Free event hitting road to accompany cycling’s Tour o’ the Borders on its return after a year off

Called the Wee Touro, it’ll be a quarter of the length of the full Monty’s 75 miles and it’s free to enter in a bid to encourage new, former or occasional riders to get on their bikes.

Taking place on the same day as the main closed-road sportive – Sunday, September 7 – its route will follow a near-19-mile loop starting and finishing in Peebles.

“The Wee Touro will allow almost everyone to participate during one big cycling weekend,” said Neil Dalgleish, director of Peebles-based event organiser Hillside Outside.

“Tour o’ the Borders itself is probably a bit much for people who are new to cycling or who have not been on their bikes much for a while. The Wee Touro is achievable by just about everyone and aims to show just how fun, sociable and easy cycling can be, for travel or pleasure.”

Sarah Birks, projects manager at Peebles-based Hillside Outside, added: “Staging this event in September provides a great incentive for people to get out on their bikes more during the summer.

“We hope it encourages more people to consider active travel and enjoy all the health and wellbeing benefits cycling can bring.”

The Wee Touro, given financial backing by EventScotland and Scottish Borders Council, will set off from the tour’s event village on Tweed Green in Peebles and follow the River Tweed for much of the route of the valley railway path heading towards Walkerburn before making its way back to its starting point.

All bikes are welcome including electric ones and all riders over the age of eight.

EventScotland and the regional council have both welcomed the new accompaniment to the tour, first staged in 2012 but only on closed roads since 2014.

Rebecca Edser, head of the former, said: “EventScotland is proud to be supporting Tour o’ the Borders through our national events funding programme.

“The addition of the Wee Touro is a fantastic way to involve the whole family in an already-great event, encouraging more people from the area and beyond to get on their bikes and enjoy the stunning Borders countryside.”

Jedburgh councillor Scott Hamilton, the latter’s executive member for economic growth and development, said: “The Wee Touro is a fantastic addition to this event developed by Hillside Outside and we’re delighted to have been able to support the initiative with a grant through our strategic events fund.

“It is a great way for younger, new or returning cyclists to experience a cycling event and make use of some of the great sections of multi-use paths developed in Tweeddale over recent years.”

Riders taking part in the full-length version of the main tour will follow the same route as last time round in 2023, passing Tweedmuir, Traquair and Cademuir and taking in the Devil’s Beeftub, Moffat Dale, Grey Mare’s Tail and St Mary’s Loch.

A shorter variant follows a 55-mile route taking in a climb at Talla and passing Megget Reservoir.

Anyone wishing to take part can sign up at https://tourotheborders.com/