Meet Eleni: our 2026 Tor Divide Bursary Rider
Intro
The Tor Divide Bursary exists to break down barriers and make self-supported bikepacking feel more accessible, especially for riders who are curious but unsure where to start or for whom cost and confidence are real obstacles. The bursary offers support through coaching and guidance, practical setup help, and gear from brilliant partners across the cycling community.
This year we received a huge number of thoughtful, inspiring applications, and selecting just one bursary rider was incredibly difficult. A massive thank you to everyone who applied.
We’re excited to introduce Eleni, our 2026 Tor Divide Bursary Rider.
Eleni might be new to bikepacking, but she’s not new to off-road riding in winter!
Meet Eleni
Eleni is taking on her first solo bikepacking journey in a place she loves: the Peak District. The bursary arrived at the perfect time as she transitions out of PhD life, with a big goal for the year: to ride further than she ever has before, build confidence for longer, consecutive days out, and explore new places by bike.
In Eleni’s words
Bikepacking has been on my bucket list for a very long time, but I always found it daunting and scary! I was always afraid of not being able to fix a mechanical or finding the wrong spot to sleep overnight. I still can't fix all mechanicals, but I am getting better at it!
I love the freedom and the idea of being able to ride for a long time, pitch a tent and then cook dinner on a stove or have some tasty snacks with a view!
The Tor Divide bursary came at the perfect time for me as I am slowly transitioning outside of PhD life. My goals for this year were to ride further than I ever did before and challenge myself with my first solo bikepacking trip, so when I saw the post in my beloved cycling club, Station South, it seemed a great opportunity, hard to pass!
Combining the two and doing it in a place I love so much (The Peak District) seemed a great opportunity! Being able to do it through the bursary is definitely less scary. The chance to have structured training, mentorship from other bike packers (thank you Valerio!) and gear support makes the experience more exciting than scary.
It will be a challenge, but a very fun one to take on this year.
What the bursary support includes
In the lead-up to Tor Divide, Eleni will receive:
A cycling kit
Tyres
A bikepacking set-up
Training advice and support
A bike fit
A bike service
This is about helping a rider feel prepared, supported, and excited to take on a big adventure on their own terms.
Follow along and cheer her on
You can follow Eleni’s journey at @elenionthepeaks on Instagram. Give her a follow, drop a comment, and share a bit of encouragement when you see updates. It genuinely helps.
Thank you to everyone making this possible
A huge thank you to the fantastic brands and local businesses supporting the Tor Divide Bursary and helping turn curiosity into a real, rideable plan:
We cannot wait to share Eleni’s build-up, learnings, and training rides as we head towards Tor Divide 2026 in Bamford, in The Peak District, on 16 to 17 May 2026.
