One rider’s story from our first Basquepitals.

Sometimes a trip starts long before you actually pack your bike.

Last year, Kuni, her husband and a few friends rode across the Pyrenees. Their journey ended in San Sebastián, where they made themselves a promise before leaving:

“We’ll come back someday.”

A few months later, one of those friends, Marco, told them about the first edition of Basquepitals.
“It honestly felt like perfect timing. Sometimes the best trips simply find you.”

And this one took them from Taiwan back to the Basque Country. For Kuni, cycling has always been a mix of love and fear.

“I’ve always had mixed feelings about cycling. When I was a child, I had a bad bike crash and landed on my front teeth. Ever since then, cycling has always been something I both love and fear.”

The week started with a relaxed 66 kilometer warm up ride along the coast, including a visit to the world’s oldest transporter bridge.
No pressure. Just time to settle into the bike and the days ahead.

“It was the perfect start to the week.”

Ironically, one of Kuni’s favorite memories from Basquepitals happened completely off the bike.

“After a wonderful night in San Sebastián, I woke up with a hangover and spent quite a while debating whether I should get on the bike.”

She didn’t.

“In the end, I decided to stay behind and rest. No one made me feel guilty, and there was no pressure to complete every kilometer. I simply enjoyed the city, recovered, and rejoined the group the next day.”

“That made me realize this wasn’t just a cycling tour, it was a journey designed to be enjoyed.”

Of course, there were plenty of kilometers too. And then there was Orduña.

“At the bottom of the climb, I asked where we were going next. ABRA pointed to the summit.
I thought they were joking. Somehow, I ended up there.”

The landscapes weren’t the only thing that stayed with her.

“One thing that surprised me the most was that everyone on the ABRA team is genuinely a cyclist. They don’t just work on cycling tours, they live this lifestyle.”

As the kilometers passed, so did the stories.

“Along the way, they shared their own stories: a three-year cycling journey, an 800 km
off-road adventure, a professional mountain biker, a bikepacker… Every story was different, but each one showed me another way to experience life on two wheels. Very inspiring.”

Kuni and her husband also experience cycling in very different ways.

“My husband and I are actually very different cyclists. He loves structured training and racing, while I enjoy slowing down, taking in the scenery and food.”
“What I loved about Basquepitals was that somehow it gave both of us exactly what we were looking for.”

We asked Kuni what she would tell someone who might be hesitant about joining a trip like this.

“Don’t worry about being the fastest or slowest rider. This isn’t a race or a training camp, unless you want it to be. It’s about discovering a place in a way that’s impossible from a car or a tour bus.”

“If you enjoy beautiful scenery, local culture and amazing food, you’ll probably love it.”

Kuni is now back home in Taiwan, where work means much of her training happens indoors. But those hours on the trainer now come with something else to look forward to.

“Now, every time I get back on the trainer, I find myself looking forward to the next chance to pack my bike, board a plane, and discover another place on two wheels.”

And then she left us with one last line:

“Hopefully, with ABRA again.”

We hope so too, Kuni.