Selkirk Bike Festival Coming

On the evening of Friday 1 May 2015 Durty Events, organisers of the Selkirk Mountain Bike Marathon and British Mountain Bike Marathon Championships (2 May 2015), are taking over the centre of Selkirk, turning it over to a free festival of two-wheeled mayhem for all the family.

From 19:00 to 21:00 The Selkirk Bike Festival, supported by Scottish Borders Council, Selkirk Community Council and Selkirk Chamber of Trade, will be staged on the traffic free High Street with an action packed programme of biking activities, events and attractions for all ages. The top class entertainment includes a new Pump Track, a huge airbag on which to try out those big air tricks copied straight from YouTube, head-to-head lung busting roller racing (Rollapolluza style), jaw dropping displays from The 3-Sixty Bike Stunt Team, and a showing of stunning bike films (including the making of Danny Macaskill / Cut Media's epic 'The Ridge' filmed on the Isle of Skye). Hardies Bikes of Melrose will also be on hand for everyone's biking related retail and repair needs.

Paul McGreal from Durty Events, said: "Our Friday evening Bike Festival is an extremely popular event within the Selkirk MTB Marathon weekend, with both locals and visitors alike having a fantastic time on the traffic free High Street. This year we have a Pump Track, head-to-head Roller Racing, bike stunt displays, an airbag and a mini bike film festival. Best of all, it's totally free of charge, family friendly, and pretty spectacular. Please come along, bring your bikes and join in the fun before hundreds of riders head into the stunning Scottish Borders' hills on Saturday morning."

Selkirk's High Street will also be the place to be at 10:00 on Saturday 2 May 2015 as the mass start of four waves of mountain bike riders taking part in the Selkirk MTB Marathon and the British MTB Marathon Championships gets under way. Hundreds of sportive and elite mountain bikers, bunched together and jostling for position, will ride in a huge, compact procession from the centre of Selkirk to the entrance to Bowhill Estate (approx. 4 miles) behind a special lead vehicle. Once the flag drops in the lead vehicle, it's game on and the marathon can begin. It will be an amazing sight for spectators and supporters lining the route to wave off the riders.

The ever-popular Selkirk MTB Marathon has a choice of three single-loop and fully marked courses (approx. 25km, 50km and 75km), all setting off in waved start and visiting the valleys of the Rivers Tweed, Yarrow and Ettrick. The epic sportive event has something for families, novices, intermediates, enthusiasts and racing snakes alike. The British MTB Marathon Championships will see the UK's elite riders fighting it out over the 75km loop for national honours and those coveted red, white and blue winner's jerseys.

To round off the Marathon weekend in style The Selkirk MTB Marathon and The British MTB Marathon Championships will be followed up by 'The Reivers Raid', the fourth round of the Scottish MTB Challenge Series (mountain bike orienteering) on Sunday 3 May 2015 - http://www.smbo.org.uk/.