“I slept for 15 minutes on my first night of solo bikepacking”
As the luckiest among us do, Cris started cycling as a child. She rode family bikes at her grandparents’ house and then, for her First Communion, she was given her very own. She rode everywhere on her trusty black bike before losing her cycling part for many years as the wind blew her in other directions.
It was only back in 2019, after dabbling in a bit of mountain biking, that Cris started cycle touring… and she was immediately hooked. It hasn’t all been plain sailing and, indeed, her first attempt at solo bikepacking was aborted two days early after an anxiety-fuelled, sleepless first night. Concern about danger from humans and animals that might have been passing by kept Cris away for all but 15 minutes. Many riders might have thrown in the towel and permanently consigned bikepacking/cycle touring to the “been there, done that, didn’t like it” bucket. But Cris has always believed in the beauty and fun of exploring by bicycle and has built her confidence over the years.
Now, inspired by various women's cycling rallies she has attended - including those hosted by the legendary Lael Wilcox in Arizona and Sardinia - Cris has founded her own women’s rally community in her native Spain. Rally attendees are given the perfect environment to learn new skills and gain confidence in the saddle with the guidance of more experienced riders and the support of each other.
Arguing that a mechanical issue can generally be repaired and that food and water can generally be acquired, even if either one requires help from a friendly passerby, Cris believes that a “cycle computer” is the one thing that should never be left behind on a cycling trip. She was excited to be introducing the 2026 Rare Femmes attendees to Beeline Velo 2 by providing devices to all riders to navigate the terrain in Andalucia, Spain.
The event, which took place from October 29th to November 2nd 2026, was a great success. Cris says,
"At Rare Femmes, we have just celebrated our 7th event: a Biketravel Rally in Córdoba (Spain). This non- competitive event welcomed 60 femmes participants mainly from Spain but also from other European countries, South America and North America.
Over four days, we navigated a route through the AlBallut region; a bikepacking adventure that took us through the 17 different territories that form the valley of Los Pedroches. Thanks to Beeline’s support and sponsorship of the event, our riders pedalled across dehesas (Spanish woodland clearings) and through typical Andalusian towns, surrounded by Iberian pigs and lynx’s footprints, without worrying about leaving the route or missing any of the track’s charm.
We are very grateful to Beeline not only for supporting Rare Femmes events but also for having a strong commitment with the women’s community and helping grow the number of female bikepackers."
Cris has ridden 10,569 kms with Beeline and her favourite Beeline feature is the ability to plan a route and a ride anywhere on the planet with Beeline’s worldwide coverage out of the box.
