Trekster and I had an absolute blast today at Glentress, sneaking in a ride for the final week of The Hub. Up to Spooky Woods, and then down Spooky Woods, Betty Blue, Berm Baby Berm, Electric Blue and the final blue to the car park, for some carrot cake!

There was a little drizzle but it was refreshing and not a problem. Absolutely no good riding photos due to having too much fun. Oh, and I got some massive air but that Trekster just didn’t quite click the camera at the right time!

** HUGE COUGH ** 😯

IMG_2462 by simon ralli, on Flickr

IMG_2457 by simon ralli, on Flickr

IMG_2472 by simon ralli, on Flickr

IMG_2474 by simon ralli, on Flickr

The descent was just a blast on the way down, massive grins and a great mid-week ride.

I forgot to add that this Sunday is their very final day if anyone plans to say bye!

Heading down tomorrow for a farewell cake 🙂

It was good to see it still fairly busy today, given that it was a little bit of a damp Wednesday.

I don’t think I have had so much fun in ages, ragging down all the berms and jumpy bits 🙂

As for the new cafe, we just didn’t quite get the location as the veranda is in a ditch and has no view or sun at all!

Did the same route on Tuesday this week, and stopped off for coffee and flapjack at the Hub. I think they’re planning on being open until Sunday assuming that they don’t run out of food first..

Couldn’t resist buying a hub mug as a momento. Interesting to note that the new cafe was deserted,

Was there last weekend. GT won’t be the same without the Hub.
On Sunday afternoon the Hub was busy, the new cafe was pretty much empty 😐

The actual building looked ok, it was more the low location which wasn’t so great. Shame about the Hub. Does anyone know who is running the new cafe? I guess they will need to work quite hard to get business going again.

Had some good times at the Hub, but I’d imagine most people will go to the new cafe once the Hub closes. Yep, the new building is in the wrong place but if it’s persisting it down outside and there is room in the new cafe then I’ll be quite happy. Think it’s the guy from the Glentress Hotel that has the cafe.

Is the new cafe not being run as part of the Alpine Bikes franchise, it looks way too shiny and clean to welcome me in after a muddy sesh. Might be gregs in Peebles from now on..

It’s a shame about the hub and the rest of the history with Emma and Tracey. I really hope they continue to make a living out of their skills courses and any other ventures they may have. To be honest though I’ve had better food, in better premises, on dodgy industrial estates! I’m all for the new cafe, god knows how they’ll make it pay though…it’s unbelievably cheap and has others have said, it’s always empty.
My only problem with the new place is the cutlery…old fashioned with swirly patterns on…even the cheapest, plainest stuff would look infinitely better in such modern surroundings! 🙄 I may have a touch of OCD though?

It will get busier, I bet most of the “I’ll never use the new place” shouters will do eventually. I’m guessing the competitive pricing at the moment may disappear when they start to get busier.

Awaits the usual ‘there was glentress before the hub’ and the hub knockers….

and whilst I can’t really say I had a desperate afinity with the hub, or even rated what it offered that much. It was part of the furniture for some great times for me, and the girls did a lot for the place, so for that I am sad to see it go. I will be trying the new place and hope it’s not as poxy as the new cafe at coed y brenin.

Shame about the Hub. Does anyone know who is running the new cafe? I guess they will need to work quite hard to get business going again.

You think?, the fatties will soon swap allegiance when they have no choice where to eat.

Hehe – sorry I missed you Trekster 😀

bigG – Member

it looks way too shiny and clean to welcome me in after a muddy sesh

They’ve proved themselves totally happy with mud and blood all over their nice clean floors/seats/tables. No worries there. I did like the Louisiana swamp hovel vibe of the hub but it wasn’t fit for purpose really, they were letting business walk past every busy day.

Also, they have a roof, which is pretty ****ing gucci if you ask me.

Was down on Sunday, had a great time with Cowal mbc.. Even bought a tshirt although I wish it was a mug now!

bigG – Member
Is the new cafe not being run as part of the Alpine Bikes franchise, it looks way too shiny and clean to welcome me in after a muddy sesh. Might be gregs in Peebles from now on..

Nowt to do with Alpine. As already written above, it’s the folk from the Glentress Hotel running it – and they have a great reputation.

it WONT be the same for me there. the hub has so many memories.
i bought 2 hub mugs as i reckon i’ll get £7 each for them in a few years when they are antique and that will give the bloke on tele in fence stain a nut twitch 🙂

Things change life goes on. It cannot remain the same for ever

I feel a lot of sympathy for Emma and Tracy however the old cafe was a long past its best and needed to be replaced. Its a shame they didn’t get the franchise for the new one but at least it has gone to a local business with a good reputation.

It is very sad that the hub is no longer although as tandemjeremy said life goes on and I’m sure the new place will end up being not bad. I will miss the hubs flap jacks though 🙁

There’s lots of people over at Trail Scotland who have been planning a good bye ride on Sunday, will post a link to the thread -http://www.trailscotland.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1437

At the end of the day the better facilities Glentress has the more likely they are to build more world class trails.

Is the new cafe not being run as part of the Alpine Bikes franchise, it looks way too shiny and clean to welcome me in after a muddy sesh.

No, the new cafe is run by Oli who owns the Glentress Hotel on the main road just where you turn in to the trail centre. Top bloke and a biker himself so I wouldn’t worry too much. I fully appreciate that people have fond memories of the hub but as TJ says, at least it’s gone to a local small business with a good reputation and I wish him the best of luck…….

did you enjoy getting the big air then Si??? (shopping trolley technique was it?…LOL)

Actually davy-g yes, my descent was a combination of your trolley technique on the blue jumps and Trekster giving me more advice on the berms, slowing down before I get into them and then speeding up on the exit. Oh and I am also working on loosening up on the drops too – had an awesome time! I’m still pulling up a little instead of pushing when I forget, but when I remember I am riding much more smoothly, although maybe I didn’t get so much full airtime as the photo clearly suggests 😳

Tis a shame its closing.. had a spankingly good plate of nachos there after my somewhat washed out trip around the black route.. but life goes on as people have said..

must get myself back up to scotland next year and get Trekster to show me all the hidden local bits i missed last time in Mabie.. 😀 and ride the last descent at AE if the god of rain decides to play nice and not chuck it down all the way around! 😆 (and hopefully my car wont break this time!!) 🙄

glad you guys had fun 😮
lots of memories with the hubed f through the years and yes i find it sad.
having been binned from my home of nine years by a very large land owner i may have stronger opinions than others.
but IMHO it will never be the same.
some people will agree some will disagree
i used to ride in the forest long before the hub and it great the way thing s have evolved . personally i will never cross that bridge .FE can poke it!

Right on Tam………………the baguette shop in toon is more likely to get my dosh, has done for a while now actually.
Said my goodbyes to Teeny and Emma/Tracy
Dawn 😉 Ian and I will defo get in touch re a ride in 2012 💡
Si was having SO much fun I had to keep stoppin to make sure e was OK, never sure if he was having an “off” or just enjoying himself ❗

Having bought my momento/mug pre ride I then left it on the table ❗ Post ride and Teeny had realised I had left said mug, washed it and kept it safe 😆 Stay safe & enjoy Whistler Teeny. Thanks, will miss the tatoo 😉

trekster if your heading our way its got to be this ” with a few secrets thrown in” 😯

MOD: Image removed due to malware

Was in today – looked rather sad with all the stuff gone

Bought a hub nachos and banoffee pie

Did the black to the top of redemption then onto pie run , mushroom pie and magic mushroom nearly killed my mates legs 🙂

Best of luck to all involved !

p.s as walkerburn and innerleithen are on my way home we will either stop at the whistle stop innerleithen cafe or the nice one in walkerburn. in fact i would rather give my cash to macdiddlys in gala than FE. in facy we did so on monday after a night ride around the “PURPLE ROUTE”

Guys – why the antipathy to the new cafe? Seems a bit odd. its the Glentress hotel who will be running it – a local business with a long history of serving mountainbikers.

You really are cutting your nose off to spite your face and are not getting at the forestry commission at all. You would be better to boycott all foresty commission sites – like glentress.

Indeed – if you hate the forestry commission that much wnhay would you even consider going back to glentress – or any of the other 7 stanes

i just dont give FE any money anymore .
🙄
in a nut shell the peel centre was NOT NEEDED ,NOT WANTED and imho the money would have been better spent on the trails around the tweed valley
no parking ,no money through there cafes etc ,
at least not until they answer my question on what percentage of income from rent and car parking goes in to the trails
( freedom of information )

trekster a wee taster if you like
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkA4AOu_044&feature=player_embedded#![/video]
and return journey
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV7pHW9AvjE&feature=related[/video]

tempted yet trekster?

deertrackdoctor – Member

i just dont give FE any money anymore .

A good principled stand, I’m sure you won’t be riding the trails any more either.

Yes most of which are old motor x trails that were there long before they were way marked. Each to there own eh! 😯

I would be interested to see the results of the FOI request deertrackdoctor – do post it up here – it’s kind of my field too, if you need any help getting the info released.

This hostility on the part of some towards the new cafe is really starting to annoy me.. Yes I understand that the Hub was loved as were Emma and Tracey and that’s right and great, they were the perfect solution at the right time and have really contributed so much to the area. I was pretty shocked and surprised when they didn’t get the tender for the new place.
Having said all that if the general hostility towards Oli and Claire (Glentress Hotel owners) continues then all that’s going to be achieved is losing all the facilities at Glentress including the hotel..!

At this point al the arguments about fairness and what should have happened are moot, the fact is that a new local business is running the new cafe.. a local(ish) business is running the bike shop (Alpine is owned by Tiso, not exactly Peebles local but could be worse).
Now as far as the cafe is concerned, one of the arguments E&T used when they lost the tender was that the FC figures for turnover at the cafe was unrealistic and they used their own figures for their bid which is why they lost.. Well Claire and Oli used their own projections in their winning bid too but I know they didn’t expect to be competing with the Hub (as the FC said they would be closed before the new place opened) and the fact that they have had to compete up until now and then face the continued hostility from Hub fans means they are going to be facing the real possibility of the new business failing and taking the Hotel with it.
Is that really what anyone here wants.??

Sorry for the long post but I actually know the people involved (on both sides) and the attitude of some people who seem to be taking pleasure in trying to bankrupt people is really galling.

If you are angry about the Hub then take it out on the FC not the other businesses involved. Oli and Claire pay an agreed lease for the cafe, how much money the cafe makes doesn’t affect the lease that they are paying, so not using the cafe isn’t hurting the FC it’s hurting them directly.

deertrackdoctor – Member

i just dont give FE any money anymore .

Don’t you pay the parking charges at any of the 7 Stanes?

The new cafe is excellent and best of luck to the new proprietors. The beligerent attitude towards the new cafe by some on here, and plenty at GT, is pathetic.

Just so I understand it correctly, you’re enraged at two people losing the cafe and potentially their livelihood so you’ll boycott the new cafe, which is run by decent folk who through no fault of their own won the tender to run it, and through boycotting the new cafe they could lose it and their livelihood?

Aye, because that makes sense…

This hostility on the part of some towards the new cafe is really starting to annoy me.. Yes I understand that the Hub was loved as were Emma and Tracey and that’s right and great, they were the perfect solution at the right time and have really contributed so much to the area. I was pretty shocked and surprised when they didn’t get the tender for the new place.
Having said all that if the general hostility towards Oli and Claire (Glentress Hotel owners) continues then all that’s going to be achieved is losing all the facilities at Glentress including the hotel..!

At this point al the arguments about fairness and what should have happened are moot, the fact is that a new local business is running the new cafe.. a local(ish) business is running the bike shop (Alpine is owned by Tiso, not exactly Peebles local but could be worse).
Now as far as the cafe is concerned, one of the arguments E&T used when they lost the tender was that the FC figures for turnover at the cafe was unrealistic and they used their own figures for their bid which is why they lost.. Well Claire and Oli used their own projections in their winning bid too but I know they didn’t expect to be competing with the Hub (as the FC said they would be closed before the new place opened) and the fact that they have had to compete up until now and then face the continued hostility from Hub fans means they are going to be facing the real possibility of the new business failing and taking the Hotel with it.
Is that really what anyone here wants.??

Sorry for the long post but I actually know the people involved (on both sides) and the attitude of some people who seem to be taking pleasure in trying to bankrupt people is really galling.

If you are angry about the Hub then take it out on the FC not the other businesses involved. Oli and Claire pay an agreed lease for the cafe, how much money the cafe makes doesn’t affect the lease that they are paying, so not using the cafe isn’t hurting the FC it’s hurting them directly.

+1,000,000,000

OTOH if you are angry the the Hub lost you might take the view that this happened because of the other bids. Nobody forced the new lot to put in their bid as far as I am aware.

The Hub didn’t lose in the tender process because of other bids.. they lost because (by their own admission) their bid did not meet the criteria.. they wouldn’t have won the tender even if there were NO other bids. The bid process is (theoretically) non competitive, and certainly at the first stage where E&T failed the bids are graded against the criteria, not the other bidders.

That’s frankly just a childish, school playground attitude that’s completely unrealistic.