"If you haven't ridden a bike, then you don't know how powerful they are. And I welcome anybody and celebrate anybody who you somehow uses bikes as a tool for change." — Zahra Alabanza, Radical Adventure Riders

Today we spoke with Zahra Alabanza, organizer at Radical Adventure Riders (RAR) about the organization's beginnings, purposefully creating a space within cycling for FTWNB and BIPOC, leaning into community resources, and so much more. RAR has made itself known within cycling as a resource for group rides to be radically inclusive.

Show notes:

• Zahra's reference to Erykah Badu's phrase, "over-lover" is from the song Out My Mind, Just In Time
• Radical Adventure Riders maintains a resource list on their website
• You can pick up your own sweet, sweet Lisa Frank-inspired RAR merch in their online store
• Grab your own digital copy of their Group Ride Guide here ($11)
• And finally keep your eyes peeled for their 2025 updates by following them on Instagram: @radical.adventure.riders

Welcome back to the All Bodies on Bikes podcast.

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How are you Ellen?

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Ellen Schwartze: Hey, I'm doing so well.

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How are you doing Marley?

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Marley Blonsky: I'm doing really good.

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It's nice to see your face.

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Ellen Schwartze: Yours too.

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I always love your fancy glasses.

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They're so cheery.

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Marley Blonsky: It's funny.

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I've had them for six years now

and I'm like, it was like a zenny

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optical kind of fast fashion purchase.

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But at this point, they've

outlived any of my other glasses.

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So I think they're good.

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Ellen Schwartze: Did you spend money

on them and therefore you won't lose

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them, or are they cheapest chips and

therefore you're never going to lose them?

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Marley Blonsky: I think it's the latter.

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They're, they were super cheap.

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I only use them for computer work

everything else in my life has

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random spots and doesn't ever make

it back to its home location, but

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the glasses stay at my computer.

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Anyway, that's not what

we're here to talk about.

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Ellen Schwartze: It's not.

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Okay.

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Not a glasses podcast.

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Marley Blonsky: I'm really excited for

today's podcast because I have a special

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relationship with this organization.

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I really credit it with, getting all

bodies on bikes started and maybe

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we can talk about that a little bit.

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But let's dive right into it today.

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We are talking with

radical adventure writers.

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Specifically

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zara Alibonza.

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From Radical Adventure Writers.

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Radical Adventure Riders was founded

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gender inclusivity and racial

equity in cycling and the outdoors.

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RAR Radical Adventure Riders, but

we're just gonna call it RAR they

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do this by providing education,

connection, resources, and support

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for the community and industry.

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RAR creates networks and

programs to support FTWNB.

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Which will explain what that

means and BIPOC folks in the

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cycling and outdoors scene.

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Some of these programs include

regional chapters that host

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inclusive rides, cycling industry

pledge, a gear library, and more.

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So speaking with us today is Zahra

Al Abanza, who conjures enthusiasm

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for life by practicing pleasure and

play, living simply and seeking joy.

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Being a parent, organizer, creator,

and adventure are a few roles

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that allow her to explore the

depths of her pleasure and joy.

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A project starting wandering over

lover and outdoor junkie, she

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utilizes experience in space curation,

outdoor adventure, land based

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work, wellness rituals, and being a

creator as the root of her community

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organizing efforts to enhance the

quality of life among Black folk.

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Her work centers Black women,

children, and queer folks and meets

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at the intersection of justice,

Principled living, healing, quality

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of life, and Black liberation.

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She co founded Red, Bike, and Green

Atlanta and the Black Freedom Outfitters.

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Welcome to the show.

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Zahra Alabanza: Thank you for having me.

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It's a pleasure to be here with y'all.

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Marley Blonsky: Yeah,

super excited to have you.

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I love the term overlover.

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I've never heard that

before, but I really love it.

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Zahra Alabanza: I thought if it's Erykah

Badu, she said it in a song that I

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really like and I was like, that applies,

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Marley Blonsky: yeah, I love that so much.

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But I guess before we get too deep

into it, let's explain FTWNB and BIPOC.

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Zahra, do you mind taking

those on and just telling us

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what those acronyms stand for?

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Zahra Alabanza: Sure can.

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So F T W N B is shorthand for femme,

transgender women and non binary folks.

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And then BIPOC is black,

indigenous and people of color.

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So both of these terms are as inclusive

as we can be, but also understand that

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they are limited and that there are

very many identities, both gender and

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racially in between all of those letters.

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Marley Blonsky: Awesome.

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Thank you so much.

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And I would hope that our audience is

familiar with that, but you never know.

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And if somebody can learn something,

we always are here for that.

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Ellen Schwartze: And is it something

where you're trying to center the

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intersection of those two groups or

is it truly like the Venn diagram is

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both circles and it happens to overlap?

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Zahra Alabanza: I think it's not even

that it happens to overlap that but both

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groups are all of these letters deserve

the space that they get standing alone,

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and then there is an intersection of

them where that becomes very important,

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just due to the world that we live in.

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And I'll use myself as an example being

black femme queer and gender nonconforming

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is an identity that looks a lot

different than being a cisgender person.

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I'm going to say I am a cis woman,

but being a black cis woman that

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isn't queer or doesn't have any gender

identities that don't fit the norm.

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So it's important to let them stand

alone, but absolutely important to

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allow the intersection to exist.

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Marley Blonsky: Thanks.

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Yeah.

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RAR has been around for a

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I guess that makes you seven,

almost eight years old now.

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And I know that you're not a founder,

but can you tell us a little bit

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about the origins of the organization,

and maybe more importantly, how it's

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grown and evolved over the years?

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Zahra Alabanza: Yeah.

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And I'll say that I probably can't

do its origin story any justice cause

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I'm not a founder, but I know that

it was came out of the love that six

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different friends had for cycling

and wanting to be more visible in it.

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And so they got together and came up with

RAR, which wasn't named RAR at the time.

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It was WTF women in trans

femme, maybe is that acronym?

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Forgive me, but it had a

totally different name.

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And I think as founders you

love what you've decided to do

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specifically with your friends.

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And then things happen.

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People have different dreams, desires

for themselves, and even how they

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want to be part of an organization.

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And they collectively made a

decision to allow new leadership

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into the organization while founding

leadership went on its own journey.

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So Molly, who is one of the founders,

is still present with the organization.

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And I can't recall what year myself

and Grande came on, but we did and

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we're still here and it had, we have

contributed to the direction that it's

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went, which contributed to a new name.

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It also contributed to

different programming.

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So where RAR used to have, or had

been known for this large event

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that it did that brought the

demographic they represent together

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and no longer hosts that event,

but created, we created something.

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That is a lot more

sustainable with its chapters.

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We have a number of chapters across

the country and one internationally.

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And then we had a gravel team,

which I think was really an amazing

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opportunity to allow people to be like

adult athletes in a biking sport that.

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Also is not the mainstream

of what we see biking as.

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And so it's like this mashup

of non traditional things.

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Having people of different gender

identities and racial backgrounds be

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on a gravel team participating in the

Aspect of biking that again, like I said,

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isn't as popular or wasn't at the time.

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I think gravel racing and writing

has become more popular, but still

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isn't as mainstream as like road

racing or anything like that.

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And it gave an opportunity for people to

see a part of our country that is like

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off the beaten track as well, because it's

not surfaced and it also allowed folks

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who don't, who you don't traditionally

see gravel riding have that opportunity.

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So that was a great program

that also no longer exists.

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And then we also had a scholarship

program that allowed folks to apply

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and get gear and funding to create

their own bike adventure, which

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was one of my favorite programs.

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But that is also it was beautiful while

it lasted, but it's expensive and hard

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to keep funding because to me, it always

feels like you're trying to prove why

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people who are not white cis men deserve

to have the space and finances and gear

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to do something that, Is very liberating.

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And while it's sad to see that go, it was

probably my favorite adventure, reading

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all of these applications that people

express why they want to get on a bike

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and plan a bike adventure, so now we have

our chapters and some of those chapters

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have gear libraries, and we have our

job list board where people can pay to

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have jobs within the industry posted.

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And we share that with our

on our platforms to the

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demographics that follow us.

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Ellen Schwartze: Tell me

more about this gear library.

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I saw this in our show notes and I

want to know, I want to understand

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how it works, what the benefits

are, what's going on with this.

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Zahra Alabanza: So the Atlanta chapter

has a really great example of the

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gear library, which was run by Devin,

who is one of the chapter managers.

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And she did a really great job

due to her relationship, sourcing

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all kinds of necessary things

that you need for bikepacking.

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And so everything from bikes to

panniers and different kinds of bike

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bags, to what you need to sleep in,

just anything you can need You can

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check out at the gear library at

no cost, go have your adventure.

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And they've done such a

great job cataloging it.

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It's like a library and one of her core

members of the Atlanta chapter, when

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they started it, what is a librarian?

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So that was really cool to

utilize that mechanism to start.

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to organize what their gear library would

look like and yeah, anybody can, not

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anybody, but folks who identify with the

demographic can come and borrow gear and

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take it on bike adventure for a set amount

of time and return it when they're done.

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What I generally love about

gear libraries is not it.

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I think our country or the world

is so capitalistic that they

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want you to buy without even

knowing if you love a thing yet.

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So what gear libraries allow

you to do is have an adventure,

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decide if this is for you.

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And if you love it so much to go buy

things, you have, brands that you

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use and approve that you can go buy.

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If you're going to get your own gear

for it, but at the same time, if you

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don't want to buy it because you live

in a small apartment in said major city,

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you don't have to, because the gear

library can be made available for you

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just to continue to borrow the gear.

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And I think what's also great with

what the Atlanta chapter of RAR did

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was, it wasn't a lot of used gear.

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So a lot of gear libraries get piecemealed

together by what people don't want, don't

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need anymore, what they've grown out

of, which often It can be great gear.

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However, it can also be gear

that's falling apart and

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not in its tip top shape.

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And I think specifically for demographics

that are also, that are often overlooked,

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you don't want secondhand things that

may not be in the best condition.

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So Devin and Atlanta did a really good job

of getting tip top gear for people to have

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the best experience the first time out.

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Because I think if you don't have

the best experience the first

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time you go out, it reduces the

likelihood that you will try it again.

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So I think having tip top gear really

encourages the best experience possible.

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So I'm not, I can't recall off the top

of my head how many chapters have gear

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libraries or not, but it's something that

the Atlanta chapter has done really well.

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And they've presented on it.

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And I want to say they, the gear

libraries came in at a time where the

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culture was really ready and right

for it, because I know of previous

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attempts, not necessarily by RAR, but

by other entities that people are like,

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I don't know what a gear library is or

why it would be of any use to anybody.

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They never happened.

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So the timing of when these were

proposed but was really good for RAR

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and has proven to be really successful

even to the point where I didn't meet

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you there, Marley at Grit Fest, but

people were able to borrow gear from

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not only Grit Fest, but other, even in

Atlanta, people were not from Atlanta.

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Devin brought things over so people

could utilize while at Grit Fest.

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So even now.

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That's

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Marley Blonsky: awesome.

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Zahra Alabanza: The Atlanta

gear library was supporting

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people, which is really cool.

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Marley Blonsky: That's so cool.

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Yeah, I, when I lived in

Seattle, we had a tool library.

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So similar but it's such a community

care thing because you're right.

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We don't all need to buy things.

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And equipment is such a barrier

for folks getting into the type

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of adventure cycling that RAR.

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Promotes.

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So I really love that.

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What are some of the other primary

barriers that you've observed for

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marginalized communities, like entering

the outdoor or the cycling spaces

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and how has RAR helped address those?

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Zahra Alabanza: Yeah, I think

it's a really interesting

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conversation that has happened.

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And I want to say like the last 10 years

about who's in the outdoors and who's not.

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And I want to say someone is

defining what the outdoors is and

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it is not, It's not people of color.

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It's not black folks.

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It's not trans folks.

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It's white cis people who run these

entities who have said, this is

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what outdoor adventuring looks like.

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And, or this is what outdoors looks like.

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And I've always pushed back

against at least black people not

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being outdoors because we are.

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It may not look the way that is being

promoted, but we've always been outdoors

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and we don't even need to go into those

conversations, but it's always existed.

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What I think is, so the narrative

is a barrier because it's

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made us believe that people.

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BIPOC folks are not outdoors,

that trans folks are not outdoors.

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And I think sometimes we ingest

that in a way that makes it

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more true than it actually is.

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And just because we're not seeing it

doesn't mean it's not occurring, right?

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And so I say that we are outdoors, we of

course can always be outdoors more, but

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we are outdoors and the barriers are real.

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But we still find a way, even if

it's out of no way, which means

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that if we needed to create a gear

library or borrow something from my

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friend who I knew one time did this

thing, but had this thing, we do it.

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We piecemeal our experiences together.

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And I think it makes for a really

unique experience, but barriers

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are always like finances, right?

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And where you live in this country.

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And as well as the narratives

that say it's not safe for you.

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And I find it interesting that

we can live in urban spaces.

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hear gunshots and not

think twice about it.

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Like it's just part of the

white noise in the background.

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And then when someone says, let's

go outside there, bears come up and

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I'm like, we're, I'm always like the

likelihood one bears don't exist in said

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area that you're going to go outside.

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The likelihood that you're going to

run into wildlife so close that you

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feel endangered is slim to none.

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And if you do, I hope that you are

like prepared in a way that you can

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recognize how to keep yourself safe.

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But these narratives we tell

ourselves and that have been

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told to us become the barriers.

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The movies that always have somebody

being killed outside on the beach

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or in the back country creates a

sense of fear that doesn't even

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allow folks to be curious about.

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And then people don't even recognize

oftentimes because of the hustle

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and bustle and the demand to keep

up with, our basic needs via labor

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and capitalism, you don't even

realize what's in your back door.

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And so it always looks like I need to

buy a plane ticket, get on a train and

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go somewhere far away from the urban

setting I live in to experience outdoors.

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And again, that's false.

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City cities aren't all great

with creating outdoor spaces.

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But in most major

cities, there are trails.

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There are opportunities

for you to get outside.

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And so I think the main barrier is

believing the hype that the outdoors

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isn't for us and that we're not out there

and that it needs to look a certain way.

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And then I think that finances do

become a barrier or not knowing

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anybody else who has done it before

you so that you can borrow something

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or have a conversation with somebody

about what that experience is like.

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And then fear is real, right?

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Like we've been told these stories for

so long that they become real to us.

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And I think we need to

demystify it rather than.

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constantly having the conversation

about the things that are

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external of our ability to change.

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The commercials are diversifying, but

it doesn't mean that it's going to

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make you feel safer to go outside.

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So if it's something you really want to

do, how do we take that control into,

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how do we get power of that so that we

can create narratives that make us really

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excited and curious about the outdoors?

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Ellen Schwartze: Yeah.

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So there's someone to ask.

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I think is an important part like

someone who you are comfortable talking

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to and who has a shared experience

of so that you can just feel free to

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just like fire off these questions

one after one and like assuage that

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anxiety that you might feel of getting

into whatever activity you might do.

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I think that's really important.

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So you guys are basically like

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Zahra Alabanza: God.

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No, go ahead.

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Go ahead.

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I'm sorry.

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Ellen Schwartze: Oh, you're very

purposely creating those the The

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place for someone to go to ask.

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Zahra Alabanza: Yeah.

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And that's part of accessibility, right?

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So I think that the internet makes

it and these social media platforms,

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being able to see visuals and get

stories shared by people who do it,

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who are also welcome, welcoming to

people, asking them questions, right?

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I think there's a way it can be done where

it doesn't feel accessible or safe to ask

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questions, but then there's a way to do it

where it's come ask me all the questions.

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Cause I just finished this adventure.

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And I would love to answer all your

questions so that you can go create

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your own adventure or do the one

that I just did or whatever it is.

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Yeah.

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Ellen Schwartze: Yeah, absolutely.

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And it also made me think, when you

said the thing about bears, it made

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me think about, because I am more of

a commuter cyclist, and if someone's

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not familiar with cycling in a city,

they'll just be like, oh my gosh, it's

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so dangerous for you to ride in the city.

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It's you are more dangerous in your car.

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Statistically speaking, but

we're not taking those away.

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We're not saying anybody like, don't

be careful every time you get in your

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car, which you should do, but it's

not like someone does not gasp out

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loud at your habits of doing this,

even though you are actually safer.

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So changing that narrative can be.

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A big part of I think it's an important

part of what all of this entails as well.

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Zahra Alabanza: Absolutely.

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And I do gas every time I need to

get in the car in the city I'm like,

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I always ask people can you drive me

or pick me up because I don't want

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to deal with what it's like to drive.

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Some places in Atlanta being one of

them I think people do gas when they

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have to get in their car, even though.

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Or stops them from doing it or choosing

a different mode of transportation,

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but we guess for sure I had

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Ellen Schwartze: a friend in town last

weekend and I'm a feminist but my husband

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drives most of the time for that for

what you just said because I hate it.

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So I had to like the GPS on and

I still missed like seven exits

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and she must think that I am.

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On the driving level, just a total

idiot, because it's I live here, but

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I don't know what these roads do.

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I stay on small roads most of the time.

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Because you're usually hiking.

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Yeah.

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Exactly, yeah, it's like, if you want me

to go on the surface streets, I can do

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that, but what is this I 35 happening?

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Marley Blonsky: I'm curious to

learn more about the chapters.

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All bodies on bikes has chapters.

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And I'm just curious to learn more,

what does the chapter structure

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what kind of activities do they do?

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What does that look like?

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Zahra Alabanza: So it's funny because

that was my first project when I came on.

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Because I couldn't create chapters

with Red, Biking Green because of

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the lack of finances and just the

kind of support that's necessary.

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I offered it to RAR and I was like,

chapters are the way to go because

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it gives a lot of autonomy, right?

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And it gives a lot of

space for creativity.

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But we started off, ooh, and these

numbers, please don't quote me, y'all.

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But I think we started off with We did an

application process, created a structure

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where it was like you need to have a core

group, these are some of the skills you

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need for your core group you need to do

a certain percentage, I think we said had

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to be BIPOC, but we've always refined that

because, for instance, there's a chapter

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in Utah, we want the percentage of BIPOC

people to at least match or mirror to

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a particular extent the percentage that

exists within the city, but we can't

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ask like Utah to have a predominantly

BIPOC chapter because it's Utah.

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That is not the makeup of the demographic.

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Ellen Schwartze: I don't get it.

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Is there something about

Utah that I don't know?

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Haha, I kid.

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Zahra Alabanza: No so we had some

like measurements about what.

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racially what the makeup should be, what

your core group should look like, that

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it should exist, it should have these

roles and that you, I think, have one

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or two adventures, like a backpacking

experiences within a year's span of time.

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Whatever those like initial measure

measurements were, we found it challenging

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to monitor that with what we had.

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So we brought on co chapter

leads, which are Devin and Kai.

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Devin runs Atlanta chapter.

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Kai runs the New Haven chapter.

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And they created a lot of structure

that makes these chapters run more

378

smoothly because we seen a lot of gaps

and things that weren't being met.

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So what I, or what we noticed originally

was like, The chapters that were

380

more BIPOC oriented had a harder time

creating, the bike adventures that were

381

necessary, and we assume it was because

of the amount of labor that they have

382

to do for their own lives that didn't

afford them the privilege and space

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and time to be so into their chapter

that they could meet the requirements.

384

And so it was like, what

can we do to support that?

385

Grande would be someone who

supported the Bay Area chapter to

386

help them troubleshoot, to offer

more resources and things like that.

387

And when we got the chapter

managers, that's what they also

388

started to do per for each chapter.

389

So they have office hours, they have,

so mandatory office hours, and then

390

like more flexible office hours.

391

And then there's these workshop series

on how to engage different demographics.

392

So for example, if, I look at it from an

organizing standpoint, which is you need

393

to have one on ones in your community.

394

If you're not seeing who you want to

show up in your space, you need to go

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find out why and where people are, which

means they may not be coming to your

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ride, but if you're welcome that their

ride, then that's where you need to be

397

going and build authentic relationships.

398

And my perspective was.

399

that our chapters became micro, even

more microcosmics of the communities we

400

live in that are very isolated racially,

that even gender wise are very isolated.

401

And you recognize it's really hard for

people to get out of their own way and

402

authentically meet people who don't look

And act and live the lives that you live,

403

but in order to diversify, you have to.

404

And so that's something that

the chapters had a process.

405

The chapters have to go through is

look at itself, look at its city,

406

look at the country we live in.

407

And it answers the question

why, your chapter may not look

408

the way you want it to look.

409

And then RAR chapter managers

offer resources to push through

410

that to be a soundboard.

411

To brainstorm with them to get

to where they would like to go.

412

We got lucky to get an

international chapter.

413

Australia is our international chapter.

414

But it was really an honor to see that

even internationally people, vibed

415

with what RAR was offering and applied.

416

When we first started, there were

chapters that were funded and

417

chapters that were unfunded, and

that was based on what chapters said.

418

Chapter was like, no, we

don't need the funding.

419

We were like, great, we can offer it to

a chapter that does need the funding.

420

And we created more infrastructure

around that to like, support

421

people spending the money.

422

I think sometimes people don't want

to spend money because it's then

423

I don't have any money, but then

it's you're not utilizing the money

424

for what it could be used for.

425

So just encouraging on

how it could be spent.

426

And I think that's a really cool

perk because it could go to flyers.

427

It could go for food at your meetings.

428

It can go to a number of different

things that support the the chapter,

429

even if it's not getting gear or,

Paying fees towards an adventure.

430

It still is supporting it like back of

the house front of the house kind of idea.

431

And that feels really good.

432

To core members who don't have to come

out of their own pocket to figure out

433

how to pay for these things that they

don't even realize will become like a

434

fee because It's only in the details

you recognize should cost money,

435

Marley Blonsky: A hundred percent.

436

Yeah.

437

Oh

438

Zahra Alabanza: yeah.

439

I love that.

440

We can offer some funding

to the chapters as well.

441

Marley Blonsky: How do

you guys get that funding?

442

Are you fundraising?

443

Is it grants?

444

What is that?

445

It's all

446

Zahra Alabanza: of the above.

447

So we do some fundraising.

448

We do have some sponsors

and then we sell merch.

449

So there's that, that

generates revenue as well.

450

I was hoping you would mention

that because the merch is so cute.

451

Molly is gangsta.

452

She creates these items and we

keep Lisa Frank in our back pocket.

453

So if you ever look at some of the more

some of like our handkerchiefs and stuff

454

like that, it has a little Lisa Frank

vibe, cheers to the eighties babies.

455

And she just does a really great job

designing this merch and people love it.

456

Ellen Schwartze: Yeah.

457

I want to just revisit one of

the things you said in there.

458

It was like how to get the chapters to

reflect who is in your community and

459

how to purposely reach out to them.

460

Are there resources that other

people could reference without

461

being part of RAR for that?

462

Because I think that as we think

of the political climate, I do

463

think that's something that is.

464

important moving forward for us to

purposefully be running into people

465

who we don't share exact views with.

466

Zahra Alabanza: Yeah so

RAR has a resource page.

467

I couldn't tell you what's on it right

now, but that is a great place to start.

468

Ellen Schwartze: I

469

Zahra Alabanza: always say,

470

There's a ton of resources.

471

People have to be interested enough

to go seek them out, and I don't think

472

that there's a cookie cutter fit for

any one community that would work.

473

It really does take people's effort

to say, this is something that's

474

important for me to understand and

work through, towards, and beyond,

475

to go find the resources that fit

the groups that they're working with.

476

I think that a lot of labor has gone

into creating resources to understand

477

non cis people, non heterosexual people.

478

To understand BIPOC folks.

479

And it's just go find that.

480

And to expect that someone is just

going to hand it to you in a way that

481

like makes complete sense to you, your

chapter, your community is not fair, but

482

the resources are out there and you can

piecemeal them together and gain a lot

483

of knowledge that will truly enhance how

you approach the work that you're doing.

484

And that's any.

485

Any work that wants to address

marginalized communities and

486

communities that aren't well

represented in mass culture.

487

Marley Blonsky: Yeah, we'll put a link to

that page on our within the show notes.

488

But one of my favorite things is the

guiding principles that I think came

489

up from the WTF bike Explorers retreat.

490

But as transitioned into this bigger

thing and it's like just it's these 10

491

principles that, I think people should

live their lives by and I won't go into

492

all of them, but, just even the first

one of trusting intent, but acknowledging

493

impact absorbing this into my life has

been huge of, I screw up sometimes and

494

acknowledging that has an impact on other

people has been absolutely huge so we

495

will put a link to it But I recommend

people check out the guiding principles

496

because they really do help you Especially

if you're in a white heterosexual

497

body cisgender body I don't know why

I put heterosexual in there Anyway,

498

if you're of the It's fine if you're

499

Ellen Schwartze: calling

me out, I don't mind.

500

Marley Blonsky: You're not

lucky enough to be queer, sorry.

501

Ellen Schwartze: But it is it is a bit

of even this is a little example here.

502

It was like, I'm sitting

here okay, so where do I go?

503

And you're like, you go wherever , your

search takes you, but you do it.

504

Zahra Alabanza: Yeah, that's important.

505

And I appreciate y'all bringing

up the guiding principles.

506

Cause I think they are like

a baseline at the very least.

507

And a lot of entities

have them these days.

508

So it's and they parallel

each other so much.

509

And then I think RAR has a ride

guide that also is if you don't know

510

how to do this is also some support

on figuring out how you can create

511

rides that are very inclusive and

safe for everybody who's on there,

512

Marley Blonsky: I'm so

glad you called that out.

513

Cause the ride guide we, it's a

PDF that you can purchase which.

514

Pay the money, buy the PDF, and

it is an incredible resource for

515

anybody who leads group rides.

516

It's really for all bodies on bikes,

it's what we've built a lot of our

517

work off of, because it is absolutely

incredible and really highlights a lot

518

of things that I wouldn't necessarily

have thought about as a ride leader.

519

So thank you for that.

520

That's awesome to hear that it's useful.

521

It's very useful.

522

Thank you.

523

And it's designed super

cute and it's awesome.

524

Zahra Alabanza: Yeah.

525

It takes you, it's like

an activity book, right?

526

You remember saying mash and all

that stuff on the inside too.

527

Super fun.

528

Marley Blonsky: Yeah.

529

So we'll put up a link to that as well.

530

Let me go back to my list of questions.

531

Ellen, you got anything?

532

I do.

533

I think I'm

534

Ellen Schwartze: curious.

535

You talked a lot about what R.

536

A.

537

R.

538

has become to this point.

539

What's happening next?

540

What's in the future?

541

What's on the horizon?

542

Zahra Alabanza: I think you

got to wait and find out.

543

There are things brewing, but I'm

not at liberty to say because those

544

conversations are still happening.

545

I think you can expect some

changes that benefit, people in RAR

546

leadership that can be invisibilized

and give more breathing room.

547

And so those conversations are

still happening and very important.

548

I think that focusing on what exists

now is also really important so that we

549

don't lose what RAR like currently is.

550

And I think RAR also does a

really good job of archiving.

551

I was looking back at the website

and it went through the process

552

that we did for the name change.

553

And so when those changes do occur,

it'll be really shared very well of

554

the who, what, where, why, and when,

and how we got to where we're going.

555

And it is part of Making sure we control

that narrative rather than what can

556

easily happen when things change and

people don't like them or they love

557

them so much they take on a narrative of

their own, but right has done a really

558

good job of controlling its narrative.

559

And so I'm also really excited

to see how we choose to tell

560

the story of what is next.

561

Ellen Schwartze: Oh, I love this teasing.

562

What's your timeline?

563

When should people be

looking out for said news?

564

Do you know that yet?

565

Zahra Alabanza: I don't know for sure, but

566

Ellen Schwartze: That is anywhere

from 1 to 13 months from now.

567

Enjoy.

568

Marley Blonsky: I love the transparency

of it though, because I think it really

569

does, it's leadership and it's showing

other orgs that like, it's okay to have

570

these hard conversations and to adapt

and evolve as your community changes.

571

So kudos on that, because it's hard.

572

Zahra Alabanza: And I would also

say as leadership changes, right?

573

Going from a founding group to only

having one founder and a bunch of other

574

people that believe in the work of RAR

coming together and having to learn

575

each other and all these great things.

576

We're a great group of I

would say friends actually.

577

And I don't think people consider.

578

often enough, and you all probably

have experiences as well, how hard

579

it is to create space and things

that other people will utilize.

580

People will love to get in the

comments and have shit to say.

581

And it's wait a minute, we've been to,

and this space was created for all of

582

us to enjoy and it didn't exist before.

583

And there's often not a blueprint.

584

So don't come trying to attack us

or have such critique that it makes

585

the people, the very people who are

making the offering not feel good.

586

And reminding people through all of these

processes that like, We're people too.

587

And be easy.

588

And our pace is not necessarily as

one of corporate America, which I

589

think people are accustomed to when

you put in a complaint, you get an

590

automatic response and a resolution.

591

And it's no, we're real people trying

to be transparent and hold integrity

592

while we deal with anything, and so

it's we move at the pace of being human.

593

And that's a very real thing, which is

why one to 13 months is Who knows what

594

will happen in our decision making.

595

Marley Blonsky: Yeah.

596

And that's perfectly okay.

597

Cause you all have lives outside

of RAR and your parents and your

598

community members and all these things.

599

I love that gentle reminder

to Hey, be patient folks.

600

Like we're creating community for

you and we're building this for you.

601

Ellen Schwartze: But it's also a bit

of a, moment to say it doesn't have

602

to be the pace of corporate America.

603

It's fine to take its time.

604

I think all bodies on bikes has done

a good job too of saying we're going

605

to purposely grow sustainably in a

way that because at the moment it's

606

really just, it's Marley and the board

and it's a few other people who are

607

like, we're surrounded by good people,

but you can't put it all on Marley's

608

shoulders and expect it To just fly.

609

You can, Marley's amazing, but if we're

not trying to burn Marley out immediately,

610

you have to do this differently.

611

So like pushing back against

the hustle, I think the hustle.

612

Yeah.

613

And this expectation, even like the

way that you said it with taking

614

your complaint to corporate America.

615

Yeah, you're not, you might not get

your ticket logged to the way you think.

616

And it might just be that

the answer is no, like.

617

We're expecting whoever we

complain to, to fix our problem.

618

And if you're not going to show up and

be part of the solution and something

619

like RAR and something that is so new

and growing, then you might like, noted.

620

And we'll let you know.

621

Zahra Alabanza: Yeah, absolutely.

622

And I I commend all founders and I

commend the one person teams with boards

623

and the people who live a lot of lives,

but yet still find the space to offer

624

something to the larger community.

625

Cause the blood, sweat and tears

and the sacrifice, and you don't

626

even recognize the sacrifice cause

you're like, I love this thing.

627

And then you look up and you're like,

holy shit, like how do you continue?

628

And then you have to realize

you, we get to create.

629

What an entity can look like that aligns

with how the people we love and care

630

about move and exist in the world.

631

And it is at a completely different pace.

632

It's like at the pace of riding a bicycle.

633

On and on.

634

Ayo.

635

Marley Blonsky: Yes, I love that.

636

I love that.

637

I'm hoping folks are going to

hear this and be like, Oh my God,

638

I want to learn more about RAR.

639

I want to get involved.

640

Obviously, people can go to the website

and look it up on Instagram but if

641

people are interested in coming on a

ride, coming on a campout and they fit

642

into the FTWNB BIPOC umbrella do you

have any advice that you would give them

643

for folks who are curious or, like, how

should they show up to these spaces?

644

Zahra Alabanza: Just go.

645

I think sometimes we put so much

thought behind things and I get it.

646

We live in a world that's created so much

anxiety that you're like, do I fit in?

647

Do I this?

648

Can I this?

649

And it's excuse my language,

but fuck around and find out.

650

And you'll probably find out that it

wasn't as bad or hard as you made it seem

651

when you were pondering it in your mind.

652

You showed up, people

were really welcoming.

653

And maybe they weren't

because I don't know.

654

I've heard of recent experiences where

some, something wasn't as welcoming,

655

but we can troubleshoot that.

656

I think that's the most beautiful thing is

the people who come to something like RAR

657

are open to critique and will shift when,

and if it makes sense for them to shift,

658

to meet the needs of the people that they

want on the rides or that deserve to be

659

on the rides, need to be taking up space

on the rides and it's trial and error.

660

I don't think, so yeah, I'm like,

if you're interested, come on out.

661

Bring what bike you have, all bodies

welcome, come, I when I was at Griffith

662

I wear tutus on adventures, right?

663

And it makes me feel how

biking makes me feel.

664

I think there are very few spaces

where your whole self can show up.

665

I think RAR is one of the

few spaces where literally.

666

Who and how you are, as long as it's not

causing harm to anybody, is going to be

667

welcomed and gives us all an opportunity

to get out of our boxes and who, and

668

associate and work and play with people,

not these like, Forms of people we have

669

to become because society puts a lot of

pressure on us like riding bikes It's

670

one of the most liberating things and

it is welcoming for you to be exactly

671

who and how you are without harm So come

on show up and let's see what happens.

672

Ellen Schwartze: I Cannot picture a more

perfect way to wrap up this conversation

673

and then with what you just said that was

wonderful And if that's the spirit of all

674

bodies on bikes, it's the spirit of raw.

675

I think that's the spirit of a

lot of people who are starting to

676

form these wildly inclusive and

purposefully inclusive spaces.

677

We've talked with some great people,

Marley, just on this podcast alone.

678

And it's I am so honored, I think, to

just be part of creating these things.

679

And I am really glad to have

talked to you as a wrath.

680

So

681

Zahra Alabanza: yeah.

682

Yeah it's a pleasure.

683

And I think it's important what

you all offer the space y'all offer

684

for people to share about their

experiences with, bicycles, y'all,

685

we get to talk about fun, right?

686

I, but I also think

they're really beautiful.

687

These entities are really beautiful place

to deal with the hard shit in the world

688

when you have like your favorite toy with

you all the time, or your toy is a tool.

689

And yeah, I just, It's if you

haven't rode a bike, then you

690

don't know how powerful they are.

691

And I welcome anybody and

celebrate anybody who you somehow

692

uses bikes as a tool for change.

693

So thank you for the

podcast and having RAR on.

694

Ellen Schwartze: Thank you for joining us.

695

We hope that every listener has the

courage to fuck around and find out

696

at some point in 2025 with you guys.

697

Zahra Alabanza: Sounds great.

698

Ellen Schwartze: Awesome.