RAR Front Range was established in early 2023 after members of the core team connected over their desires of having a more inclusive, welcoming, and diverse bike culture for FTWN-B and BIPOC bikepackers and adventure cyclists in the Front Range of Colorado.
Half the team are previous core members from other chapters (New Haven and Philly) and were strongly impacted by the positive community support and connection from their experiences.
The team is excited to grow the FTWN-B and BIPOC cycling community in CO and looking forward to spreading joy through education, rides, adventure, and community connection! We plan on hosting our own events and meetups as well as partnering with and supporting local shops, businesses, and other cycling groups/organizations in all the work we do.
Contact Us
CORE GROUP
Alyssa Gonzalez
Alyssa (she/her) is a multidisciplinary creative, community organizer, and advocate for Queer , FTWN-B, and BIPOC folks in the outdoors. She first experienced mountains and outdoor sports in 2016 after moving to Colorado for graduate school and is now passionate about introducing the joy of movement and the outdoors to her community. Alyssa loves to learn new things and enjoys being challenged by the constantly evolving world around her. When she’s not on a bike or working as a Director of Marketing and Design, you can find Alyssa cooking something special from one of her many cookbooks or cuddling with her two cats. Also – she’s always dreamed of owning her own business and plans on opening the first Queer, WOC-owned bike shop in CO in the Fall!
Jess Thayer
Jess (she/her) 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.
Silpa Reddy
Silpa (she/her) is passionate about living life with balance, diversity, joy and inclusion – in and out of the outdoors. She stumbled upon biking in 2018 in Philadelphia, several years after graduate school, embracing the joys of bikepacking and long distance road riding. After moving to Colorado, Silpa deepened her love of cycling and community, exploring fun gravel and road routes with friends. When she is not adventuring outdoors on her bike or on her snowboard, you likely will find her talking about her cats, food, tv/film, sports, software and clinical trials!
Erica Rodriguez
Erica (she/her) was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. Although surrounded by amazing trails and outdoor activities while growing up, she never had the opportunity to enjoy all that New Mexico has to offer until 2007 when she was first introduced to road biking and triathlons through a partner. Although the outdoors were within reach they never felt as though they were a welcoming space for all. Erica didn’t get the exposure nor the opportunity until later in life to get involved in more outdoor spaces and sports. She is a passionate advocate for conservation,social justice, and creating safe outdoor spaces for marginalized groups. She has prior experience in community organizing which centered around social justice for marginalized community members. Served as youth representative on the board for SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP). A self-avowed adrenaline junkie, Erica dove into the world of mountain biking in 2022 by joining a local community group that aims to introduce BIPOC folks to a sport, making it more accessible through free instruction, group rides, and community building. Erica served in Peace Corps Paraguay from 2014-2016 and it was upon her return to the U.S. that she started to seek out new ways to connect with community and nature. After a couple years in Durham, North Carolina, she moved to Colorado in 2019 and is taking advantage of all that Colorado has to offer:hiking and trail running with her Aussie Ziggy, climbing, bouldering, and snowboarding.
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……