Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
The 2023 Bicycle Adventure Meeting saw a record-breaking 1,200 attendees gather in Mantua, Italy, for a weekend of group rides, workshops, and community building. Find a recap from Emily MacKenzie’s ride to the event with new friends here…
Words by Emily MacKenzie, photos by Dmytro Prudnikov and BAM!
Milan, Italy, June 2023. Our group of six met up to ride together to the Bicycle Adventure Meeting, or BAM!, what’s called “the heart of bikepacking in Europe.” Andrea, Tatiana, Kasia, Kyle, Dmytro, and I were new friends and total strangers at the same time.
When the alarm went off at 5 a.m. on Friday morning, excitement and anticipation filled my heart. We packed up the last of our things onto the bikes—not to forget the tiny Bialetti, our most essential gadget—and went off to ride to Milano Centrale. From there, the train would take us out of the city into northern Italy. The sun was already blazing down on us with all its power, and it wasn’t even 8 a.m.
After a quick cappuccino in Lodi, we headed off towards our destination. The route would take us on about 140 kilometres on both gravel and paved roads heading southeast into Mantova and to the BAM festival. I was both excited and nervous about this trip. Being a new bikepacking, this was something fairly new to me, and I had never ridden such a long distance on a gravel bike. Around the halfway point, we rolled into Cremona, a beautiful old town where we sat down for a long lunch break and some semifreddo al torrone, a dessert specialty from the area. Some of us might have had the first spritz of the weekend at this point and some of us might have also taken a sweet little nap.
Rolling on later, it was after 1 p.m., and to say the sun was burning down on us would be an understatement. Luckily, we found some cute little fountains in the villages we passed through to fill up on water and cool our heads. The closer we got to Mantova, the more people like us we met. Coming from all directions, we encountered cyclists with bikes fully packed with bags and camping equipment. You could already sense the spirit that would carry us through the whole weekend in every one of them. There was only one question asked: “BAM?” And the answer was always an emphatic, “Yes!”
Pedalling a loaded bike was challenging, but the support from the group got me through it, mile by mile. Riding with people you feel comfortable with is an absolute game changer; they pull you through when you can’t do it by yourself anymore. The mood was high, and when we finally arrived in Mantova, the first thing we did was get some much-needed gelato. Only a three-minute ride away from the city centre, we could finally see the festival’s campsite.
We were warmly welcomed by the lovely people from Komoot and Alba Optics with cold drinks and hugs and friendly faces-exactly what we needed after a long day in the saddle. It was wonderful meeting other groups of cyclists arriving every minute, and we could clearly their exhaustion but also their happiness to have finally made it. After we all had a quick shower and built up our tents by the water, all we needed to finish the day was some pizza, good company, and inspiring conversations with fellow riders.
It was only 6:30 a.m. when I woke up the next morning, and both the water and the campsite were still peacefully quiet. The sky was grey, so it looked as if this might be the calm before the storm. I decided to take a little walk through town and get some croissants and a coffee at a nice little Italian café. When I came back an hour later, it had just started raining. Not exactly what you expect for a cycling weekend in Italy. But no matter the weather, the collective spirit remained high, and everyone seemed to just get along with the situation. There was no stress, no pressure, and we just sat under a tent and cuddled up for some breakfast.
By midday, it had cleared up and the FLINTA ride we had postponed due to the rain in the morning could finally take place. About 15 cyclists gathered up for a 40-kilometre party ride. Kasia, Tatiana, and I would guide the group through the beautiful Mantova countryside with all its typical fields and canals. With the event being a great opportunity to meet new people, this was probably my favourite part. The way women connect through experiences like this—the safe space, the chats, the comfort—is just something you can’t beat. We stopped for some beers, gelato, and coffee, and when we arrived back at the festival in the afternoon, the sun had too.
Once again, we were welcomed by everyone with all the positive energy and love. Kyle from Pizza Gravel in Berlin was already prepping his bike, and by that, I mean attaching a bottle of Aperol to his fork. He and a group of cyclists were about to head out for what was going to be the first Pizza Gravel ride to take place in Italy; I’m pretty sure there’s probably no better place to do so. In the meantime, there was a generous number of things the festival offered for folks to participate in. Besides group rides, there were speakers, workshops, bike brand vendors, or you could simply relax by the Mincio River. After the Pizza Gravel ride there was, as the name suggests, pizza. Our second evening at BAM! was ready to kick off. There might have also been one or two drinks of amaro shared between new old friends.
The next morning, it was time to pack up the tents and our bags onto the bikes. None of us really wanted to leave, so we took a fair bit of time and enjoyed a coffee and laughter by the river until we had to say our last goodbyes. What was so special about this festival wasn’t all of us being cyclists with a common interest. Rather, it was the true sense of community. Every conversation, every memory made, every handshake, every hug was special. It didn’t matter what kit you wore or what bike you rode, there was no judgement, only openness and appreciation. This is something you can’t create with words or advertising, you have to live it, share it, and experience it. The authenticity this event offers to everyone who wants to join is incredible. Writing these words now, my mind is filled with good memories I will never forget.
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