November 2024

RAAW Summit 2024

Just a bunch of idiots going for a bike ride in the woods.

We can’t speak for you and your crew, but that sentiment hits the nail on the head so well whenever we do group rides at RAAW.

As 2024 drew to a close, the leaves really started to fall, and racers’ and ambassadors’ schedules became much more chill, we looked to get as many people RAAW together as possible for our annual summit. It really is just an excuse to get out for a ride. But deeper than that it serves to connect the ever-growing RAAW family, some of us only having connections through email or video call throughout the year. For us and the line of business we’re in, there simply is no better way to get to know people than going for a ride together. But where should we do it?

Nestled up against the expansive Pfalz forest, that stretches through Germany, France and down to Switzerland, the RAAW HQ is positioned in little bike heaven. Getting out for a pedal in these parts often leaves you overlooking what feels like never-ending rolling hills worth of forests. More than once they’ll leave you with the feeling of being the only person for miles around.

But the number of trails and expanse of the network quickly reminds you that you’re not alone and that the trail fairies are busy in this part of the world. You can lap until long after your legs are ready to fall off and the conditions only get better with rain, as the sandstone base to the region holds together with moisture and provides that unbeatable mix of grip and slip with only minimal cleanup afterwards, if at all.

For those of the remote employees at RAAW, business trips frequently include extra days reserved for just riding once we’re done in the office. In all the rides, never has a trail been described as just alright and the delight of chasing each other down the winding ribbons of trail has us always looking forward to our next business trip.

After considering various mountain venues, we came back to the idea of keeping it simple and doing it right on our doorstep. Plus our CFO Felix is a coffee and pizza aficionado, so we had all the bases covered.

While, sadly, not everyone RAAW could make it to Germany for the summit, due to location or other commitments, there were a lot of people in the HQ getting properly caffeinated that morning. It was heartwarming to see the breadth of riders, styles, and even ages. Our support of the Traction Development Team meant that our youngest attendee, Nevio, was perhaps also the most impressive on the bike, leaving more than one of us just a little bit jealous of his depth of skill at such a young age.

As we darted around the foggy and damp forests, sections of trail and features got sessioned and out came the Dad cam, capturing every moment in wonderful potato quality. Every time a little session would break out the audience lining the side of the trail would cheer and egg everyone on. No matter if you were a professional racer or in charge of logistics, everyone was just having a blast being the same level of idiot. Even if Jo from logistics boosted higher than anyone else on the jumps. It was great to see so many RAAWs all in one place, diving in and out of the trees and seeing what RAAW has become over the past few years.

Once we were done, the queue for the shower rapidly disappeared, as the world’s fastest clean-up meant you could line up for some homemade pizza sooner. A feast for what seemed like half the town was prepared, but in the end, more than one person ate their body weight in pizza and re-told stories from the trails of the day. Stoke was spilling out of people’s ears, legs were tired from the riding and carrying the weight of all devoured pizzas, and we ended another summit with huge grins that lasted for long after everyone had returned home.