Shimano Tweedlove International – Phoenix from the flames

When the 2016 Enduro World Series calendar was announced late last year, it didn’t take long for the word to spread that there wasn’t to be a round in the tweed valley.

However, like a Phoenix from the flames, the Shimano Tweedlove International was created. Organisers, Hillside Outside Ltd are a dab-hand at organising world class events and promised to offer EWS level racing but without the formal recognition, still providing world class stages and the highest prize money seen at an Enduro event.
Once again, the event was planned for the middle weekend of Shimano Tweedlove as it did with previous EWS rounds, meant it was ideally placed to allow EWS racers to head over directly following the Irish round the previous weekend, broadening its appeal.

We sent our resident upside-down-face and his Mondraker #frankenbike to race and report…

Descending into Peebles always delivers me with a warm and homely feeling of nostalgia. I’ve visited for 4 years straight now; raced both previous EWS rounds, ridden many of the awesome and notorious trails and have a good bunch of mates who call the place home. Last year, Rach and I actually called a Peebles car park home (don’t tell the council) for a good few weeks as we trucked around as part of our year of racing and travelling in Felix – our converted Sprinter van. Additionally, Shimano Tweedlove always attracts a large percentage of the ‘racing family’ that many of us are now a part of and something that is always fun to be involved with – normally consisting of riding and chatting bikes, eating food and drinking beer.

During Shimano Tweedlove there’s a mini-Morzine feel about the place – though a less commercial feel, less braking bumps, less testosterone and generally more rain!

It was so good to see so many little rippers at the Shimano Tweedlove event Photo | Ian Linton

Local’s race on a world stage

We arrived on the Tuesday evening and headed straight to our little holiday let – slightly upgraded from the previous year’s car park hotel!

Wednesday generally consisted of drinking too much coffee; plenty of faffing; an obligatory trail inspection with my face and getting wet through to the skin – made all the better by catching up with good mates. Thursday arrived and we were quickly out for the start of official practice. As always, we had a great banter-filled crew to pedal round with –  consisting of Seb from MBUK, Ally from NZ (originally a jock!), Rach and Paul & Cat – now Peebles residents themselves.

Thursday was practice day for the steeper, gnarlier stages over on the now world-renowned Inners-face and notorious ‘golfie’ hill. These have always been a favourite of mine, loose, greasy, steep and bloody technical. Previous EWS’ have been won or lost on these hills.

Tweed green – such a cool vibe and quaint surroundings for an event, a real local’s event on a world stage Photo | Rachel Gurney

Once again, the Shimano Tweedlove organisers didn’t disappoint, with the 4 stages offering some super gnarly and technical descents as well as a good mixture of flow, if you could link it up. We had a genuinely great day re-acquainting ourselves with the Tweed valley gold and in my case, trying to stick with Seb for more than 3 corners!

Start of stage 5 – Bonewalker, or to those in the know – Jawbone into Walkerburn gnar fest!

Whilst the Glentress stages were generally less steep and techie than the Inners stages, there were still plenty of awkward sections with steep bits thrown in and some long sustained minutes pain! The winners of this day would be those who could keep the power down and play a tactical game – not blowing up. Another great variety of stages, and we were all glad to finish slightly earlier today to rest up in the beer garden, ready for a big weekend on the bike. All in all, the weekend was due rack up a total of 77km and just over 2000m of climbing – ooosh!
Friday also saw the erection of the event village, once again located on the green itself and consisting of all the usual faces and some new ones. It’s a very personal and friendly set-up with plenty of good quality food stalls and local beer brewers as well as various brands and bike companies, a real good mix and perfect for chilling and whiling away a few hours talking bikes.

Whilst there were plenty of pro’s at Shimano Tweedlove like Cube’s sensational racer Greg Callaghan, not everyone was taking it seriously Photo | Ian Linton

Typically Scottish – mixed conditions

Saturday – Glentress race day – and the weather was good!

This was a real lung buster – more about keeping speed without blowing up too soon. But still having to maintain the ability to ride steep techie sections whilst breathing through your backside. Real enduro.

A safe day on the bike today saw me finish top 60/170 in masters. Tracy Moseley finished just ahead of local ripper Katy Winton in the ladies. In the senior/elite men’s category, Greg Callaghan came in clean after his Irish EWS title defence, just above locals Ruaridh Cunningham, Mark Scott and Tweed Valley pinner Gary Forest. It was ace to see Gary on it as he suffered a near career ending injury at last years Scottish EWS round, on the very same trails.

With everyone well aware of the weather forecast and the ominous reality of a big Sunday on the bike, it really was all to play for. So, as true professionals we got an early night in preparation – more beers and food in another of Peebles’ uber-chilled establishments.

Shimano Tweedlove saw less bro’s than you would in Morzine, but a hell of a lot of the future of the sport. It was so good seeing kids out in force! Photo | Ian Linton

Enduro racing might mean the red mist comes down on the stages, but when at the end of the day it’s all about mates on bikes. And the whole Tweedlove event has a great atmosphere. Cheers boys! Photo | Ian Linton

Sunday rocked up and the nerves and excitement of what was to come could be felt amongst the competitors on the green.

As one by one and group by group, we rolled off the stage in true ‘EWS start’ fashion, the long spin over to Innerleithen begun. This is a real cycling community – you can ride from Peebles to Innerleithen via a traffic free cycle path which meanders along the valley, following the river Tweed. It’s a true example of the priorities of the people in this wonderful little pocket in the Scottish borders. Once at the notorious golfie and another half an hour winch to the top, the first stage ensued. It was a truly remarkable creation of almost bike-park like splendor – involving hopping from one berm to another, schralping ruts and in my case trying to rip my plus-tyres clean off the rims!

Local ripper Ruaridh looking lit through ‘flat white’s’ bike park esque berms. This guy is so damned smooth on the bike. Photo | Ian Linton

Look around and you’ll find a lot of big name riders enjoying the two-week festival. It really is a great place to come and rip! Photo | Ian Linton

As usual, Tracy Mosely’s lines were impeccable and her fluid pace made a lot of people feel slow! Photo | Ian Linton

Coming in hot – this corner caught a few out as they saved braking slightly too late! Photo | Ian Linton

Once back at the top of the moor, the horizontal hail stones arrived, just in time for the most technical stage of the day.

Fortunately it hadn’t got too wet under the trees which was a damn good thing as stage 6 consisted of super steep shoots into root filled catch ruts and uber-tight corners between trees. The length of the #frankenbike was a bit testing here, but composure was key which it has by the bucket load. This stage was really hard to race and awarded those that kept a cool head and didn’t force it. The rain then continued for some time on the climb up Inners Face for the last two stages which meant dropping into the steepest stage of the day was a somewhat nervous affair for most.

What followed can only be described as a genuine roller coaster of a stage, steep and tight corners flip flop from one to the other with root drops and off camber entries making it even harder to not bail into the bushes. Keep a cool head and you were rewarded with a real sense of achievement – and overall survival, what a trail!
To finish the day was an old school classic montage of Innerleithen downhill tracks – fast, flowy with a couple of good sized hucks should you wish to take them and finishing with steep, greasy and awkward rooty corners. An absolute banger of a stage and my favourite of the weekend – landing me a top 20 stage time and my highest of the race. Which was owed to my 25ft pencil-hero-huck halfway down – which catapulted me out of a corner faster than my skill level would normally allow . But I managed to stay rubber side down! As is common in these neck of the woods, the spectators in the lower half were 2 or 3 deep in places, hurling encouragement as many of us squidded our way down – at this point unable to see through mud splattered lenses towards the stage finish and overall completion of the weekend.

Adam piloting his #frankenbike to a top 50 place. Good work dude! Photo | Ian Linton

An hour later, and a very chilled pedal back to Peebles town and the official finish line, and it was all over. Times were compared, more beer was consumed and podiums completed amidst many a tale of mud cuddles and hero-hucks.

In the ladies, Tracy Moseley took the top step followed by Katy Winton and then Becky Cook in third. Greg Callaghan took the win in the men’s very closely followed by Ruaridh in second and Mark Scott in 3rd. Both winners taking home a whopping £1200 in prize money, boom.

Neil and his team taking a well deserved applause Photo | Ian Linton

All in all, Shimano Tweedlove was a bloody great weekend and genuinely well organised by Neil Dalgleish and his team at Hillside Outside. This really was a local’s race on a world stage and a true testament to what can be created with passion and a community of bikers.

If you haven’t ridden in the tweed valley then you’re missing out – get up there asap and sample the goods.

We stayed in ‘March Street’ holiday flat in Peebles – it’s an ideal location a couple of streets back from the high street and a really warm and cosy feel with all the required amenities.

Full details right here. 

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