Light Up the Trails! We bring you a brand new winter event for all.

Name: PFM & Yep Digital
Price range: $

On the evening of 1st March 2024, a unique event will take place in Glentress Forest. Mystical sounds, twinkling lights and ethereal visuals will provide an extra element of magic to a very special night riding event, the likes of which have never been ridden before. Discover the magic after dark!

Monday, 5 February 2024

EVENT NOW SOLD OUT!

Winter might bring darker days and cooler weather, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be light in the darkness and the opportunity to have a great family adventure.

On the 1st of March 2024, in collaboration Edinburgh Napier University's School of Arts and Creative Industries, we will bring an incredibly special event to Glentress Forest. Mystical sounds and ethereal visuals will provide an extra element of magic to a very special night riding event.

An experience that will be mainly aimed at families, it will also welcome those looking to simply ride the trails at night, perhaps for the first time, with friends or just in the company of others.

The journey will take small groups of riders along some of the forests best loved family trails where interactive lighting will highlight parts of the forest as never seen before.

With sound effects mimicking and exaggerating those naturally heard in the woods alongside ambient music and sounds this unique event aims to brighten up our winter as we look forward to the lighter nights of spring.

This special event combining innovative light and sound with mountain biking on family friendly trails will ensure that this event is accessible to all!

Our vision is to create an event that will encourage riders, new and established out into the forest during a quiet time of the year, celebrating the darkness and inspiring more people onto their bikes during the dark months by introducing them to the magic of night riding.

The Peel Café, Glentress, will be the event hub where riders will be welcomed and registration will take place. Each rider will be provided with their own 'Box of Light' to attach to their bike, and themselves, making each bike and rider an integral part of the stunning effects of the event. Hot chocolate and event specific, warming food will be available to purchase at the café.

This event will be managed and run by Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland who will work in partnership with professional light and sound designers from Edinburgh Napier University, School of Arts and Creative Industries.

Professor Zack Moir, Professor of Learning and Teaching in Music Edinburgh Napier University

We are really excited to be working on this unique cycling event with DMBinS. The site at Glentress is a very special place for many people in the local community and beyond. To have the opportunity to turn it into a multimedia installation for the night is incredible and, as far as we know, this has never been done before!

We’re delighted to be able to add some special artistic elements to add even more wonder to the magical setting of the dark forest which will make the prospect of a family night ride even more special and dramatic.

Funding and Donations

The delivery of this event has only been possible through partial funding by the Communities Cycling Fund delivered by Scottish Borders Council, and by utilising the time and expertise of Edinburgh Napier University's School of Arts and Creative Industries.

We will be asking participants to donate what they can to take part in the event, if they are able to. All donations received, above delivery costs, will raise much needed funds for the Scottish Mountain Bike Health Fund allowing us to continue our work in particular with MTB & Mental Health (Trail Therapy) Programmes.

This important aspect of our work is having an impact on may people lives across Scotland, and further afield, as many other countries are now looking to adapt Mountain Bike Trail Therapy as a tool to help people experiencing periods of mental ill health.

Once you choose your donation level and sign up, further details of the event will be emailed to you. Riders / families will be provided with different 'wave' times as you will be set off in groups of between 4 - 8 to minimise 'bunching' along the route and providing everyone with the opportunity and time to enjoy the experience.

We would anticipate that the 6.5km route can be ridden in an hour with small riders and older faster riders, who will be set off later, could do laps of the course if desired.

Please note you must register each person in your group through the Eventbrite link to ensure your place and 'Box of Light'.