TweedLove, an events business known for some of the most renowned and loved enduro, road, gravel, and kid's events in Scotland - and the whole of the UK - has announced it will cease organising events after the 2024 season is over.

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​​In the UK, only a few events and organisers reach the level of TweedLove, whether that's the EX Enduro, Ard Rock, Gritfest, or others. Over 14 years, Tweedlove has hosted hundreds of mountain bike, road, gravel, and kids events, to name a few, and has welcomed over 70,000 entrants, not including spectators, free events, and guided rides.

Not only has TweedLove helped cultivate the local and nationwide enduro scene, but the company created Scotland's first-ever bike festival and of course, the country's biggest enduro race series.

TweedLove_Electric_Weekend_2.jpg, by Tweedlove electric weekend

"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," Neil Dalgleish, TweedLove's founder, said in a press release. 

The company cites several reasons for its closure but the key one is the downturn of interest in enduro as well as the impact that COVID-19 has had on the world.

"We’re not going bust or anything dramatic like that, but it just doesn’t add up for us going forward so we’ll quit while the events are still strong," Dalgleish said. 

TweedLove states that the mismanagement of top-level enduro racing has had an impact on grass-roots events and that there's an air of elitism being introduced to racing. This isn't helped by changes in access to the big races and the company says that the spirit isn't what it once was. 

E-mountain bikes have also changed things, according to TweedLove, stating that development in e-MTB racing isn't clear and it's a genre of cycling that's difficult for organisers to integrate into their events. That's because e-MTBs require more stages, more bike scrutiny, and more work. All of this means higher costs.

Tweedlove Festival 2020, by Tweedlove

Of course, COVID-19's impact has hit every industry but for TweedLove, that's meant a hit to its sponsors. As a result of the fractured supply chain and varying ordering strategies, bike brands and companies haven't had the extra spend to put towards TweedLove events.

"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," Dalgleish said. 

For the events still yet to take place this year, TweedLove has provided an update with the Glentress 7, Hope Enjoyro EVO, Glentress Family Day, YT Industries TweedLove Enduro Series Round 3/BNES Final Round 2024 and Tour O The Borders going ahead as planned.

YT Industries TweedLove Enduro Series Round 4, however, has been cancelled, and refined will be issued.

But though this is sad news to many of us, TweedLove's press release ends by welcoming proposals for how TweedLove can return, so perhaps all is not lost. You can find TweedLove's full blog post detailing the decision below. 

• tweedlove.com

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