Before bikepacking existed, there was them:the Rough-Stuff Fellowship

When we talk today about gravel riding, mule tracks, portage, and pedaling where the asphalt ends,
we owe a lot to them too.

The Rough-Stuff Fellowship — RSF to friends — is the oldest off-road cycling club in the world,
founded in 1955 by a group of English cyclists who shared a common passion:
getting themselves into trouble on a bike, just the way we like it.
🚧 🚧 🚧 🚧

Forget carbon frames and suspension forks: these riders were out there with steel road bikes, skinny tires, fenders, wool sweaters, and heavy boots.
If there was a river to cross, they crossed it.
If there was a fence to climb, they climbed it.
If there was a need to carry the bike on their shoulders for hours, no problem.
And the company was often a colorful one:
eccentric nobles, craftsmen, retired soldiers, or broke students — united only by a thirst for adventure.

Their first president was a certain Sir Hugh Rhys Rankin:
a former cavalry officer, sheep-shearer in Australia,
socialist sympathizer, and great lover of the wild outdoors.
In short, the perfect leader for a band of old-school bike travelers.

Today, their exploits seem like something from another century — and in fact, they are —
but something remains: the spirit.

The same spirit that pushed George “McNasty” Berwick (born in 1943, and still riding)
to pedal over a million kilometers.
A man who, at 69 years old, rode 300 miles with a broken down tube,
held together with zip ties.
⛺

After a few quiet decades, the club has returned to the spotlight thanks to an incredible photo archive (you can find them on Instagram as @rsfarchive)
and two books that shared their stories with stunning images and a touch of British irony.
Today, with new members and a renewed spirit of discovery, the RSF is active once again:
no numbers, no performance, just a pure desire to explore.

Adventure begins where the asphalt ends.
And sometimes, even a little before.

Needless to say, we’re trying to get them to come to BAM!.

Who knows.

This year’s BAM! program
is going to be amazing,
full of inspiring encounters,
stories,
music,
and rides.

🤟 BAM! has always been, and proudly remains,
a free event,
open to everyone and to every kind of bike.

You don’t need to go far, you don’t need to go fast,
you don’t need a trendy bike
or powerful legs. Quite the opposite.

All you need is the desire
to go a little further,
to put your freedom on the pedals.

❗However, camping spots are limited❗
so if you want to sleep at BAM!,
in the park of a beautiful Venetian villa,
click below here:
there are tent pitches,
already set-up tents, and even
glamping tents to share with friends.

👇👇👇👇