Fed up of riding boring, non-technical courses? Then get yourself along to the Innerleithen TT Series!

The course is a spanker, climbs most of the way up the black before taking the shorcut across to the crop-circles. Then it’s round some of the old-school singletrack which I hadn’t ridden since a few years back with Pete Laing. After this, the fun really starts! Down the downhill pushup track (very gravelly), down The Tunnel, down New Luge, out onto the bottom of Old Luge. Then down The Deer Hunter, eventually finishing with the ski-jump into the arena.

I decided to ride there for the first round, a hugely sensible idea after 3 weeks off the bike. I blasted the climb, loving the slightly damp technical bits. Unfortunately, when I hit the old-school part, my right calve locked up, and I sat in the heather for a while waiting for it to ease off. It didn’t, so I had to suffer it for the descent (and most of the next day too). Was still loving the sheer awesomeness of the course.

Organised by “Helen Findlay”:, there are another four rounds, roughly the last Tuesday of the month for July, August, and September. Check the web-link at the top for more details.