A club beyond the brand.
They are Squame, an outdoor clothing brand, but more importantly an “Adventure Club.” A way of being. A point of reference. A shared dream.
Squame Adventure Club is a meeting point for adventure lovers, for those looking for ideas and insights to challenge themselves and discover new horizons.
A group created to share experiences, seek advice and find new fellow travelers.
When was the brand born and why?
Squame was officially born in the summer of 2021, presenting Capsule 001 as its business card. The collection respects the brand’s duality between water and land sports, specializing particularly in diving and adventure cycling. The textural colors of the products alternate inspired by nature, recalling the green of the woods and the deep blue of the sea. The brand’s payoff paraphrases Lavoisier’s famous postulate: “nothing is created, nothing is destroyed, everything is transformed. Have respect!” Identifying Squame’s desire to empathize with the earth’s planet, feeling part of a single ecosystem. This is why our production is handcrafted and 100% made in Italy, respecting the intrinsic value of the garments and using raw materials of controlled origin, when possible recycled or regenerated from production waste and plastic waste.
Why Squame. The project was born from my passion for adventure, the desire to test and challenge one’s limits within a natural way of which we should not feel like masters, but guests. I think the most beautiful thing is the desire to create products primarily for myself and my fellow travelers, each new experience brought with it a background of ideas and inspirations turned into the garments you now see in the collection.
Today it is a shared value as well as a brand: tell us about the club and the community.
When was it born? Why?
Squame was born from people, it all started with me and my faithful companions, it did not take long before the values we carry forward drew a handful of enthusiasts like us. The birth of the community was not planned in advance, but rather happened as a pleasant consequence of our approach in growing the brand. As we already said, each product in the collection tells a journey, an experience. We put Squame garments to the test by testing them ourselves, trying to improve them and finding inspiration to create new ones. Squame’s first customers were friends and acquaintances whom I involved in the creation process by making them participants and listening to their valuable feedback. In particular I would like to thank Mattia, owner of Bike Line, a landmark store for cycling especially gravel and bike-packing, our active collaboration and his trust in Squame were the spark that triggered the Squame Adventure Club.
And who are you today?
In a short period of time, we have gathered a lot of guys and girls who have taken us as a reference point to approach gravel by experiencing their first bike-packing trips; cyclists with already a lot of experience have also joined us, making the group a melting pot of people, each with their own background that gives added value to the club. As of today, we are about forty enthusiasts, including long-time travelers, former racers and simply guys who like to ride together.
Can you tell us about some trips you’ve taken together?
I could write countless words to describe the wonderful experiences I have had, none less important than the others.
Speaking of the most recent ones, I still dream of the breathtaking views I was able to admire at the GranGuanche Route, 650km with about 13,000 meters of positive altitude gain, among deserted beaches, lava expanses and enchanted forests, a fantastic itinerary that runs through the main Canary Islands from north to south, starting from Lanzarote and continuing to Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and finally Tenerife. I undertook the trip in late March together with Marco (Mac), one of the pillars of the club.
Back from the Canary Islands we set off for the Veneto Gravel, we chose the “Short Beach” route of 400km with little altitude difference, there were 27 of us at the start, for many it was their first bike-packing trip, so we opted for a route within everyone’s reach, allowing the less experienced to approach this fantastic world in stages.
Heavy thunderstorms actually reshuffled the cards, testing our boys who overcame the challenges by bringing home an unforgettable experience.
Concluding the Veneto Gravel, we barely had the time to empty our bags that the Jeroboam Gravel was waiting for us in Rimini, the first edition just a few miles from home, we could not miss it.
Emanuele and Augusto were for some time signed up for the 300km route with about 7400mt of altitude gain. I was quivering with eagerness to be of help, providing my assistance in preparations or at the start. I decided a few hours before their departure to join them at their hotel for the night, signing up for the 150km that would allow me to start with them and accompany them on the first part of the route.
The enthusiasm they gave me convinced me along the way to follow them in the 300km challenge, abandoning the track of the 150 and improvising a fantastic 24-hour adventure that I will never forget, especially because of the bond you form with your friends during these experiences. Thinking about it, they were the ones who gave assistance to me!!!
Any plans for the future?
The Squame Adventure Club grew spontaneously, simply out of a desire to share experiences on bikes and more. A true group of friends was born even outside of cycling, indeed we have never made plans for the future other than to continue to share our passion, tightening our bond and inviting anyone who has a desire to ride to join us. We will definitely participate in other events between now and the end of the year, such as the Strade Bianche del Sale in Cervia, the Far Gravel in Argenta and the Jeroboam in Franciacorta. We would also like to experience Grinduro for the first time in Italy, in addition to our participation in BAM! of course!
Those who want to be part of your community, what do they have to do?
The club is also expanding outside Romagna, where Squame is based, we already count several guys who follow us from different parts of Italy, every event is an opportunity to see each other and ride together.
We recently opened the Squame Adventure Club membership to anyone who wishes to ride with us.
Membership can be formalized through this page https://squame.it/pages/squame-adventure-club-iscrizione and includes lots of benefits for both event participation and equipment, from Squame clothing to accessories provided by our partners, such as Miss Grape and Komoot.
