Now in it’s 5th year, Sisters In The Wild is a Gravel Riding festival set in the picturesque Lake District. It’s aimed at bringing over 300 female, non-binary and trans cyclists together to chat bike shit, share stories, build skills and ride bikes; all in an inclusive community atmosphere.
Camping in the beautiful Grizedale Forest, with pods and yurts for those less inclined to sleep under canvas and unbelievable food from Joey’s Café, who provided everything from tasty cakes to vegan evening meals, it was three fantastic days with a bunch of like-minded, fun-loving riders.
The three days was a mixture of guided rides, skills classes and mechanics workshops all led by women. Early birds could indulge in morning yoga and a gong bath. Alongside these, there were inspirational speakers chatting about a wide variety of adventures, cycling routes plus bike packing tips. With a number of brands showing off riding apparel, helmets, shoes, saddles and bike-packing bags, it was easy to get carried away with the credit card!
Sadly, the sunshine didn’t get the memo but the biblical rain didn’t dampen our spirits. Reilly had a fleet of gravel demo bikes available which were snapped up every morning and then again for the evening rides. Many people had never had the opportunity to try a titanium bike and returned from the rides with big smiles and comments like ‘it’s so stable’ ‘I just LOVE IT’ ‘It filled me with confidence” and “I feel planted!!’.
Knowing how expensive these events can be, Sister In The Wild x Rider Resilience offered 3 riders free entry, loan of camping gear, support with travel costs, free entry to one of the workshop events and the loan of a Reilly bike for the entire weekend.
One of the recipients was Rashida who instantly bonded with her Gradient XXS
By the end of the weekend, I was completely shattered but happy. There’s nothing quite like spending time with great people, soaking up the outdoors (literally) and feeling the bike love!
