KÕKÕVA

KÕKÕVA is a self-supported, single-stage bikepacking race on a fixed loop that starts and finishes in Tallinn and strings together Estonia's main islands, with the ferry crossings built into the route as part of the puzzle riders have to solve.

Most of the riding is on forest gravel roads, doubletrack and singletrack, linked by quieter paved stretches and the odd rough off-road section where the bike gets pushed. Riders decide at the first checkpoint whether to commit to the full loop or take the shorter cut, and can ride solo or as a pair.

The race comes from Panepanepane, the event label of a small Estonian nonprofit of long-distance riders whose stated aim is simply to give people an excuse to ride a bike for a long time, and to push hard only if they want to.