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BIG LITTLE RIDES: THE CAMPFIRE

New Year, new you? Yawn. How about New Year, new launch for your own adventures?

Here’s what we’re thinking: the Big Little Rides tours are awesome (and SO.MUCH.FUN), but so many of you ladies are on the cusp of setting off on your own two-wheeled adventure. 

You’re dreaming and scheming, staring at maps and looking at bike rental options or how to ship your own motorcycle someplace cool, you’ve got the means and the vision, but…

…you’re a bit unsure.

…you’d like to know that you’re NOT alone in your suspicion towards deep gravel or sketchy border crossings.

…you could use some practical, real-world skill training – like what to do if you’ve dropped your bike on an incline while riding alone, how to clean your air filter, and how to pack smart or avoid riding in the dark.

…you could definitely use some inspiration and a confidence boost.

…you need to confirm you’re not the only weirdo who thinks Mosko’s rackless panniers are a bit finicky to pack and who feels tank bags aren’t just for protein bars and phones, they’re for cute dog pictures and road talismans, too. 

… you’d love to have some community support while planning – and executing – your own adventure.

… you’re itching to meet and talk with other women riders just like you who have done some cool shit recently – like riding across South America, embarking on their first Trans Euro Trail ride, or shipping their bike to Cape Town to explore Southern Africa for a couple of months.

…you’d love to achieve all of the above in a five-day event in April, surrounded by women just like your awesome self and aided by copious amounts of glorious Portuguese food, ocean views, shit-talking, snort-laughing, story sharing, and wine.

…you’d like to leave this event slightly sunburnt and seriously inspired, equipped with newly built real-world travel skills, and a network of support to tap into when the going gets tough (or when you just need to vent about shitty gas station coffee or a seriously shady hotel you had to spend the night in). 

Sound about right?

Say no more.

Our inaugural (yes, we used the word “inaugural”. We can be fancy, too. For about five seconds) Big Little Rides CAMPFIRE event in Portugal, April 19-23, is exactly that.

Ready to light it up?

JOIN US

Here’s all the nitty gritty for the Big Little Rides CAMPFIRE edition:

DAY 1

Arrive to Lisbon, Portugal, our most beloved city in Europe (it’s got nothing to do with those absinth bars. Nothing at all), and transfer to our base in Figueira da Foz – in our professional opinion, the cutest seaside town on the Portuguese coast.

Meet: Isa Cohen, our rockstar guest speaker, traveler, surfer, and two-wheeled tornado of positive energy with an excessive collection of llama pictures from her South American adventures. Isa has recently completed an epic (yes, we’re aware this word is nauseating, but yes, we need it here) trip from the US to Argentina and back on a 1997 Suzuki DRZ400 and a surfboard strapped to its side…all while having zero previous riding experience. 

You’ll also meet the Big Little Rides team and your new crew of adventure buddies.

Eat: stupidly delicious seafood and too many pasteis de nata.

Settle in: Welcome to the Paintshop, our base for the event. It’s an artsy surfer hostel with twin share rooms, and yeah, we’ll have the whole place to ourselves, so if you’re caught raiding the fridge at 2AM…well, we’ll probably join you.

Do You: want to go on a little Old Town wander after the meet-and-greet dinner? Happy to hit the hay early? Want to join the crew in the lounge downstairs and shoot the breeze? All options are valid life choices.

DAY 2

Let’s kick this thing off with some knobby tires, dirt, and real-world scenarios.

Here’s the rough plot:

Morning. Breakfast briefing: what’s your biggest nemesis? What’s the one skill you really wish you had? We’ll have a chat, then build these things into our day. 

Next up, we’ll drive down to our bike base, saddle up, and head out for some basic skill training and tackling stuff that can – and likely will – happen on your own travels, like dropping the bike on a hill, getting stuck in sand, needing to bump-start your steed, or watching your GPS lock up in a spasm because you’ve gone off the trail.

Lunch: an all-you-can-eat situation in a beach restaurant.

Afternoon: a scenic ride to get rid of the food coma and a transfer back to Paintshop for an evening of travel talks with Isa, dinner, and a cold one or two.

DAY 3:

Morning. More skill training on those dirt bikes, more real-world scenarios and how to solve them, and dirt ‘staches on Portuguese trails. Today, we’re aiming to put the skills into practice and tackle some new stuff – all while having each other’s backs (except when it comes to taking dorky pics of the most spectacular landings).

Lunch. You decide! Seaside picnic? Old Town food fest? Your pick.

Afternoon. Let’s get unserious for a minute; skill training and practice are all good stuff, but we’re here to have a ridiculous amount of fun, too. So brace yourself for the infamous Slow Race, donuts in the sand (we haven’t mastered them yet, either, but it’s fun to try), and other silly dirt bike shenanigans that look cool on your Instagram and make you giggle uncontrollably.

Evening. Back to the Paintshop, and off to greatness and glory: campfire-style talks with Isa, your own experiences and expectations, dinner, more wine, and likely an impromptu Paintshop lounge hangout.

DAY 4

Morning. Ditch the bikes and learn to surf with Isa – because we’re in Portugal, after all. Don’t want to surf? Perfect your beach-napping techniques or explore the Old Town on your own; remember, YOU get to choose your adventure – we’re just here to prompt some questionable life choices and cheer you on. 

Lunch: Team up and conquer: everyone’s free to roam, or we can hit that beach restaurant again.

Afternoon: Time to level up your mechanical game! We’ll head over to the bike base and have Steve The Bike Guy explain things to us – this is going to be a quick and easy bike maintenance workshop on how to change your oil, clean your air filter, and diagnose why your bike won’t start – it’s either fuel, air, or spark (but we’ll elaborate on that later).

Evening: Outdoor jacuzzi, BBQ cookout, and chats around the fireplace for the wrap-up party! Think too much food, excellent company, more of Isa’s awesomeness, stories, and tips on how to take the most awkward llama photos imaginable while grinning from ear to ear in some remote Andean village. 

After that, we’re not responsible for your choices or your whereabouts: we’ll transfer back to Paintshop after the wrap-up party, but if you decide to take off for a beach bar crawl of Figueira… hey, who are we not to join you.

DAY 5

Departure. You’ll leave sunburnt, possibly slightly hungover, seriously inspired, and armed with a new set of skills plus an entire network of kickass women who’ve got your back, a Portuguese food baby as a souvenir, and a new confidence to go on your own adventures.

Dates: April 19-23

Location: Figueira da Foz, Portugal (airport: Lisbon)

Crew: Egle and Jurga from Big Little Rides; Isa Cohen of The Weird and Awesome Adventures by Isa Cohen, LLC

Spots: 8 max with bike rental; 5 max with your own bike

 

Pricing:

All-In: EUR 1,750

BOOK NOW – DEPOSIT ONLY

BOOK NOW – FULL PRICE

 

Includes:

Airport transfers; accommodation (twin share); dirt bike rental; fuel; breakfast and lunch meals; workshops and guiding; surfing.

Come on your own bike: EUR 950

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Includes: all of the above minus airport transfers, bike rentals, and fuel

 

SERIOUS DIRT BIKE MANIAC want to combine the CAMPFIRE with more riding, surfing, and sailing in Portugal?

Add in our Portugal tour and get the whole sweet deal for EUR 3,500, you lunatic. 

Includes: Campfire, April 19-23, plus Portugal Dirt and Surf Tour, April 25-30.

BOOK NOW