BAM! The European meeting of bicycle travelers – IX edition. BAM!, acronym for Bicycle Adventure Meeting, is the largest meeting in Europe dedicated to bicycle travellers.
Source: press release
“Beyond expectations: a thrill to see thousands of people arrive by bike, even after days of travel”, declare the organizers.
The BAM!, the European gathering of bicycle travellers, held in Mantua from 9 to 11 June, is confirmed as a great party, a sort of "Woodstock of bicycles", which recorded another record-breaking edition, with thousands of cyclists – 1200 of whom chose to sleep in tents – who gathered in front of the lakes of Mantua.
But it's not the numbers that count: the BAM! has consolidated its position as a point of reference for a constantly growing sector. Most travelers cycled to the event, sometimes challenging long distances for the first time. Cyclists from all over Italy and abroad, including Germans, French, Slovenians, Austrians, the United States, even from Taiwan, have gathered in Mantua.
Among the novelties of this edition many events in English and also various technical workshops, dedicated to particular themes such as creativity on the go, the creation of artistic maps, photography or video production, as well as obviously mechanics and even mental preparation.
Among the guests were great travelers such as Lorenzo Barone, sportsmen such as Sofiane Sehili, but also people with interesting stories as a source of inspiration such as Monica Nanetti, Nelson Trees, Ilaria Fiorillo or Alessandra Cappellotto, to name just a few.
The heart of the event, however, remains getting there by pedaling: a total of – it is estimated – more than 300.000km have been covered to reach Mantua: “BAM! is this: to create inspiration to put people on the saddle and make them travel, thanks to an idea of the bicycle that is open and accessible to everyone, from sports cyclists to families, from children to those who see two wheels as a responsible, low-impact choice" , explains Eleonora Bujatti, co-founder of the event.
Year after year, the BAM! becomes an increasingly transversal appointment, where the type of bicycle and cyclist become secondary: from gravel to cargo, from mountain bikes to trekking bikes, all with bags; the important thing is the idea of pedaling to reach a destination, recovering a culture of travel that has its roots in the past. As early as the XNUMXth century, there were those who tied a bag to a bicycle to go far.
“It was a great emotion for us and once again we experienced that the key element is the gathering, or rather the union of people and the sharing of stories and experiences: the BAM! it is an event that belongs to the participants and is based on the values of cycling travel”, continues Eleonora Bujatti.
For 2024, on the occasion of the tenth edition, we are talking about big news.
Maybe even two editions: the BAM! and the BAM! Campfire, the latter on an island in the Mediterranean.
