Borders Bike Festival proves a real draw

Selkirk echoed to the sounds of rolling wheels and spinning gears this week when the burgh hosted the ORBEA Borders Bike Festival in Selkirk.

More than 500 people took to two wheels on Sunday, May 1, and enjoyed cycling the esteemed course, visiting the valleys of the rivers Tweed, Yarrow and Ettrick along the way, in two marathon rides, one of 75km and the other of 50km.

“We rolled out from Selkirk High Street and then out onto the local Buccleuch estate, and through local farmland and Forestry Commission land,” said organiser Paul McGreal.

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“It is obviously a real community event with so many landowners involved,” he added, “which is what we have wanted it to be, since myself and Pete Laing took it over four years ago.

“There has been huge support for the event from local landowners and business.

“The Selkirk MTB is considered one of the best events of its type in the country, so as well as great attendance from riders with local cycling clubs, there is also a lot of interest from across the UK, as far afield as south east England.”

Paul continued: “There are very few of these events, and this has often been described as the best example of one, by riders.”

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