Building Cycling Culture: Interview with Ksenija Kulic from biciklijade.com
Discover how Ksenija Kulić is shaping cycling culture across the Balkans through her platform biciklijade.com. In this inspiring interview, she shares insights on everyday cycling, empowering women cyclists, and the power of community rides.
How did the idea for biciklijade.com come about?
Biciklijade.com started when my boyfriend and I wanted to join a cycling event over the weekend. After work, I kept searching online every day and eventually found a few rides. We chose one and went. But for the following weekend, I had to go through the whole process again. The information about bike events was scattered across numerous websites, and since we also wanted to go with our child, we had to call some of the organizers to check if that was even possible.
I thought, if I’m already doing all this work, why not publish it somewhere and save time for others who might also want to cycle somewhere? Many people don’t go simply because they don’t know an event exists. My boyfriend developed the website, and I started searching for cycling events and contacting organizers for more details. Once we gathered enough data, we publicly launched the site in 2013.
Although the site was initially intended to cover just Croatia, due to strong interest, it expanded to the entire region within the first year.
Over the past twelve years, we’ve listed more than 5,200 cycling events in Croatia and the region, with over 590,000 event views.
When did you fall in love with cycling, and what does the bicycle mean to you?
I fell in love with cycling as a kid when I got a yellow BMX.
To me, a bicycle represents a means of transportation that can take you around the world (of course, in combination with other transport, I’m not strictly referring to cars here).
How does cycling affect your daily life, time organization, and well-being?
Cycling is a part of my everyday life. Since I live and work in Zagreb, we decided to sell our car and rely solely on bicycles and public transport. For me, there’s no such thing as bad weather, I commute by bike in summer and winter, rain or shine.
If I agree to meet someone at 1 PM, I usually arrive 15 minutes early. There’s no traffic congestion on a bike, and finding parking has become relatively easy, especially in the past year as the “bike rack” network has grown throughout the city.
You’ve taken part in many cycling events in Croatia. Which one stands out most in your memory?
I’ve definitely taken part in around 500 cycling events. The most memorable one was Rapha Women 100 in 2016, when 80 women cycled from Zagreb through Sisak to Buševec. It’s a global women’s cycling event where, on the same day, women ride 100 km all over the world.
Nine years have passed since that event. For some women, it was their first-ever 100 km ride, and still, no one talks about how hard it was, they only remember the cakes! 🙂
Outside of Croatia, the most memorable event was the International Cycling Tour of the Una National Park, which started in the center of Bihać and continued to Štrbački buk, ending in Kulen Vakuf (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The organizer arranged for our return to Bihać by train with open wagons through nature, tunnels, and alongside waterfalls in the heart of the National Park.
Which cycling destination would you recommend to our Bikademy Students?
Whichever destination the Bikademy Students choose, they can’t go wrong… every destination offers something new to see and learn. So far, I’ve completed Bikademy Studies: Zagreb, two-thirds of Križevci, parts of Zaprešić, Brod–Posavina, and Virovitica–Podravina. The Bikademy app is very user-friendly, with descriptions of each Exam and clear passing indicators.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges that make women less likely to take up cycling, and how can we overcome them together?
The biggest challenge for women is the mindset: “I don’t think I can do it, those events are full of guys racing.” And they give up before even trying.
If you start slowly with a 15 km ride (two laps around Lake Jarun), then move to 20–30 km (Zagreb–Velika Gorica), and 30–40 km (Zagreb–Samobor), you’ll build endurance for longer rides over time.
Before Rapha, I organized SaLIVene rides, a warm-up rides just for women to prepare for the 100 km challenge. The last warm-up was even 110 km!
My first ride to Sljeme was with a bike that had a basket and panniers. Everyone gave me weird looks, but who says I need to reach the top in an hour? No one! Just shift into your smallest gear, spin slowly, stop when it gets hard, drink some water, eat something, the mountain won’t go anywhere, and you’ll feel satisfied and proud.
Do you have a message for those who are considering cycling but haven’t taken the first step?
To those thinking about cycling… It doesn’t matter how much your bike costs as long as you ride it. If it’s sitting in a shed or basement, it doesn’t matter if it cost €10,000, if you don’t use it, it’s useless.
Some people have traveled all over Europe on a €500 bike.
So, take out your bike, oil the chain, pump the tires, hop on and at least ride to the next town for a coffee. With every pedal stroke, you’re pushing your limits!
P.S. Once you get into cycling and pack a swimsuit, sleeping bag, and tent, my recommendation is to visit Lake Balaton. The loop is about 200 km and can easily be done in 4–5 days. There are plenty of campsites; all you need is motivation and a bank card 🙂
Then you’ll realize how amazing cycling is… you can see and taste all sorts of things (like cold cherry soup with ice cream, lavender and chocolate ice cream, the Museum of Erotica, Szigliget fortress overlooking the lake, ferry rides, the children’s railway, etc.), and you’ll meet new people traveling by bike or camper.
