Ae Bike Association (ABA) are the trail association for Ae Forest, based in the Southwest of Scotland and home to one of the 7stanes – the world-class mountain biking centres that span the south of Scotland.
At the heart of Ae you will find a family, not just the McCubbings who run the Cafe, the Bike Shop and local farmland but a group of volunteers. Together they share common themes which gave Ae Bike Association clear objectives when the club was created.
While the team at Ae Forest like to keep things simple, there’s so much more to the association than keeping trails up to date.
As well as doing the things you would expect of a trail association like trail maintenance, the team of 50 trail volunteers – including seven trained trail maintenance leaders are always looking to grow the centre and develop new opportunities.
The new IVO top trail was a team effort but the brainchild of Tommy, a local trail building addict. It was created to provide natural fun flow on less steep terrain; making the trails more accessible for all types of rider.
Away from the physical side of trail building, the Association also run a number of rides. These range from weekly social fun rides supported by the Café, which provides their dish of the week to riders, women’s and girls only rides – and introduction sessions for both daytime and night riding.
Ae is unique in Scottish Mountain Biking in 2025, being the only venue to host a round of all three Scottish national series.
The 30th & 31st August kicks off the action with the Scottish National MTB Cross Country Championships, entries for which are still open.
The final round of the Scottish Downhill Series (SDA) will also be in town a week later.
Rounding off the triple-header the Scottish Enduro Series in its first year under its new guise heads to Ae on the 11th & 12th October.
Kick starting their run of events this Saturday is the Fun Day at Ae. This day is designed to offer a variety of activities for mountain biking enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. From guided rides led by experienced MTB Leaders to exciting competitive events like dual slaloms, adult and child races, and a long jump competition, there’s something for everyone. Find out more here.