Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
The first annual Pedaleo festival in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, attracted cyclists from all across Europe for a weekend of group rides, presentations, and community building. Among the special guests was Ana Zamora, who presented on bikepacking and photography. Find a recap from Ana alongside photos from Alex Leroy here…
Words by Ana Zamora, photos by Pedaleo.cc / Alex Leroy
It was a sunny spring day in the Basque Country when I received a call from Janosch. The sun was hitting my laptop as I worked from the balcony, and the man behind some of the coolest gravel events around proposed a challenge I fell in love with immediately: giving a talk at his new event, Pedaleo. I said yes like a lover. Switzerland, bikes, different routes, people from all over the world, familiar faces from the Bikepacking community, talks, yoga, a campsite by a lake for three days in August. What could possibly go wrong? I could hear the excitement in Janosch’s voice, matching my own.
As soon as summer started, I began gathering photos and stories from my different bikepacking trips around the world to build a presentation for the workshop Janosch had proposed: “Bikepacking & Photography.” This would be my first talk in English, so even though I was confident people would enjoy it, I felt a bit of nervousness in my stomach. In the meantime, my Instagram feed became all about Pedaleo in the weeks leading up to the event. I was getting to know other speakers and participants through DMs and comments. “Are you going to Pedaleo?” became a common question throughout July, flickering across my screen. The hype was real!
Even a friend of a friend from Bilbao joined the event to get some inspiration for her bikepacking trips. We suddenly found ourselves having dinner together before her departure to Switzerland. I was also in touch with David from Murcia, who was cycling all the way from southern Spain on an incredible journey, and with my friends Cris and Irra from Surya Bikepacking, who were coming from Teruel, along with Adri, Marie, Pablo, and Manolo. Then there was another guy, Raúl, I’d been following for months, who was pedalling down from Germany. People were converging on Neuchâtel from all directions.
July passed faster than expected, and the first European bikepacking festival was about to happen in a few days. The concept of getting there through four different bikepacking routes—from Paris, Freiburg in Germany, Como in Italy, and across Switzerland from St. Gallen—was truly brilliant. It not only made the event more sustainable but also added an extra layer of adventure and inspiration for everyone involved. Even though I couldn’t ride one of the routes myself because I had to work in Zurich until the day before the event, I was buzzing watching people’s progress as they rolled towards Neuchâtel from all directions.
Switzerland never fails to amaze me. Its landscapes feel like a playground sculpted for adventure, where every valley, peak, and lake has its own character. Beyond the postcard-perfect Alps, the country reveals an endless network of trails, passes, and hidden corners that keep me coming back for more. And this time, I’d be sharing it with mates old and new.
Even though I’ve been to Switzerland plenty of times, this was my first visit to Neuchâtel. Switzerland never disappoints, but Neuchâtel was built to be cute, and perfect for cycling too. The mix of culture, nature, and winding routes gives every path a sense of discovery.
After using the free public transport passes everyone received by email, getting to the campsite was easy. I’d imagined a traditional campsite with rows of pitches and reception desks, but this was far from that. Instead, we had a sprawling field by the lake with just the essentials, toilets, and showers in a small building nearby. It couldn’t have been better for hosting a bunch of bikepackers. I’ve been to a few smaller, more intimate bikepacking gatherings—usually capped at 25 to 30 people—but this one ended up being my favourite to this day. The atmosphere was diverse and welcoming from the very beginning. I felt at home from minute one.
Angela, a cyclist I’d met through Instagram a few years back, recognized me at the main entrance where we showed our tickets—just 25 Swiss francs, by the way! After passing through some small trees, the path opened into a larger area, and we entered the field. From right to left: a great mix of well-known bikepacking brands like Ortlieb, my mates and long-time supporters Tout Terrain, and MSR, alongside a bunch of exciting new start-ups bringing fresh ideas to the scene. And, crucially, a top-notch coffee van.
Buying some Ragusa—my favourite Swiss chocolate—as presents for people was a great idea. Chats, hugs, and laughs were shared over chocolate, chips, and other healthier options. After leaving my stuff at Surya’s corner, I forgot to set up my tent in the camping area. A perfect excuse to join Adrien Liechti’s talk about living on the road: this Swiss ultra-cycling legend and full-time bikepacker was precisely the kind of person that made Pedaleo special. I’d been following his adventures and ultra experiences for years, and we’d chatted a few times through Instagram, but we’d never crossed paths until this event. Pedaleo was the perfect excuse for all of us to gather finally.
As the first few hours passed, more bikepackers rolled in. Each one arrived with their own stories from along the way, dust-covered bikes, and of course, wild, beaming smiles when we met them in person in Neuchâtel. “We finally meet in person!” became my favourite phrase of the weekend. It was a brilliant feeling. Putting faces to Instagram handles was one of the highlights of the event, as was reconnecting with others I hadn’t seen in years. What I love most about bikepacking isn’t just discovering remote places and their culture, but meeting other “crazy” people who love the same stuff. The bikepacking community is growing year by year, but it’s still small enough that people host each other, share food, offer warm showers, swap stories, laughs, tears, and tips.
As soon as I pitched my tent, I realized I was about to have a few brilliant days in a very special location: right in front of the beautiful Lake Neuchâtel. I could jump from my tent into the water in less than three steps! The weather forecast looked promising, and the sun shone for almost the entire event. We needed jackets from the afternoon through to early morning, but the cooler temperatures meant we’d sleep well.
The afternoon started with a 25-kilometre social ride that some people joined. I chose to stay—I was too excited to meet other bikepackers and reunite with old mates. Time flies when you’re having fun. Quinda Verheul took the stage to share “Racing lines and landscapes,” talking about her experiences from the saddle, competing and exploring all over the world. A true ultra-racing icon. Then came the icing on the cake: Wiebke Lühmann, whom I’d been following for ages, showed us a premiere of her latest documentary and book, along with stories from her solo bike trip from Freiburg to Cape Town.
I thought the day was already done when the idea of joining the pedal-powered outdoor cinema came up. We watched stunning films under a starlit sky with electricity generated by ten people pedalling on ergometers. It was incredible; the kind of moment that stays with you. We all knew that day, August 1st, Switzerland celebrates its National Day, and the whole country hosts activities in every city, town, and village. Neuchâtel was no exception. While a live Kenyan band brought incredible energy to the scene after we’d had dinner in the shared common area, we had front-row seats for a massive fireworks display right in the middle of the lake. It felt unreal! It seemed like Janosch had booked this just to impress us at the first edition and night of Pedaleo. It worked.
The first day was so intense that I fell asleep as soon as I got into my sleeping bag. The rain in the morning, along with the cosiness and warmth inside my tent, meant I didn’t join the yoga session at 8:30 a.m. (sorry, I regret it now!). I was also a bit nervous because my workshop was happening almost straight after. When my turn arrived, though, I felt comfortable, like I was home. Amaia and Marvin, old friends from my hometown and Switzerland, as well as Birgit and Karen, whom I’d met the day before, and Belén were all in the first row. I honestly felt like people were right there with me in my travels and stories around the world.
The rain stopped just in time for the social ride: a 42-kilometre loop with Tout Terrain that I absolutely loved. Not only because I got to ride their Vasco model far from home, but because the mix of terrain, trails, and atmosphere in just a few kilometres blew me away. We started in Neuchâtel on a paved road, then suddenly turned into a beautiful, fun single track through the forest, followed by a double-track path that zigzagged upwards. The slopes were gentle, and the view over the lake grew more and more beautiful as we climbed higher and gained perspective.
Marei Moldenhauer’s talk, “Becoming brave”, made me push my limits not only on the way back down to the Pedaleo area but also on the way up. I wanted to hear about the future of women’s ultra-cycling, and it didn’t disappoint. Even though my approach to bikepacking is very different from hers, I always get so much inspiration from other bikepacking women, regardless of their style or the kinds of trips and challenges they take on.
The line-up of talks was excellent. After Marei, Giulia Baroncini, an incredibly passionate bikepacker from Italy, took the mic. Then came Tobias Renggli, who cycled to every European country in just one year, climbing the highest peak in each. If that’s not huge inspiration, I don’t know what is! I wish I could understand Swiss German to grasp his stories fully, because they were amazing even just through the photos.
There was space between talks for us to chat, eat some extra Ragusa, and exchange thoughts before the following social ride organised by Ortlieb. I decided not to join because I was too excited to share stories and ideas with my new mates and the crew from Tout Terrain, who’ve been supporting me since the very beginning of my bike travels. Robin Gemperle—probably the most successful ultra-racer right now after winning the Silk Road Mountain Race, the Atlas Mountain Race, Tour Divide, and Transcontinental within two years—was also there, presenting some of his attempts, wins, and the emotions he felt during those races.
I heard “pizza” and my belly started melting. Birgit had the brilliant idea of calling a pizza place next to Pedaleo, though she accidentally ordered it to Lausanne. We could’ve ridden our bikes there to collect it, but we were too hungry for that, and we also wanted to join the cinema screening of Les Triplettes de Belleville. It was the second and last night of the event.
Sunday was a chilly day. A shared breakfast, a short social ride, and then we all dissolved into hugs, exchanging phone numbers to stay in touch and packing our camping gear from that beautiful piece of green land by the lake. Everything felt like a dream, from the rides to the atmosphere we all created, to the talks and the hours spent chatting with strangers who are already part of this bikepacking family. When Janosch called me that sunny spring day in the Basque Country, I said yes like a lover. Now, standing by Lake Neuchâtel with dust on my bike and new friends around me, I understood why. Pedaleo wasn’t just an event; it was proof that the best adventures happen when you bring a tribe all together.
I have the feeling that Pedaleo is going to become huge in the coming years. And honestly, I already can’t wait to come back. Who knows, maybe I’ll ride from my hometown, Bilbao? Maybe from Paris? Or from Zurich? One thing is for sure: however I get there, I’ll be saying “yes” like a lover all over again.
Next year’s event is already scheduled for July. Learn more at Pedaleo.cc.
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