Founded in 2017, Radical Adventure Riders (RAR) mission is to center 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.
Meet The Crew
Meet the rad folks who co-create and lead programs for RAR.
Christina Grande
(she/her) moved to Alaska from San Francisco in 2006 for a news reporting job! About four years into that, Grande started to work part-time at a bike shop in Anchorage. Since then, she moved full-time into the bike shop world because she enjoyed working with the community at this level. She’s been a mentor with GRIT, sits on the board of directors for Singletrack Advocates, who build and maintain singletrack mountain bike trails on Dena’ina land, and was a coach for a kids mountain bike camp called Mighty Bikes. In the ten years of working at bike shops, she finds it very important to give back to those who make it possible for people to have fun on bikes and for folks like her to have a job in this industry. In 2018, she started her bike guiding company called Alaska Bike Adventures.
Mary Lytle
(she/they) (co-founder) is a queer cat dad, visual artist, organizer, and adventure cyclist based in Portland, OR. She is passionate about using her skills as an illustrator to represent and connect cycling communities. Mary’s desire to connect the community around bicycles stems from their days of running a small hot dog stand on the Little Miami Bike Trail in Loveland, Ohio, and feeding the cyclocross community at regional events. While design is Mary’s main gig, she enjoys working part-time for small independent brands focusing on creative design in the cycling industry. She currently works for Golden Pliers. On her days off, she loves to fuel herself with vegan snacks while meandering dirt roads in the PNW with friends.
Zahra Alabanza
(she/her/they) conjures enthusiasm for life by practicing pleasure and play, living simply, and seeking joy. Being a parent, organizer, creator, and adventurer are a few roles that allow her to explore the depths of her pleasure and joy. A project-starting, wandering, over lover, and outdoor junkie, she utilizes experience and space curation, outdoor adventure, land base work, wellness rituals, and being a creator as the root of her community organizing efforts to enhance the quality of life among Black folk. Her work centers Black women, children, and queer folks and meets at the intersection of justice, principled living, healing, quality of life, and Black liberation. She co-founded Red, Bike and Green-Atlanta and Black Freedom Outfitters.
Molly Sugar
(she/her) (co-founder) continually seeks ways to intersect grassroots organizing with art and design to create a more inclusive cycling community. In 2017, she founded Friends on Bikes, a social cycling group in Portland, OR for BIPOC folks who are women, trans, and gender non-conforming. Aside from organizing, Molly moves pixels as a Senior Product Designer at The Dyrt. She is also passionate about routemaking and seeks to create gravel and bikepacking routes accessible for all levels.
Devin Cowens
(she/her) (co-chapter manager) is a connector, event planner, and advocate for BIPOC folks in cycling. She launched RAR ATL in 2019 as WTF BX ATL and is currently a member of the RAR gravel team. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, bike camping, creating community, and bringing people together. She is the person you want at the party to make sure folks are fed and feeling good. She is a Leo sun, Leo rising and Libra moon who dabbles in Scrabble and puzzles.
Kai Addae
(they/them) (co-chapter manager) is originally from the Pacific Northwest but is proud to have made New Haven their home. They got involved in the local biking community through New Haven Bike Party and volunteering at their local bike co-op. Since then, they’ve grown into an avid ride coordinator, bike mechanic-teacher, route planner, and cheerleader for any and all types of biking in New Haven. They currently work part-time as a bike mechanic/program coordinator at the Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op and sincerely hope to motivate others like them– femmes, black folks, and those struggling with anxiety and depression, to explore and get in touch with their bodies and nature via the magic of riding and fixing bikes with friends.
Name Change
Previously known as WTF Bikexplorers, we changed our name to RAR to be more representative of our community. It took about one and a half months (and much more behind the scenes) to get to our new name. We hope that we set an example of what a community-driven and transparent process could look like with our name change.
Original Co-Founders
We also want to recognize and thank the original co-founders of WTF BX. We’ve recognized the need for change and growth within leadership with the necessity of actively listening to and amplifying new leadership voices.
Everett, Jocelyn, Nam, and Sarah have stepped down to make this intentional space. We’re grateful for their founding endeavors and wish them luck in their next chapter.