After being inspired by taking part in an organised women’s event in the Italian Alps in 2022, former Dutch road race champion and now gravel addict Iris Slappendel decided to put her on her own. With the aim of creating supportive, welcoming and friendly events, Iris collaborated with komoot to create two women's bikepacking weekenders. Two of the riders in this year’s events have created inspirational stories about their participation.
It all started in September 2022, when I joined 49 women for the komoot Women’s Torino-Nice Rally, a non-competitive bikepacking event that covered 10 mountain cols on the Italian-French border. Unlike mainstream cycling events, the komoot rallies welcome women, non-binary and trans bikepackers of all ages and backgrounds, creating a supportive and energising environment.
The experience was very special to me. The route was challenging yet fun and riding alongside women from diverse backgrounds fostered a wonderful sense of camaraderie. By the end of the rally, I felt inspired to bring this joy to others that are curious for adventure but find larger events a step too far.
Realising that both komoot and IRIS aim to increase opportunities for women in adventure cycling, I saw a chance to collaborate. The success of the women’s rallies made it easy to organise a women’s weekender in the Netherlands in 2023. The first ‘Lowlands Edition’ was a hit, confirming the demand for such events. Encouraged by this success, we planned two more events in 2024: one in the Lowlands and a new Black Forest Edition in Germany.
I invited two participants, Sara Bukies and Loren Rowney, to share their firsthand experiences of these incredible journeys. Read on to discover how these weekenders fostered friendships, personal growth, and a passion for cycling among women from all walks of life. . .
Black Forest Edition: Finding Solitude and Camaraderie
Seasoned ultra-cyclist and adventurer Sara Bukies shared her experiences of the Black Forest Edition, where the trip was one of personal reflection and group bonding. “Who needs a comfy bed when you can have a tent in the rain?” Sara chose the latter for some ‘me-time,’ embracing the peace and tranquillity of camping under the stars. Exhaustion was inevitable, but so was the laughter. The group scaled steep climbs, braved thunderstorms, and even sang Happy Birthday to a 4-year-old who graciously shared her cake (future diplomat in the making!).
“Sleeping a lot (and well!) and physically recovering – that’s definitely NOT what you do on a Women’s Weekender. Despite Instagram’s romantic and idyllic tent photos, the reality is much more intense. Anticipating the exhaustion, I even slept in for 20 minutes on the morning of the trip to Freiburg to brace myself for the weekend. While sleep might be scarce, laughter is plentiful (Instagram gets that right!). The beaming faces in the photo gallery are the best proof of happy campers. We talked and shared, suffered and swore together on the extremely steep climbs, and celebrated when the last of us arrived at camp. We laughed after massive thunderstorms, jokingly claiming, “I was in civilisation the whole time, and it only rained a little.
We cooked for each other (“No, I’m NOT serving you the overcooked pasta!”) and brewed coffee (a message in the WhatsApp chat: “A pop-up coffee shop has just opened here and in the next 10 minutes there will be coffee for everyone who makes it here in time!”). We learned new things together (“Oh, that’s how this magnetic thingy on the IRIS Bibs works, that’s really great!”) and formed lifelong friendships, quickly feeling like we’d known each other forever, even though it had only been 24 hours.”
The weekend wasn’t just about cycling though; it was about forging friendships and finding joy in the small things—like a pop-up coffee shop in the woods. Whether tackling gravel paths or enjoying jaw-dropping views, the camaraderie was unbeatable. Despite less-than-ideal conditions, spirits remained high, reminding everyone that this incredible community is something to cherish. Reflecting on the weekend, Sara remarked that “every woman should have the chance to experience weekends like this and this kind of togetherness.” We couldn’t agree more!
Lowlands Edition: Embracing New Beginnings
The Lowlands Edition in the Netherlands offered an equally enchanting experience for our Dutch community. Imagine the excitement of a first-time bikepacker joining the komoot x IRIS adventure, complete with a celebratory dance upon receiving the acceptance email. That was bikepacking newbie Loren Rowney, who saw this as a chance to swap daily routines for trails and tales, surrounded by other women.
“One of the many wonderful things about joining this trip was the community that formed from the get go. The Whatsapp group organised by komoot was such a useful resource for those of us who were new to the bikepacking world. I guess I was a little nervous about a few things before the trip. For one, I am still breastfeeding my little one, who is only just 6 months old, so I wasn’t sure how the logistics would work around needing to pump every 4 hours. I figured that I would maybe end up riding on my own due to my ‘schedule’, which was fine, it would be another part of the adventure! As it turned out, there were a couple of other young mothers joining, so the guilt I was carrying about leaving my kids was immediately pushed aside. All the women joining were so supportive of what I was doing, that I was never left behind and quite often our coffee/ lunch stops were planned around my ‘schedule’.
The 3-day bikepacking trip that traversed along the Belgium and Dutch border really had a little bit of everything in terms of terrain and surface. From challenging sandy farm roads to almost near perfect gravel to windy single track in the forest, we got a taste of some of the best on offer in the regions of North Brabant and Limburg. Each day I tried to ride with different people, but groups did form naturally based on fitness and skill level, which was always going to happen. Having the whole day to ride meant we could take our time in the morning packing up, plotting out our coffee/food stops, made easy by the search features available in komoot. The group chat was key in sharing anything yummy or interesting that someone had come across on the route! The evenings were a time where all the groups came together, sometimes around a shared meal to laugh and talk about our experiences during the day and to plan our adventure for the next day.
What I really loved about this trip was not only the fantastic riding, but the incredible women I got to spend the whole day adventuring with. I was so inspired by the stories that were told by some of the more experienced bikepackers and I realised that yes, this is actually something I can do and I should do more of in the future. As a former bike racer, it has been hard for me to switch my mentality from being performance driven to just enjoying the bike and what it can offer – adventure. The weekender was the perfect experience to dip my toes into the world of bike packing. As a mum of two young boys, I’m looking forward to being able to share these kinds of experiences with my kids. I’ve caught the bikepacking bug, and I cannot wait to plan my next adventure!”
At IRIS, the Mission Continues
These events were not just about cycling; they were part of a larger mission to encourage women to ride with vibrant self-expression and colourful confidence. Together with our partners like komoot, we are committed to making riding a bike accessible and fun for all women. Whether navigating the hills of the Black Forest or cruising through the Lowlands, these weekenders prove that the journey is as delightful as the destination. The adventure continues, and we can’t wait to see more women riding with us.
Photos courtesy of Vanessa Blankenagel (Black Forest) and Lian van Leeuwen (Lowlands)