Pikala Bikes

In celebration of Urban October, Pikala and UN-Habitat Morocco, in collaboration with the municipality of Agadir, are teaming up to organize Bicycleaning! 🚴♀🌍 As the name suggests, this event is an exciting combination of a bicycle tour and city clean-up! We are excited to announce the first edition on October 26th, where students will cycle around Agadir, making stops at areas in need of a clean-up. This initiative aims to inspire eco-responsible behaviors among young people by raising awareness about sustainable waste management practices. By merging the fun of cycling with the important task of cleaning our city, we hope to instill a sense of responsibility and community pride among participants. We are looking forward to see the positive impact this event will have on both our environment and our community! #UrbanOctober #Bicycleaning #Pikala #UNHabitat #Agadir #Morocco #SustainableLiving #YouthEngagement

Rabat, it’s time to pump your tires and decorate your bikes, the first ever edition of RABAT BICYCLE DAY is coming to you!! Grab your wheels (bike, roller skates, skateboard, unicycle…) and join us on the 20th of October for a car-free bike ride and a day of activities and workshops, music, art, raffles and more! 🚲🌿🌞 When? 20th of October, 08:00 -14:00 Where? National Library of the Kingdom of Rabat Who? You, your friends, your kids, you parents, your students! How Much? FREE! --- Rabat, il est temps de gonfler vos pneus et de décorer vos vélos, la première édition de “BICYCLE DAY” à RABAT est là! Prenez vos roues (vélo, skateboard, rollers, monocycle…) et rejoignez-nous pour une balade à vélo sans voitures et une journée d'activités, d'ateliers, d'art, de musique, de tombola et bien plus encore ! 🚲🌿🌞 Quand ? Le 20 octobre, de 08h00 à 14h00 Où ? Bibliothèque nationale du Royaume de Rabat Qui ? Vous, vos amis, vos enfants, vos parents, vos élèves! Pris? GRATUIT !

The October Newsletter is in! Our September was packed full with workshops, events, and a record number of bicycle tours. Thanks to an expanding and hard-working team, PIKALA was able to reach 300 kids over the course of various road safety events, the Agadir team reached new milestones, and we welcomed 54 members of the TUI group to our atelier in Marrakech. This October, we are thrilled to share that we are bringing new bicycle opportunities to the table, notably the first ever edition of "RABAT BICYCLE DAY" with Rabat Région Mobilité on the 20th of October. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting event. For all the updates, read the full newsletter below.

Thank you Frans for visiting Pikala Bikes and celebrating this impactful partnership with us!

It was a pleasure to have you and the TUI team in our workshop. A collaboration to be proud of!

Last Thursday we had the honour of welcoming the Senior Leadership Team of the TUI Group and TUI Care Foundation to our atelier in Marrakech during their annual leadership meeting. Starting off hot with a bike tour through the city, our guests experienced the true identity of Pikala led by our team of young bicycle guides. TUI Care Foundation was a foundational pillar in the growth of Pikala. Thanks to our partnership dating back to 2017, we have reached financial sustainability and are proudly able to create employment and training opportunities for local youth, who in turn work with us to empower the next Pikala generation. From free kids and women’s cycling classes to our Open Street Day events to putting hundreds (sometimes even thousands) of people on a bike every month, Pikala is incredibly proud of the work we have achieved thanks to our partnership with TUI Care Foundation. Thank you to everyone who joined us in our bike-filled workshop - your impact is forever commemorated on our new wall fresco 😉 Until next time!

Pikala's summer was fantastic ... From organizing a memorable bicycle trip for girls from Imsouane to Agadir, to conducting engaging road safety workshops in summer camps, we've been actively promoting cycling as the coolest activity during the summer ! But that's not all—check out our newsletter to discover more of our summer highlights and get a sneak peek into the exciting activities we have planned for September! Stay tuned and keep ciclyng safely with us! 🚴♂️✨ #Pikala #Cycling #RoadSafety #Empowerment #Community #SustainableTransport

Would you cycle from Imsouane to Agadir during your holidays ? We are introducing Pikala Girls on Tour, a project dedicated to enhance the promotion of bike-tourism in Morocco. Our first group of 6 women is all set to hit the road on Thursday! Bike tourism isn’t just about exploring Moroccan landscapes in an eco-friendly way—it’s also a powerful tool for personal and collective empowerment. While cycling is often seen as a male-dominated sport, we’re willing to transform that narrative. Our project is all about fostering a supportive, inclusive environment where women can confidently choose to ride the bike in their daily, but also during longer travels and holidays. Inspired by Yasmina’s solo bike journey from Assilah to Marrakech, we’re excited to share a bit more about the 4-days cycling trip from Imsouane to Agadir. With more than 20 women applying to join this tour, we are thrilled by the motivation and enthusiasm. Therefore, if you are willing to join a part of this adventure, you can meet us on Sunday the 25th at 17:00 at Grams Specialty Coffee Shop in Agadir. We’ll be screening Yasmina’s documentary about her bike trip, and you’ll get to meet our team and learn more about Pikala’s mission. Floor Verveer Khadija Amahal Louisa B. #PikalaGirlsOnTour #BikeTourism #EmpowermentThroughCycling #MoroccoCycling

Over the past few days, we all have been captivated by the incredible performances from the best athletes on the planet during the Olympic Games. Pikala's founder, Cantal Bakker, recently attended the UNESCO Global Sport Conference in Paris, themed 'Change the Game.' This event provided a fantastic opportunity to share Pikala's vision integrating the bike in moroccan cities, especially during this pivotal period of discussions and meetings around the significance of sports in our daily. We are excited to share the highlights of our recent activities in our upcoming newsletter : We launched our first PIKALA training program with 15 students from the Corps Marocain pour Education et Développement, equipping young students with the skills and tools to seize sustainable mobility opportunities in Morocco : our team organised sessions in bicycle mechanic - bike-toursim and first aid with the Croissant Rouge. Many girls joined us to learn mechanics, reinforcing our commitment to launch inclusive trainings ! This month, 11 girls learned to cycle, not only gaining a new skill but also encouraging them to use bicycles for health and environmental benefits. We are incredibly grateful to our participants for their courage and quick learning, mastering cycling in just four sessions. Thanks to Institut français du Maroc in Agadir for hosting the classes. In August, we are preparing for a bike trip between Imsouane and Agadir to enjoy traveling along the coast of Morocco by bike with girls. At the end of the trip in Agadir, we will screen a documentary produced by Yasmina Ahl Maris, during her first solo bike trip from the north of Morocco to Marrakech. Her wish is to inspire more women to undertake similar journey, whether alone or in a group. If you want to join us for the bike trip - write us ! 

Today, we are concluding an incredible three-week PIKALA professional training program in Rabat ! Since July 9th, Pikala has been dedicated to providing comprehensive professional training in bike mechanics and eco-tourism to 15 students of the Corps Marocain pour Education et Développement. This program has been a blend of both practical and theoretical knowledge. Our trainers, both expert bike mechanics and experienced bike tour guides, have not only shared their technical expertise but also their passion for bicycles. They have inspired our students, helping them gain valuable skills and a deep understanding of the immense potential of sustainable mobility in Morocco. Encouraging the use of e-bikes and bicycles hinges on having skilled mechanics to support and maintain them. This initiative is a step towards making cycling a more attractive and reliable mode of transportation in Morocco. We are thrilled with the results: 61% of participants were girls, and 80% of all participants reported complete satisfaction with the training. This positive feedback gives us the confidence to replicate and expand this training program in the future, further promoting sustainable mobility and job creation in the sector. A big thank you to our project partners Agence Française de Développement for funding this project, which is implemented by Lab'ess in partnership with PULSE GROUP and supported by four incredible organizations: ONG ecodev, Bidaya Incubateur, Tunisian Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and Jordan Youth Innovation Forum 🌍 A special thanks to UN-Habitat Morocco, l'Ambassade du Royaume des Pays-Bas au Maroc for honoring us with their presence during the closing ceremony 🌟 Louisa B. Mounir Khamali AMHAOUCH Adib Zouhair Elasmar