Komoot Women's Badlands Rally 2024

I toured the Badlands route with Rue before racing it in 2022 and would happily ride it again every year. I remember sitting in a plaza overlooking the Alhambra at sunset, watching flamenco guitarists and dancers perform for the public. I remember riding out of town through olive orchards and straight into the mountains. I remember passing observatories, descending into the desert, climbing back up into the sierra, and finally down to the beach. We lived off potatoes and Spanish tortilla and sometimes ate ice cream for breakfast. We swam in the sea and took the train back to Granada. The riding was hard, but life was simple.

This will be our 7th komoot Women’s Rally in four years. We started these events to encourage more women, trans, and non-binary riders to take on bike adventures, to build relationships, and help and encourage each other along the way. So much more has come from this than I could’ve imagined. Riders often arrive apprehensive and a week later emerge as leaders. They go home and organize riding groups, start podcasts, and share their experiences with their community. They plan another trip, they invite their friends, they bring their families along, and sometimes they sign up for races. I’m uplifted by these stories and they keep me going.

There are so many elements that go into a great bikepacking route — quiet roads, spectacular views, welcoming communities, open space, rolling terrain, camping under the stars, and access to supplies and transportation. From mountains to coastline to sandy beaches, riding in Southern Spain is romantic and the Badlands route is ideal for a rally. A huge thank you to David, Azahara, Rafa, and the rest of the team from Badlands for all of their hard work.

For the rally, we will start riding together in Granada on April 20th and the only goal is to make it to the finishers’ party in Almería on April 27th. It’s mixed terrain suited to gravel bikes or mountain bikes. Easy gearing and light packing will help with all the climbing. It’s not a race — ride at your own pace, make friends, help each other, and share meals and campsites. These rallies are special because of the time we spend together.

To keep the experience intimate, we limit registration to 50 riders. We’ll give preference to people from underrepresented groups. While registration is free, riders have to cover their own expenses.

- Lael Wilcox

Important Information:
🗓️ Rally dates: 20-27 April 2024
🚴‍♀️ Number of places: 50
✅ Ballot opens: 15 February 2024
🔒 Ballot closes: 22 February 2024 23:59 UTC
🇪🇸 Start: Granada, Spain
🇪🇸 End: Almería, Spain
🌯 Welcome dinner: Friday 19th April 2024
🚲 Start riding: Saturday morning, 20th April 2024
🍹 Finisher party: Saturday 27th April 2024

📮 Enter the ballot: atleta.cc/e/nP6O860Nf36p
We’ll draw names from the application pool after the application window closes on 22 February and the results will be shared to the successful applicants by email on 27 February. If you do not receive an email, your name hasn't been drawn but you will automatically be moved to the waiting list and notified if a place becomes available.

FAQs:
🙋 Is it a race?: Nope, it’s a non-competitive rally.
🙋 Does it cost money?: There’s no ticket and no cost from us. It’s a free-to-enter, self-supported rally where you pay for your own travel, food, and accommodation.
🙋 How flexible is it?: Very. Everyone starts and ends together but apart from that, you can choose your own adventure. You can divide the route in terms of distance for the days as you like. We all communicate in a WhatsApp group to exchange locations and accommodation tips.
🙋 Do people ride together?: Usually! Groups often form out of different paces and preferences for daily distance and overnight stops.
🙋 Where will I stay?: Wherever you like! We’ll recommend some campsites and hotels, but you’re free to stop off wherever you want to.
🙋 How much experience do I need?: Check out the route and elevation gain to see if you’re comfortable with it, but you can take short cuts or detours whenever you want to. A good general level of fitness and some experience riding day rides is essential, but you don’t have to have been multi-day riding before.
🙋 What type of bike is recommended?: We recommend a gravel bike or a mountain bike. The route is not suitable for road bikes as the route also follows gravel roads and unpaved sections.
🙋 What happens if I have bike issues?: Rally riders are always happy to help each other out, exchange skills, and swap snacks while fixing bikes. You can also head to bike repair shops and buy replacement parts in larger towns.
🙋 Are e-bikes accepted?: We won't be accepting e-bikes for this event due to various concerns. The route hasn't been designed with e-bikes in mind, which means we can't be confident that there are reliable charging options along the way. Another consideration is that it isn't possible to take e-bikes on the plane, making it hard for people to bring e-bikes to Spain. These are just a couple of the various concerns that we have right now. When we are planning future rallies we will have this topic in mind and consider creating a suitable route.
🙋 How inclusive is the term ‘women’?: The komoot Women’s Rally welcomes all women, no matter their background, including transgender women. If you identify as a woman and you love riding, you belong in our rally!
🙋 Is there a transport option for my bike bag from Granada to Almería? There will be a luggage transport option for your bike bag from Granada to Almería.
🙋 How do I get back to Granada or Málaga from Almería in case I don’t travel back from Almería? There is public transportation to Granada and Málaga.
🙋 I have another question: Ask other questions in the comments of this komoot Collection and we’ll get back to you ASAP.