Episode 185: Rieke Schmees

Bikepacking 12,000kms from Germany to Turkey (Re-Release)

This week I’m re-releasing one of my favourite conversations, with German adventurer Rieke Schmees. It first aired back in June 2024.

Rieke didn’t grow up camping. She barely knew how to pitch her tent before she left on her bikepacking adventure. In 2022, mid-pandemic and after finishing two psychology master’s degrees, she got on a bike in Germany and didn’t stop
until she’d covered 12,000km through 16 countries, finishing in Turkey by way of Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Italy
and the Balkans.

What I loved most about my chat with Rieke is is how honest she was about the fear she felt. She candidly tells us how it was fear which led her to buying the most expensive gear she could afford just to force herself to commit to going in the first place. Then she shares about how two strangers she met while cycling in Germany told her that they didn’t think she’d ever make it. She also points out the extra weight of taking a trip like this on as a solo woman: the fake engagement ring from a market in Fez, to ward off the the constant “where’s your husband” questions she got tired of answering politely.

As Rieke shares the hardest part comes from leaving your comfort zone in the first place. Everything after that, you can figure out as you go. Have a listen, and if you’re sitting on your own bike trip idea right now, I hope this is the inspiration you need to go and do the thing!

Follow Rieke’s future adventures on Instagram @riekeschm