Bikepack Her

BIKEPACKHER is an ongoing mission to celebrate, recognize, and encourage more women to participate in cycling and bikepacking.

We are telling the stories of women in bikepacking, sharing their adventures through writing, photography, video, rides and events  to encourage more women to participate in the sport we know and love. Help us create a more inclusive bikepacking community by encouraging women you know who have an interest in bikepacking and sharing these female penned stories below.

Tag your next adventure #bikepackHER to give more visibility to women in cycling and inspire others!





#bikepackher Archives

  March is women’s history month and we’re excited to close out the month with a giveaway to celebrate women, bikes, and the joy of being outside. We’re partnered with Rocky Talkies, Heather’s Choice, and Mind + Mountain to gift one lucky winner the tools they need to get out on their next biking adventure … [ Read More ]


This month for our “Ask an Ambassador” article we checked in with endurance and adventure cyclist, Annie. Annie’s bikepacking resume is extensive, but for this article we wanted to talk with her about her many sojourns into the world of solo bikepacking. If you haven’t seen “The Longest Night” we highly recommend giving it a … [ Read More ]



Annie has been a Revelate Ambassador since 2016 and we love getting to follow along with her bikepacking adventures. Back in December Annie rode the Highland Trail 550 route in winter as a fundraising challenge for Bike for Good in Glasgow. With unpredictable Scottish winter conditions and 17hours of darkness to manage, it was an … [ Read More ]


One thing you learn early on about bikepacking is that every trip is an evolution of strategy and kit. One common dilemma, especially amongst the “vertically challenged” is that it can be hard to find the right combination of capable bike + gear. To get the “low down” on kit and strategy we asked Elisa … [ Read More ]



One thing you learn early on about bikepacking is that every trip is an evolution of strategy and kit. One common dilemma is that it can be hard to find the right combination of capable bike + gear, especially if you don’t have a large frame to pack with ease. To get the lowdown on … [ Read More ]


One thing you learn early on about bikepacking is that every trip is an evolution of strategy and kit. One common dilemma, especially amongst the “vertically challenged” is that it can be hard to find the right combination of capable bike + gear. To get the “lowdown” on kit and strategy we asked Elisa Meza– … [ Read More ]



Holly
November 20, 2019

I Just Want To Ride

Posted by in BikepackHER

“Weather permitting, I’d like to go after Mike Hall’s record (13 days, 22 hours, 51 minutes)— but you just never know how it’ll go out there :),” emails Lael. This was December, 2018. The Tour Divide roster was stacking up, there was going to be some good competition out there. Lael already held the women’s … [ Read More ]


Emma Holgate likes to chase adventures through the mountains on bikes and skis. Having worked as a ski patroller in the gnarly weather of Scotland’s ski hills, and set up her own mountain bike guiding business, she now works full time as a bike instructor at Scotland’s national outdoor training centre in the Cairngorms, helping … [ Read More ]



Molly Sugar
October 3, 2019

Nevertheless She Persisted

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The dark blue river flowed by us as we prepped dinner along the sandy inlet next to R’s hammock. We each tended to our meals – either waiting for dehydrated food to soften up, or stirring meticulously so burnt bits didn’t get stuck at the bottom of our stoves. As we ate we talked about … [ Read More ]


Kailey Kornhauser
September 23, 2019

I pedaled here

Posted by in BikepackHER

I was half way up City Creek Canyon, totally out of breath. My bike was heavy, and I told my friends to go on without me, I’d catch up. As they pedaled out of sight past the next turn I cursed to myself and thought about my weighted disadvantage. It’s true, my bike is heavy, … [ Read More ]



Holly
September 12, 2019

Alana Rides

Posted by in BikepackHER

To start this post off I’d like to share a few facts you may find interesting: Girls and boys share similar attitudes about exercise and bicycling until age 14, at which point more girls fear injury and doubt their own athletic competence.¹  On average, boys cycle nearly 6 times as much as girls (138 miles/year … [ Read More ]


Bonnie Gagnon
September 3, 2019

This Way to Antelope Wells

Posted by in BikepackHER

I am not a gifted athlete. I haven’t trained all my life, nor won any notable races. In fact, I wasn’t even supposed to be alive at this very moment, having been diagnosed with an advanced case of Lemierre’s Syndrome in 2010, barely surviving the ambush by the disease’s bacteria and living with the residual … [ Read More ]



A few years ago I yearned to plan my own bikepacking trip. I was intimidated since I had very little experience and even less bike maintenance knowledge. But I then realized I didn’t need to be an expert to try something new. I surveyed several girlfriends via text message, “Hey, you wanna bikepack the Kokopelli … [ Read More ]


I plant my feet on the rough stone, hoping my cleats don’t slip on the wet surface, grit my teeth and drag my bike up the next step, reposition and repeat. Low cloud obscures both the view and the remaining 600 vertical metres to the pass, helping me focus only on the short distance I … [ Read More ]



Hesitantly, I pondered over how to spend my precious month off. My friends Nic and Sue had extended an invitation to bike in Spain, but I day-dreamed of a bikepacking escape to mountainous Greece or maybe a trip south of the equator, say, New Zealand. Point being, Spain was not on the top of my … [ Read More ]


A yelp snaps me out of my daze and I see her go down, off the side of the ledge. Running on instinct, I limp down the steep slope to the beach. She’s down and then she’s up. “I’m okay!” Her mouth is caked with dirt and she’s covered in it. “Are you sure? Did … [ Read More ]



Sarah Sturm
April 16, 2019

The Women I Choose

Posted by in BikepackHER

We’re excited to bring you this piece from Sarah Sturm, but first a note from all of us at Revelate Designs. As leaders in the bikepacking industry, we’ve decided it’s time we make a dedicated effort to support and recognize women in the sport. That’s why we’re launching BIKEPACKHER. It is an ongoing mission to … [ Read More ]


On June 20, 2018, Lael Wilcox won second place in Switzerland’s Navad 1000 bikepacking race (1010 KM // 627 miles), becoming the second female to finish the race and beating the previous overall course record by more than 18 hours.



In 2010, I set out with my dearest expedition pals, Kate Harris and Rebecca Haspel, to become the first all-female team to summit Lingsarmo/Pinnacle Peak – a 6955m peak in the heart of the Indian Himalaya. By the time we were descending from the precipitous summit, we were already brewing up our next expedition. A … [ Read More ]


I wake up holding my cramping stomach, I could just lie here but after four days in the backcountry we all want to get to Mulege for food and comfort. As we start riding I feel sorry for myself then I feel better and a great idea knocks me over, that I won’t stop again. … [ Read More ]