{"id":15871,"date":"2026-05-30T22:47:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T15:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15871"},"modified":"2026-05-30T22:47:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T15:47:01","slug":"lessons-from-behind-the-scenes-of-a-cycling-retreat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15871","title":{"rendered":"Lessons From Behind the Scenes of a Cycling Retreat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>This page may contain affiliate links \u2014 they are marked with a *. Making a purchase via my affiliate means I receive a small share of the sale.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28171 perfmatters-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a284d1f2-da9c-488e-aaee-9c2005254e35-2-1440x1080.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a284d1f2-da9c-488e-aaee-9c2005254e35-2-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a284d1f2-da9c-488e-aaee-9c2005254e35-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a284d1f2-da9c-488e-aaee-9c2005254e35-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a284d1f2-da9c-488e-aaee-9c2005254e35-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a284d1f2-da9c-488e-aaee-9c2005254e35-2-150x113.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Back in April 2026, I spent about 10 days in Moj\u00e1car, Spain, hosting a 7 day \/ night women\u2019s cycling retreat.<\/p>\n<p>Now, before anyone imagines I spent the week pedalling around in the sunshine, drinking coffee and taking photos of the sea, let me stop you right there. You couldn\u2019t be more wrong. <\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong, there was plenty of sunshine. The roads were beautiful, the food was excellent and watching women achieve things they didn\u2019t think they were capable of never gets old.<\/p>\n<p>But what struck me most about the week wasn\u2019t the riding itself.<\/p>\n<p>It was everything happening around it.<\/p>\n<p>Having spent years attending cycling events, leading rides, coaching and working within the cycling industry, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what goes into creating a great cycling experience.<\/p>\n<p>Then I spent a week seeing a retreat from the other side.<\/p>\n<p>Whilst riders were busy climbing mountains, conquering fears and making new friends over coffee stops, I got a front-row seat to all the things that happen behind the scenes to make those moments possible.<\/p>\n<p>Some things confirmed what I already thought, whilst other things surprised me completely. So I figured I\u2019d share some of the biggest lessons I took away from the week.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Riders Don\u2019t Need Every Minute Planned<\/h2>\n<p>Shortly before arriving in Moj\u00e1car (i.e days), the full retreat schedule was shared with me. I did think it looked good on paper, but I also did have reservations about the amount of time that was scheduled for a \u2018retreat\u2019. <\/p>\n<p>There were rides, workshops, yoga sessions, talks, social dinners and plenty of opportunities to learn something new. Individually, every activity had value.<\/p>\n<p>What I was concerned about was what all those activities looked like when stacked together.<\/p>\n<p>One day in particular highlighted this perfectly. Riders spent most of the day out on the bike before returning to the hotel at around 5.30pm. Yoga was scheduled an hour later and an evening talk followed after dinner.<\/p>\n<p>By the time everyone had showered, eaten and sat down for five minutes, most people were completely done. Only a handful attended yoga and nobody turned up for the evening talk.<\/p>\n<p>At first glance, you might think that\u2019s a problem. I actually think it\u2019s the opposite. I think it\u2019s a reminder that people book cycling retreats primarily to ride their bikes. Everything else is a bonus.<\/p>\n<p>By the end of the week, some of the most valuable moments weren\u2019t workshops or organised activities at all. They were the chats by the pool, lingering over breakfast or sitting around after dinner talking nonsense. Or dancing together on the final night! <\/p>\n<p>If I was planning a retreat tomorrow, I\u2019d be much less worried about filling every gap in the schedule and much more focused on creating space for those moments to happen naturally.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ability Groups Are Much Harder Than They Look<\/h2>\n<p>Before the retreat started, I\u2019d probably have said that splitting riders into ability groups was one of the easier parts of organising a week away.<\/p>\n<p>You work out who\u2019s quicker, who\u2019s more relaxed, divide everyone up and off you go.<\/p>\n<p>Simple, right? Not quite.<\/p>\n<p>What became obvious very quickly is that cycling ability isn\u2019t just about speed. Some riders are brilliant climbers but nervous descenders.<\/p>\n<p>Some are physically strong but lack confidence riding in groups. Some are perfectly capable of riding with a faster group but don\u2019t believe they belong there.<\/p>\n<p>One thing that really stood out to me was that riders who had been categorised into the \u201cslower\u201d group consistently averaged over 21km\/h throughout the week.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s hardly hanging around.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of those same riders still worried about holding people up. And still felt like they needed to apologise for their pace. They even questioned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/understanding-average-cycling-speed\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"17076\" data-lasso-id=\"11277\">whether they should be there at all<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It reminded me that confidence and ability are often two completely different things.<\/p>\n<p>As ride leaders, guides and organisers, I think we need to be really careful about the language we use because labels stick. Once someone starts seeing themselves as the slow rider, beginner rider or weak rider, it can be difficult to shake.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s a shame because many of the women I met were capable of far more than they gave themselves credit for.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Community Doesn\u2019t Just Magically Happen<\/h2>\n<p>One of the things I love most about women\u2019s cycling is how quickly complete strangers can become friends.<\/p>\n<p>At the start of the week there were riders arriving from different countries, travelling on their own and nervously introducing themselves over dinner.<\/p>\n<p>By the end of the week they were sharing photos, swapping phone numbers and planning future rides together.<\/p>\n<p>From the outside, that can look effortless. But I don\u2019t think community happens by accident.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of the work that goes into creating a good retreat isn\u2019t actually about the bike riding at all.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s noticing who\u2019s sitting quietly at the end of the table. It\u2019s introducing people who have something in common. It\u2019s checking in with the rider who seems a bit nervous.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s making sure nobody feels left out. It\u2019s creating an environment where people feel comfortable enough to be themselves.<\/p>\n<p>One thing I\u2019ve learned through years of coaching and leading rides is that people rarely remember exactly what you said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>They remember how you made them feel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The same applies to retreats. People might forget the details of a route or the elevation profile of a particular climb, but they\u2019ll remember whether they felt welcomed, included and supported.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Support Vehicle Isn\u2019t The Easy Job<\/h2>\n<p>I suspect most people imagine the support vehicle role involves sitting in a van, drinking coffee and occasionally handing out snacks. If only.<\/p>\n<p>The support vehicle quickly becomes the hub for everything; water stops, mechanical issues, lunch coordination, route changes, checking on riders, managing timings, communicating between groups, problem solving and making sure everyone is where they\u2019re supposed to be.<\/p>\n<p>And, of course, trying to predict problems before they become actual problems.<\/p>\n<p>The funny thing is that when everything runs smoothly, nobody really notices. Which is exactly how it should be. Good support often looks invisible.<\/p>\n<p>But after spending time in that role, I came away with a huge appreciation for the amount of work that happens behind the scenes to create an experience that feels seamless for riders.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social Media Is Harder Than People Think<\/h2>\n<p>This one deserves its own blog post entirely. People often assume social media content should be easy at a retreat.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve got beautiful roads, beautiful scenery and a group of cyclists doing interesting things. What more could you want or need? What could possibly go wrong?<\/p>\n<p>The challenge is that guests are paying for an experience, not signing up to become content creators.<\/p>\n<p>Some people love having a camera pointed at them. Others don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Some riders are delighted to feature on Instagram. Others would rather stay completely offline.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s before you even consider the practical side of things.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s surprisingly difficult to capture content whilst simultaneously hosting, supporting riders, coordinating logistics and being fully present in the experience.<\/p>\n<p>Personally, some of my favourite moments from the week weren\u2019t captured at all. They were the conversations, confidence breakthroughs and little wins that happened unexpectedly.<\/p>\n<p>The moments that make a retreat memorable often aren\u2019t the ones you planned to photograph.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flexibility Beats Perfection Every Time<\/h2>\n<p>Like most things in life, retreats rarely go exactly to plan. The weather doesn\u2019t care about your carefully prepared schedule. Mechanical issues don\u2019t check the itinerary first.<\/p>\n<p>People get tired, especially later on in the week and plans change. <\/p>\n<p>Towards the end of the week, poor weather meant the original ride plan no longer made much sense. Instead of forcing it, the schedule adapted.<\/p>\n<p>Yoga was brought forward and spa access was offered.<\/p>\n<p>A smaller ride was organised for those who still wanted to get out on the bike.<\/p>\n<p>And honestly? It worked really well.<\/p>\n<p>One of my biggest takeaways from the week was that people don\u2019t remember whether every activity happened exactly as advertised. They remember how the experience felt.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes the best thing an organiser can do is let go of the plan and respond to what\u2019s actually happening in front of them.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What I\u2019d Do Differently Next Time<\/h2>\n<p>Every event teaches you something.<\/p>\n<p>If I were planning a cycling retreat tomorrow, there are a few things I\u2019d definitely consider.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d include a short orientation ride on day one so riders could get familiar with their hire bikes, the roads and each other before tackling bigger routes.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d run a group riding skills session early in the week, particularly for riders who are newer to riding in groups.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d build more recovery time into the schedule and resist the temptation to fill every available hour.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d look carefully at how groups are split and recognise that confidence is often just as important as fitness.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019d probably schedule dinner a little earlier because hungry cyclists are less sociable.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>Despite all the logistics, planning, schedules and moving parts, the thing I\u2019ll remember most isn\u2019t a particular route or climb. It\u2019s the people.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s watching women ride roads they never thought they\u2019d ride.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s seeing confidence grow over the course of a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s hearing someone say, \u201cI nearly didn\u2019t come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Because that\u2019s the real magic of cycling retreats.<\/p>\n<p>The cycling is important, of course.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s rarely the thing people take home with them.<\/p>\n<p>The friendships, confidence and memories tend to last much longer than any route file ever will.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>If you\u2019ve ever been on a cycling retreat, what\u2019s the one thing organisers got right?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>And if you\u2019re dreaming of hosting one yourself, what\u2019s the thing that worries you most?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>Elle<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepitsimpelle.com\/lessons-from-behind-the-scenes-of-a-cycling-retreat\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This page may contain affiliate links \u2014 they are marked with a *. Making a purchase via my affiliate means I receive a small share of the sale. Back in April 2026, I spent about 10 days in Moj\u00e1car, Spain, hosting a 7 day \/ night women\u2019s cycling retreat. Now, before anyone imagines I spent &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15871\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}