It's all happening at Kielder

Wondering where is good to ride this summer? Yes? Ever been to Kielder in the North East of England near the border with Scotland? Whether the answer to that is yes or no it's likely you don't realise just how far the guys up there have gone to make Kielder one of the best new mountain biking locations in the UK. The area is not only truly beautiful but is now full of mountain biking trails and features for all levels of ability. Until now Kielder was home to the Deadwater trails, an exceptional pair of challenging cross country trails with aggressive descents built by the Kielder Trail Reavers who are Kielder's very own army of talented and committed volunteers. Not satisfied with that The Kielder Partnership is now unveiling a brand new red graded trail which officially opens the weekend of the 25th - 26th of April 2009. (Already listed in our trails our tracks section.) You'd be happy with that wouldn't you, but they've not stopped there. Thanks to KTR and the Forestry Commission Kielder now has the stunning new Lakeside Way trail which is a shared trail that tracks the shore line of the vast Kielder reservoir. Perfect for families or those looking to take a break from the white knuckle action already provided up in the hills. Stunning views are guaranteed. That's still not it though. Kielder castle now hosts an excellent MTB skills loop which caters to varying levels of ability in the way a really goods skills area should. Work is still ongoing on the black graded section of the skills loop and near by you can also see the new bike hire centre which is due to open this summer along with the already impressive looking trials and freeride area which is also due for completion in summer 2009. Lets not forget the Marathon race series either which helps bring in some of the much needed money that keeps KTR building. Out of the four races in the series there are three still to be run in the 2009 calender, so if you've never entered a race before or you just love to compete then here's your chance. The races use the local trails and are open to all comers so you don't have to be some kind of legend to join in. It's only £22 to enter a single race and there are discounts for entering multiple races. The next fixture is The Boarder Raid race on the 16th of May which is followed by The Hot Trod on the 11th of July and Oktoberfest on the 10th of October so there's plenty to get excited about. It really is all happening at Kileder at the moment. www.visitkielder.com Words by John Dunn

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