Hoping to head up to Glentress in the summer as was wondering if anyone could give me the low down on MTB friendly B&B/hotels etc.

Also info on the Glentress itself ie is it worth the 5 hrs driving bearing in mind we plan to saty a few days so a variety of trails would be good.

Ta

mmm! no takers yet.
I think everyone must be tired of talking about it.

The answer is yes it is worth the 5 hours drive no matter what level you are especially if you have not been before. Dont forget Innerleithen is only a very short drive away. More than a weeks worth of riding to be done.
For accommodation just search the forum.

The trails are very good. People get very familiar with them and dismiss them but there is a good network with lots of variety. Innerliethan is nice as well – maybe more technical maybe less groomed. Less variety

Some good local “natural” riding as well.

For me there is a lot more than trail centres to be ridden but Glentress is a fantastic facility with trails to suit all abilities and plenty to keep you amused for a couple of days or more.

its a fantastic place to ride.its got trails for all abilities and also the freeride, jump park. dont forget inners like mentioned. its a bitch to climb if your not well fit but coming down is awsome. 3 massive drops to the bottom that you will love. fast or as slow as you like dude. also its got the d/h track to play on to. great facilities at gt. cafe and bike shop. trails are well maintained. worth the drive. we are looking for somewhere to stay in April there. last time we were based at mabie and did the whole stanes in a week. alot of driving involved but awsome week.

i like what im hearing so far and have looked at the 7 Stanes site but so much accommodation to choose from can anyone reconmend one ?

if you dont mind roughing it for a few days look at the glentress wigwams. stayed in one at mabie. like indoor camping. right laugh. take the camping stove and the beers and your sorted. check this out.

http://www.glentressforestlodges.co.uk/

Yeah, done similar in Shropshire last year and hopefully returning this year but for Scotland we are looking for something more home from home.

scroll down the page for options.

http://www.7stanes.com/accommodation-in-glentress-innerleithen-c124.html

What are you looking for B&B, Hotel, Self Catering?

Check out http://www.visittweedvalley.co.uk/content/mountain-biking-group-members

There all very good

GT + Inners + the local natural riding offers more than a few days worth of riding. Its brilliant… Always look forward to my trips up there.

For somewhere to stay, I’d reccommend Innerhaven in Innerleithen. Short drive to GT (sod riding there!), Innerleithens trails virtually over the road and a few pubs and shops etc if you need them on the doorstep.

http://www.craiguart.co.uk/index.html

Chicken ranch

Stayed here last year.
Well set up with good storage ,bike wash ,clothes dryers and close enough for riding to Inners and Glen T .

google Mrs Muir @Peebles for an interesting B&B stay with good bike storage

we just booked this place and she sounded a nice lass with a nice looking hotel cornerhouse hotel innerleithan

http://www.cornerhousehotel.com/ £35 a night adults and £20 for my lad whos 15 so great price for b&b.

Both the wigwams and the Glentress Hotel are good. Even if you stay in wigwams go get a meal at the Glentress Hotel. Food was great. Bodes well for the cafe he’s just got.

Stayed at the GT hotel numerous times and it’s always been very good
The location is perfect.

Cheers for all the suggestion, plenty to look into.

I can recommend the Peebles Hydro Hotel – bike friendly, good food and a bar that’s open as long as you can still order drinks coherently. 5 mins ride from the Hub by road, or direct access to the forest from the hotel grounds, I think.

Oh, and it’s well worth the long drive. I’d recommend detouring to Ae Forest on the way up, too – It’s lovely.

I’d disagree about the Hydro. Too far up its own arse for what is basically a shabby old hotel.

Same weekend we stayed there we also stayed at the Tontine in the centre of Peebles. Much nicer (and cheaper) with bike storage etc.

Hi Shanta, here is a link for you, but the dates on the site are last years. However, if you want to e-mail Tweedlove, and go on the database for updates. I’m in the gallery, pics 22-28.

If you do decide to come here, e-mail me and I can lend you some trail maps.

ttp://tweedlove.com/

“More than a weeks worth of riding to be done”
Maybe if you include a load of natural stuff as well

“its a bitch to climb if your not well fit”
Even if you omit the ‘well’ its not really, with a sensibly setup bike for trail centre riding (up and down)
There aren’t any difficult climbs if I remember rightly except for one out on the black that feels about 45 degrees straight up the hill. A fair few hills do feel like they go on a bit though

“Innerliethan is nice as well – maybe more technical maybe less groomed. Less variety”
Just the one XC trail, but even so I thought inners xc (including the black option) had more variety than glentress red/black

Last June I went upto the 7 stanes for 4 days (having previously ridden all* but glentrool of the stanes at least once)
*okay so I didn’t tecnically ride very much of mabies kona dark side (I was somewhat less skilled back then) and I had to bail out half way round dalbeattie due to a mechanical)
Anyhow with 4 days planned I picked what I think are probably the best 4 of the stanes, I and 3 others:
Day 1:
Drove up from North nottinghamshire to Dumfrieshire, setup camp just south of dalbeattie forest (sandyhills) and rode into (and round) dalbaettie late afternoon/early evening
Day 2:
Drove to Kirroughtree, rode red/black trails, McMoab is excellent, especially as my freehub didn’t snap this time round ..
Day 3:
Packed up tent, drove to Peebles (next to Glentress), pitched tent, rode glentress red*, played on the freeride park
*although I probably prefer the black overall, kirroughtree was enough for some of the group, and many I know rate red more so i thought I’d best show them the red
Day 4:
Packed up tent, rode innerliethen by late lunch, drove back home

Excellent fun, worth all the driving, here are some pics to whet your appetite:

I’ve stayed at the wigwams through near Dumfries, they are a good budget place to get your head down. The ones at Glentress are a couple of miles past Peebles so would be a walk back if you wanted to go to the pub or have alchiehol with your meal. The Glentress hotel is right next to GT but no idea if you can get a meal or a beer in there.

If you’re looking for budget accomodation the wigwams are the way forward, if not most of the B&Bs there will be bike friendly.

There is plenty to keep you entertained round the area for a few days. Inners has a lot of secret and downhill trails over the hill, if you speak to the locals most of them will point you towards some of the natural stuff, there is a trail that links GT and Inners but it is a good ride on it’s own.

If you are fit enough to get round trail centres around you there will be no problem. Inners has a long climg to start with 5-6 miles but that’s pretty much it down from there.

The Hydro ….
http://bastardlogic.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/head_up_ass.jpg
surely not

http://www.peeblesuk.com/index.php?f=Peebles

Try here –

Cross Keys Hotel
24 Northgate
Peebles
EH45 8RS

lovely place when I stayed last – keen biker owned it and lots of good facilities and storage.

Bloody hell..i didn’t expect this interest, cheers guys.

Anyone stayed at;

Gledeknowe Guest House in the Scottish Borders

or

http://www.craiguart.co.uk/

Ok, gonna stay at Craiguart and will have 4 days of riding, thing is as there is so much which 4 trails should i do??

Check out Innerhaven in Innerleithen. Andy and Aneela are bike focused and really know their way around the local area….

http://www.innerhaven.co.uk/

My opinion

At least one day to do the innerleithan XC circuit, one day to do gypsy glen (actually both are only half days really) One full day at GT. One day to do whichever bit you like best again.

GT has several days worth of trails. Do the full red, plus do the various blue bits around the Buzzards – blue velvet / berm or bust, electric blue, and good game to the bottom. Have a play on the freeride -thats a decent day.

Black for another day maybe.

Innerleithen for sure. The best place, playing on the DH runs is fantastic fun too. Plenty awesome natural riding through Innerleithen way too. Gypsy Glen is ace, very long descent if you don’t mind a push and can hook up with GT too. Glentress black, bits of the red and some blues bits a larf. The ‘off-piste’ stuff at GT is all the best stuff if you can find there though.