As a chapter co-founded by women, trans and non-binary riders along the east coast of “Australia”, with intersections of queer, questioning, femme, trans and cis-gender identities, we are here to energise and enable capacity building and play in adventure cycling.
We have connected with one another across local and state borders with a vision of connecting disparate cycling communities with similar intersections to supercharge our capacity to uplift and support one another.
As a RAR Chapter, we have lofty dreams of building a supportive and inclusive cycling culture across Australia. Adventures we’re most keen on next include getting more folks into cycling, holding some bike fixing workshops, route building, coffees outside and grounding our growth as a national chapter in friendship, biking and respect for our natural environments.
We ride on the unceded lands of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in so-called “Australia” and pay respects to their elders, lores, customs and creation spirits. These lands have always been places of connection, learning, community, joy and resistance.
CORE GROUP
Steph Jowett
Steph (she/her/they/them) is a white, queer, non-binary Australian residing in the unceded lands of the Turrbal and Yugara people on whose land she walks, cycles, lives and plays, commonly known as Brisbane, Queensland. Her values are rooted in inclusivity, human rights, sustainability, respect for autonomy and place, thinking in squiggly lines about how regulatory structures and systems can better walk in step with, and respect, existing bodies of knowledge.
Kia Binch
I am Kia B (she/her) 🙂 I like being outside. I ride bicycles on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung country. My favourite type of cycling involves racks, bike bags and mountains. I ride bicycles with Melburn Durt. I like running. My favourite type of running involves dirt and single track. I started an off-road running group called Who Run The World for marginalised genders. I work at a bike shop. I am most happy there when helping femme/GNC riders kit out their bikes for an overnight trip. I am also very proud to be Filipino + represent a group who are largely underrepresented in cycling, and outdoor spaces.
Elliot Gould
I’m Elliot (they/them) a white, queer, trans-masc person living along the banks of the Birrarung (Yarra) River, in Naarm. I believe in the magic of cycling in all forms and its power for personal transformation and community building. I am a long-standing member and organiser of Melburn Durt where I channel my passion for encouraging folks to challenge themselves to do things on the bike they never believed they could do. I love the feeling of flow when riding trails and grinding up a long gravel climb, and have a tendency to ride fast and loose (Look Mum, no brakes!). I am proud to represent and advocate for trans-masculine folks in the pursuit of riding bikes at a time when trans people are actively being excluded from sport.
Annie Keynes
I’m Annie (she/her), a queer, white, cis woman living in Naarm, on Wurundjeri Country.I have an affinity for the outdoors and a love of community, drawing, reading, camping and riding bikes. I mostly ride mountain bikes but am known to take myself off on a big solo tour in and around my occupational therapy studies. To balance my studies I also work at a bike shop, and this year I am training to become a mechanic. I love learning and sharing knowledge around all things bikes. I am passionate about unlocking gate kept information and enabling marginalised people to feel as empowered through bikes as I do. I’m a ride guide for Melburn Durt which fuels this passion. Bikes have been a vessel to help me to embrace my femininity, my queerness, be in my body and my power whilst simultaneously tapping into my inner child and enabling endless unbridled fun.
Kia Matley
I’m Kia (she/her) and I am a queer cis white woman living on unceded Wurundjeri country. Together with many of the core group members for RAR Australia, I have been working towards greater representation of marginalised genders in cycling with Melburn Durt. Finding this community five years ago completely transformed my life, provided the most wonderfully supportive space in which to challenge myself, and showed me the camaraderie of competition through cyclocross racing. These days I mostly enjoy bikepacking (for the snacks, and for looking at plants), but I also love anything that combines bikes with water; I can’t resist a little ferry ride, a marvel at the docks (the magic of industry!), a creek crossing, bikerafting and my own very niche creation, ‘snorkpacking’. I work at a local bike shop that specialises in adventure cycling, and am close to completing my PhD in palaeobotany.
Kat
I’m Kat (she/her) and my life is infinitely better when I’m on my bike! I guide rides with Melburn Durt on the trails that weave around the Birrarung river where I live, in Naarm (Melbourne). This is on Wurundjeri land that was never ceded. I’ve moved around a lot, and riding is my way of getting to know a place – to feel a sense of belonging -to the land and nature and to community. Melburn Durt has helped me feel that here at home, and offer me encouragement to share this joy with others too. I’m passionate about making cycling feel accessible for everyone. I commute, ride trails, bikepack and mountain bike sometimes too! I’m also into multi-day hiking, kayaking and spending slow time outside in nature. I am an intersectional (pro) feminist working as a health educator to promote sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice.
Meghan Thomas
I’m Meg (she/her), and I like bikes. I grew up cycling in the rolling Adelaide Hills, and rediscovered a love of being on two wheels after moving to Melbourne in my late twenties. Cycling is how I stay healthy, how I clear my mind, how I gather with community, how I process my thoughts. I love the thrill of a cyclocross race, the crunch of a gravel road, and the early morning silence in a tent on a bikepacking trip. I feel immense gratitude to be able to cycle on Wurundjeri and Bunurong Country, where I currently reside. For the past couple of years, I’ve been passionate about working towards greater representation of marginalised genders in cycling through volunteering with Melburn Durt and Dirty Deeds Cyclocross. I’m keen to continue growing adventure cycling across Australia through our Australian RAR Chapter, making it more accessible and enjoyable for all!
RAR Chapters will advocate, support, and uplift BIPOC and FTWN-B cyclists in their local communities! Find a RAR Chapter in your area and learn more about each group.
Latest Chapter News
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FTWNB Led Cycling Events
With recent announcements from UCI banning transgender women from competing in the women’s category during races, we wanted to uplift events doing the amazing work to create spaces for the FTWNB community. Here is a list of femme, trans, women, and non-binary led cycling events to support, follow, and attend. This is not a comprehensive……
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New RAR Chapters!
Give a warm welcome to the eleven new RAR Chapters! We had over twenty applications from BIPOC and FTWN-B organizers nationwide and beyond. We mainly sought groups in different regions who had a solid core group to build out their community efforts. THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to apply. Twenty-one RAR Chapters will advocate, support, and uplift BIPOC and……
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RAR Raffle for Chapters Fundraiser
Donate to win prizes and help us raise $40k to grow RAR Chapters to 20 locations! Donate to the RAR Chapters Fundraiser to win sweet prizes from Salsa, Revelate Designs, Velocity Wheels, Teravail, Bags x Bird, and Simworks. A total of five prizes will be given away: To enter, please donate $25 to the RAR……