Gravel event organisers have to put in an incredible amount of work when organising an event, including giving regular offerings to the weather gods to get their event blessed with sunshine. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, after month of hot, dry weather, the heavens opened for the inaugural Girls That Ride Bikes Wild Weekender which was held at the end of August. Fortunately, the weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the participants. 

“I just wanted to say how much this weekend has meant to me. To come together with a group of women I hadn’t met before, to cycle, camp and push through the pouring rain, has been such a powerful reminder of what strength, resilience and support really look like. I feel proud to have shared this experience with you all and grateful for the inspiration you’ve given me. These are memories I’ll carry with me for a long time.”

If you received feedback like that from one of the participants at your event, it would be tempting to immediately retire, thinking that you’d peaked and that you would never be able to beat it, but event organiser Roanna Warren doesn’t have any intention of bowing out – in fact she’s already got a date in the diary for the 2026 version.

The GTRB Wild Weekender is described as “an unforgettable weekend of cycling, connection, and adventure.” The inaugural version was held at the end of August and despite the weather not always playing nicely, the event seems to have been a roaring success. The feedback from the participants was incredible - “Relaxed, friendly atmosphere and I certainly met lots of lovely like-minded ladies”; “Loved everyone’s positivity and attitude throughout the unpredictable weather!”; “Thank you so much for putting on an amazing weekend. I know how much hard work goes into this and I think every single person appreciated every detail”; and “Nobody let the weather get them down, and it felt like all your hard work came to a wonderful conclusion.” 

Roanna and the team from Girls That Ride Bikes created the Wild Weekender after they realised there was a big demand for a non-competitive, festival type event aimed at women, trans and non-binary riders. The overarching ethos of the event was to “celebrate the joy of riding in a relaxed, supportive and inclusive atmosphere.” The event was held in the stunning countryside of Dorset, which offered the perfect combination of rolling hills, a large trail network and easy access to water for some of the non-cycling activities.

The GTRB Wild Weekender wasn’t just about riding. Roanna and the event team had also arranged yoga sessions, Stand Up Paddleboard sessions, evening talks, a bike maintenance session and live music. For the rides themselves, there was a choice of gravel, road or MTB disciplines with different distances available for each. On the Saturday there was the option of group rides or guided rides and everyone was sent the GPX files, so that they could do their own thing too. When riders made it safely back to the event campsite there was the option for a ‘bracing’ wild swim followed by a wood-fired sauna session. Rider’s energy levels were kept topped up courtesy of a number of different food trucks and an enterprising coffee vendor who started producing “vats of hot chocolate” to help everyone warm up after a somewhat damp ride in the Dorset countryside.

After the success of the 2025 edition, Roanna and the team have already started organising the 2026 version. It will be held over the weekend of Friday July 31st - Sunday 2nd August 2026. The team have listened to the feedback from this year’s event and for 2026, the Wild Weekend promises to be even better:

• Broader route selection with more distances and groups and pace advice
• Pre-arranged mid ride lunch picnic either. Choose a picnic from our food supplier or have your own delivered to the lunch stop
• Wood fired sauna available on more days
• Shower block
• Juice Bar and fresh fruits 
• Friday evening bike maintenance class

Early bird tickets will be available from £90 and full-price tickets are £125

You can find all the details for the event here. You can also buy official GTRB clothing and accessories from their official supplier, Stolen Goat. More details here.

Images courtesy of GTRB except where credited

Image courtesy of Amelia Johnson