The end of the road for TweedLove

TweedLove, a prominent events company recognized for hosting some of the most renowned and beloved endurance, road, and gravel events has announced it will conclude organizing events following the conclusion of the 2024 season.

A statement from founder Neil Dalgleish

TweedLove began as an idea round a kitchen table and grew to become Scotland’s only full-time bike event business. Over 14 years, we hosted literally hundreds of bike events, mostly for MTBs but also road, gravel, kids and more. At a conservative estimate, over 70,000 participants have signed up, got on their bikes and taken part in TweedLove events – that doesn’t include all the free events, guided rides or all the people who came to spectate, support or just hang out at the festival.

We created Scotland’s first-ever home-grown bike festival, produced the country’s biggest enduro race series and ran the UK’s biggest kids’ cycling events. Alongside creating several full and part-time jobs, we also invented the Valley Crew – an awesome army of event volunteers with over 700 individuals registered.

This is definitely the hardest thing I’ve had to write during the whole 15 year TweedLove journey, and it’s with a heavy heart I have to announce that there will be no TweedLove events in 2025 or beyond. After several difficult years keeping everything afloat, these final races over the next couple of months will be our last.

There’s a link to a fuller explanation at the end, but, like so many bike event organisers, we face an unwelcome reality. Though TweedLove’s entry numbers have largely bucked the trend of dwindling participation, it doesn’t balance the negative elements. Costs have risen 30% since Covid, bike industry sponsorship is a fraction of what it used to be, and public sector support for events like ours is generally sporadic and minimal – despite the number of visitors we attract to this part of Scotland. The bottom line is we can’t afford the salaries to attract or retain all the staff we need to do what we do.

I’ll have a lifetime of pride in what we achieved, both as a micro business punching way above our weight, and as a catalyst for the positive changes we’ve seen in the Tweed Valley. But it’s time for change. Having spent 15 years literally subsidising the whole operation, I just can’t see how I can (or maybe more accurately how I can afford to) take TweedLove forward. Those 15 years were also crucial years of being a Dad, and I can’t deny a nagging feeling of guilty absenteeism.

TweedLove has been an amazing experience. It’s been a privilege to create and steer it along what was never a dull or easy trail. The events brought some totally inspirational people together to achieve something that, as far as I know, is still unique in the bike/event/tourism world.

This is a special place and all those people have made it even better – name another community where, for example, a few hundred people regularly give up their time to help run events for visitors to have a good time on their bikes. Or where so many locals are now confident with the basic protocols of safety for a mass participation sports event. Those are unique things which reflect, as a visiting international journalist once said, ‘what can be achieved when a community pulls together to deliver something amazing.’

I’d like to pay tribute, and say a massive thanks, to all the people who helped make TweedLove such a unique and positive creation, and of course to all the riders who took part and made all the races such a blast – we’ll definitely miss you. Big thanks too to all the bike brands, agencies and businesses far and wide who have sponsored or supported us over the last decade and a half of riding bikes and good times.

It has, as they say, been emotional - in a very good way.

PS If anyone has any realistic proposals for how TweedLove can return, we’re all ears.

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