue and red trails to more advanced terrain this could be the perfect coaching weekend for you. The Tweed Valley and the trail centres of Glentress, the Golfie and many more provide an incredible platform for development, allowing you to work your way up as you feel comfortable.
This tour is designed around coaching and progression, and while you will still ride some of the best trails in the area, anyone wishing to experience everything that the Tweed Valley can throw at you (laps, laps and more laps!) should consider booking our standard Tweed Valley tour
The Tweed Valley is a mountain bike mecca, with famous trails such as Ho Chi Minh, 3G, Flat White, Spooky Wood and so many more! These trails have multiple features, challenges and terrain that create the perfect coaching environment. The Tweed Valley's trail network is vast you can easily spend hours searching and questioning your trail choices, this trip takes all the guessing out whilst improving your skills and enjoyment on the bike. What's Included
- 3 days of guided riding in the Tweed Valley
- 3 days of coaching
- 3 Nights hotel accommodation in twin rooms with bar, restaurant and terrace
- Hearty, cooked breakfasts with local ingredients
- Secure bike storage, bike wash down station and works area with stand, brushes, tools and pump.
- £10 from every booking will be donated to the Tweed Valley Trail Association for maintaining these amazing trails and working on the development of the area!
You can expect between 500 - 800 metres of climbing per day but don't worry, the descents are worth every pedal stroke and we will stop multiple times for snacks, coaching, lunch and some proper MTB chats
With the ultimate MTB accommodation and some of the best guides/coaches in the business we have created an awesome long weekend riding bikes in Scotland! Join us and let our guides show you the very best of the Tweed Valley, improve your skills and confidence on the bike and then relax in our amazing hotel accommodation and drink a beer whilst the sun goes down from the bar balcony!
The weather and conditions will have a huge bearing on what we can do – the itinerary is likely to change from day to day to make sure we make the most from the riding and terrain available to us. Everyone knows you can experience four seasons in one day in Scotland so as long as we are prepared with the right kit and mentality it will be an amazing trip!
Facilities
BOOKING DEPOSIT REQUIRED
To secure your place on the Glentress MTB & Tweed Valley Tour A 30% per person booking deposit is required. Deposits are non-refundable and the full balance is due 5 weeks before your arrival in Scotland.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
If you snore, prefer your own privacy or simply want to spread out and would like your own room there is a single occupancy option for your own room. This depends on availability and is limited to a certain number of rooms per property per week.
If this is of interest then please contact us for prices, your deposit will then be calculated at 30% of your total holiday cost.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
This is our sample itinerary, it can change due to several factors but should give you a good idea of what the trip entails.
If you wish to stay at the accommodation the night before the trip starts as you have travelled far or like to have a liein we can do this for you no problem. Please just let us know.
Day 0
Arrive - Check into your accommodation from 3 pm (arrive earlier and park up) and go for a spin at Glentress if you so wish, the trails are out of the door and Murray the hotel owner will be happy to point you in the right direction. Get back, check-in, shower, have a beer and some food and chill out before the real action starts on day 1.
Day 1
Glentress - Your guide will meet you at 9 am at the hotel and you will be pedalling straight out of the accommodation, into the Glentress trail centre within seconds. A 20-minute pedal up to the Buzzards nest through the forest is first. Getting up to speed and feeling comfortable on your bikes is the aim of the morning as our guides assess your ability. We will have time to discuss any initial coaching bits people want to work on before lunch. After lunch, we will ride a mixture of trail centre trails with coaching stops covering key aspects for progression and talking about common mistakes that can hold us back. As the day progresses, we will be looking at some of the technical aspects that may be causing concerns and introducing you to the skills, knowledge and techniques that will give you the confidence to tackle your next level, whatever that may be.
Day 2
After a superb breakfast and a quick chat we will head back up into the Glentress Trail centre, we will re-cap some of the bits we learnt on day 1 and then ride a few trails to get up to speed and feel that confidence once again on the bike. After a few runs, we will again get stuck into some more coaching focusing on some more technical skills and features on the trail and how to navigate those features safely. Confidence is key and we will help you understand why certain skills help in different situations. For lunch, we will ride down into the town of Peebles. Time to refuel, relax and digest the morning. After lunch, we will head up to a new riding area called Cademuir where the terrain is much more natural where we will begin to work on some more technical skills.
Day 3
The Golfie - The iconic trails of the Golfie will be on the hit list in the morning but do not worry, we will be riding the more mellow trails on this infamous hill but that doesn't mean your skills on the bike won't be pushed after all that is why you are here. We will show you different lines and the various ways you can tackle a trail to maintain speed, smooth it out and ride faster whilst feeling safe and in control. The afternoon has two options, more off-piste treats and one of the longest trails in the valley, feed the Pony or a 2hr natural enduro loop with amazing views of the valley and something new. The weekend ends with a quick dip in the river if you are brave enough and we send you on your merry way. Looking to finish up around 3 pm to give everyone time to make it home, if you wish to stay on Sunday night we can arrange this.
TRAVEL
If you are planning to self-drive there is parking at the accommodation and as we will be based here for the duration of the trip your car will be safe and secure without the need to be moved.
If you are flying up to us then the closest airport is Edinburgh just under 1 hrs drive.
Our nearest railway station is Borders Railway in Galashiels, just 18 miles away.
ABILITY ASSESSOR
- Advised bike - Any well-looked-after full suspension bike. 140-170mm.
- Fitness - 2*
- Skills and Technical ability - 2*
- Riding Style - All Natural / Spirit of Adventure
The riding standard and fitness level required to join this trip is intermediate. You will be able to pedal 500+ M in a day and are confident riding blue trails and also happy on some red trails. You are happy riding berms and small drops no more than 2ft.
HOLIDAY INSURANCE
It is essential and a required part of your booking process that you have holiday insurance in place for your trip that covers medical and personal accidents and all the activities including mountain biking you will take part in.
We have worked with Yellow Jersey Cycle Insurance for the past 3 years now and feel they offer the perfect Travel and Bike insurance package. All Atlas Ride Co clients also receive a 10% discount on their Mountain Bike and Travel policies. Your discount code will be in your booking confirmation.
KIT LIST
Kit List - The weather can be very varied in Scotland so we need to be prepared.
- Water and snacks – gels, energy bars, flapjacks, jelly babies
- Mini pump for your valve type
- 2 inner tubes - Scotland is very rocky!
- Tube patches (preferably self-adhesive)
- Tyre plugs if tubeless
- Tyre levers
- Multi-tool
- 1 set of spare brake pads
- Rear gear hanger for your bike - essential
- Cable ties
- Duct tape (we suggest wrapping 1m around your pump)
- Power link for your chain type and speed
- Mobile phone - in a waterproof case or plastic bag
- Small personal first aid kit if you have one
- Insect repellent (we recommend Smidge)
- Sun screen
- Any medication you need Recommended clothing
Recommended Clothing
- Helmet – Full face is recommended but a decent open face is also acceptable, the choice is yours.
- Knee pads
- Windproof jacket
- Waterproof jacket
- Insulated jacket or warm emergency layer
- Riding glasses
- Gloves (worth having a spare pair if it’s wet)
- Waterproof socks
- Chamois cream if you use it
Your guides will carry
- Pliers
- Chain splitter
- Emergency spokes
- Spoke key
- Adjustable spanner
- Cassette tool and chain wrench
- Shock pump
- Puncture and tubeless repair kits
- Small bottle of chain lube
- Spare chain links/joining pins
- Assorted nuts and bolts
- Emergency shelter
- Emergency blanket
- Warm insulated jacket
- First aid kit
- Maps
- Compass
- GPS
- Mobile phones
- VHF radio
OUR GUIDES
Meet Craig, a Tweed Valley local, level 3 guide and retired fireman. This man loves nothing more than charging the steep and technical descents of the valley on his hardtail ( he's made from granite ) but don't let that fool you into thinking he's a slouch on the up's..oh no. He knows the valley inside out and has a few stories up his sleeve also. An awesome guide who will instal confidence in you through your trip!
Reviews
Just home from the Tweed Valley Enduro Long Weekend with Atlas Ride Co. Wow what a weekend. Epic riding, superb guides, great accommodation and some more epic riding. A superb intro to the Tweed Valley and the riding on offer at Glentress, The Golfie and Innerleithen. Rich and The Atlas Ride Co team are superb - helpful, knowledgeable and responsive and Murray and the Team at Glentress Hotel were brilliant. Thoroughly recommended.
Adam S.
Me and 8 friends booked our trip to the tweed valley through Atlas Ride Co and could 't be happier. The hotel was spot on and so was the food. The rides were absolutely brilliant the guides took on what we liked and pushed us out of our comfort zone a little to improve our riding. The golfie was definitely the highlight of the trip!
Ryan C.
Recently returned and Well!!! the 6 of us had a great experience with Atlas Ride Co at the Glentress Hotel, I've stayed with them a few times before in Morzine they've always looked after us really professional, We had great guides that showed us all the local off Piste trails with lots technical stuff too. They tailored our riding perfectly would defiantly go again next year, Brilliant keep up the good work Guys.
Brian M.
Property gallery
Booking and Availability
Please select your desired date below to start the booking process. We also offer several Tweed Valley E-MTB tour dates so please check if the normal bike tour dates don't work for you.
We have many groups and individuals that wish to ride this incredible destination so please book live below or send an enquiry form to us with your preferred dates regardless of the numbers in your party and we will do the rest to make the trip happen. We have a long waiting list and a little flexibility can make all the difference.
PRIVATE GROUPS - Please contact us for a custom tour on a specific date and one of our team will get back to you ASAP!
Gary T
Sat, 09/11/2021 - 11:33
Absolutely brilliant experience. The accommodation (Ravenscraig guest house) and food was spot on for both quality and the location. Bike security and facilities for wash and repair was excellent. Our guide, Mike Wilkes couldn’t have done a better job of informing and including all the riders in our group. The routes ticked all the boxes and the trails and views will be memories to last a lifetime. Bought the ticket, had a great ride😁👍
Nick Akroyd
Sun, 10/18/2020 - 22:39
Fantastic week of riding in Finale Ligure. Top class guiding, excellent hosting, nothing was too much trouble for the MTB Beds team. Will definitely use again.