Rooted in adventure. Built on belonging.
Founded in 2017, Radical Adventure Riders is a movement toward gender inclusivity and racial equity in cycling and the outdoors. RAR does this by providing education, connection, resources, and support for the community and industry. RAR was originally founded by six friends who shared a passion for adventure cycling and wanted to encourage, support, and celebrate a wider representation of riders. Allies of the RAR community are welcome to reach out to find ways to support our efforts!
RAR Front Range is a chapter of Radical Adventure Riders established in 2023, after members of the team connected over their desire for a more inclusive, welcoming, and diverse bike culture for FTWN-B and BIPOC bikepackers and adventure cyclists in the Front Range of Colorado. Our chapter regularly hosts events in and around Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder.
The Front Range provides access to world-class road, gravel, and mountain biking that is unparalleled. Life in Colorado is centered around the outdoors and being in nature, which makes it a prime location for a group focused on bringing folks into adventure cycling. Despite the intense cycling focus in the area, the opportunities and resources for new, inexperienced, or marginalized bikers feel disconnected and disparate — to a point which can make it feel like there are no resources at all.
- To connect the Front Range bike community and groups.
- To create a more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming cycling community in the Front Range.
- And to empower people on bikes — with education and access.
What do FTWN-B and BIPOC mean?
FTWN-B is shorthand for femme, transgender, women and non-binary. BIPOC is shorthand for Black, Indigenous and people of color. We acknowledge that letters and labels only go so far, and that, above all, we seek to respect whatever words people use to describe themselves.
Our Leadership Team
Jess Arehart
she/herJess is an engineer, artist, and cyclist who is passionate about creating space for FTWN-B in male-dominated spaces. After discovering bike joy in college, she prioritized building mechanics knowledge at local co-ops while dabbling in all types of riding. After grad school, she discovered bikepacking with RAR New Haven and landed in Colorado a couple years later. Jess feels lucky to have had mentorship in all of her outdoor endeavors, and is excited to help others find the same sense of confidence in the outdoors and in bike shops. When she's not working on surgical robots, you'll find her on a bike, out climbing and taking photos, or making pottery in her home studio.
Jen Bell
she/herJenny's journey with bikepacking began in 2018 through trips with friends from Outdoor Recreation at Georgia Tech (ORGT). When they thought to make bikepacking one of the organization's official sports, Jenny jumped in to help where she could, mostly with policy and training curriculum. By 2019, she was helping to lead participants on beginner bikepacking trips. After graduation, Jenny moved to CO to be a test engineer. Finding RAR was a dream come true. Jenny is so grateful for the foundation she gained from ORGT and excited to pay it forward. You can typically find her sweeping rides because she is crazy passionate about supporting folks when rides feel rough, whether medically, mechanically, or emotionally.
Oly Abbate
they/themOly fell in love with biking when they moved to Philadelphia in 2014 and started biking around the city. Bikes became their world, and when they moved to Boston in 2017 found work as a mechanic. Since moving to Denver in 2021 they dove head first into bikepacking and haven't looked back. All they want to do is ride bikes all day with friends, eat a big meal, and fall asleep under the stars. Oly got involved with RAR Front Range in 2023, excited to help build community for FTWN-B riders getting into gravel and adventure biking. You'll often find them leading bikepacking trips, teaching repair clinics at Gravel Camp, and pointing out cool birds along the way. Outside of RAR Oly loves to toodle around town on their sweet lil fixie, go for road and mountain bike rides, or disappear into the backcountry for big days on their bikepacking rig.
Al Secreto
she/theyAlyssa started biking while living in Chicago and kept on riding until they arrived in Colorado. You'll find her most herself with gummy bears, a bike and a tent, excited to help others access meaningful experiences for themselves.