Bikepacking Roots has selected seven new grant recipients for the 2026 cycle of its BIPOC Bike Adventure Grant. In total, over $35,000 in cash and in-kind gear support was awarded to recipients, thanks to the support of generous contributions from a myriad of individual donations and brand partnerships.
Now in its 4th cycle, the BIPOC Bike Adventure Grant aims to reduce barriers to bike adventure for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The grant has awarded a total of 40 grants amounting to more than $140,000 in cash and gear donations since its inception in 2020, making it the largest and longest running program of its kind.
Noelle Battle, Executive Director of Bikepacking Roots reflects, “It was inspiring to read all of the applications and discover the breadth of amazing work being done by BIPOC leaders across the US and Canada to support their communities. We are excited to uplift their work and build long-term partnerships to support diversity in the bikepacking community.”
These new grants will build on the momentum from our last round of grant funding that supported 13 BIPOC Community Leaders to host trips, develop gear libraries, and other community building activities. A group of 12 cyclists – including 8 first-time bikepackers from 6 states – traversed 110 miles of the Katy Trail in Missouri, high school students bonded through an overnight bikepacking adventure on the Monumental Loop in New Mexico, and the Xanich community in California launched a gear lending library for their tribe and led two bikepacking training tours for 18 participants, including 5 elders and 6 youth.
Awardees in the latest cycle include a women and gender expansive group organizing at the border in El Paso, a BIPOC community cycling group in Alaska, a Black and queer led community in Durham, a working class, multi-generational collective supporting Latino men in San Francisco, and more.
“It’s an honor to help lead this program as someone who was part of its very first class of grant recipients. Uplifting BIPOC leaders who are organizing on bikes and building gear libraries for their communities is more urgent now than it has ever been, and the record volume of applications we received this year reflects that reality. This grant is one of the few remaining lifelines for that work, and I hope the cycling and outdoor industries recognize the value and are able to continue to support it.”
Read on to meet the recipients!
BIKEPOCING is an NYC based group focused on making bikepacking (and all things related to the joy of rolling on two wheels) accessible to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. They organize inclusive group outings and experiences, design free bikepacking 101 workshops, and provide transportation for trips, in addition to maintaining a self-funded gear library for the community.
Black Spoke Society (BSS) is a Black and queer led biking community based in Durham, North Carolina, founded to create a welcoming, low-pressure space for Black and brown folks — especially beginners — to come together around cycling and build community. Through bi-weekly rides, learn-to-ride classes, and trips designed to meet people at every experience level, BSS centers collective joy, personal growth, and shared care that extends beyond the bike. In 2025 they hosted their first bikepacking trip and are building a gear library to make future adventures — including upcoming spring and fall trips — as accessible as possible for their growing community.
Brownout Recreation Collective is a San Francisco-based community initiative rooted in organizing alongside communities of color and immigrant populations in the city’s southeastern neighborhoods. Growing out of the Excelsior Bike Club — a pandemic-era bike workshop housed at Casa de Apoyo, a resource hub serving the largely Latino immigrant community in the Excelsior District — Brownout brings a working class multi-generational approach to outdoor recreation and leisure. Their initial bikepacking offering will support a group of beginner-to-intermediate bikepackers who identify as men of color, facilitated in both Spanish and English, with a community gear lending library to ensure equipment is never a barrier to participation.
BSpoke is a grassroots organization dedicated to uplifting BIPOC cyclists in Alaska through community organizing and meaningful relationship-building. They envision community driven cycling spaces that uplift BIPOC cyclists and provide abundant access and opportunities. They work to reduce barriers to cycling, such as cost of gear, familiarity with trails, and technical skills. Through leading community rides that highlight local greenways, hosting clinics about bike maintenance, providing beginner skills clinics, and casual social gatherings, they have been fostering community in Anchorage since 2022.
Kimberly Sambou is a community leader and member of Southside YMCA and Outdoor Afro Chicago/Northwest Indiana. She is committed to creating safe, welcoming, and culturally affirming experiences for Black cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts. Her work is rooted in equity, expanding access to nature, fostering a sense of belonging in outdoor spaces, and ensuring that Black community members can engage in recreation and adventure without barriers. In collaboration with Out Our Front Door, Kimberly works to offer beginner-friendly bike-camping trips, skill-building workshops, and group rides in partnership with organizations such as the Chicago Park District and Cook County Forest Preserve. With a loaner gear program and supportive trip logistics designed to increase accessibility, members of the community will have less barriers to getting on exploring the world around them on multi day experiences. These opportunities help members build confidence, connect with nature, and experience the joy of outdoor adventure close to home.
Rodadas de Perreo is an Indigenous and immigrant-led bike club based in Seattle, founded to bring Indigenous solidarity across borders and nations through cycling. The club centers women of color, non-binary folks of color, and Spanish-speaking communities who have historically been excluded from cycling and outdoor spaces. Rodadas de Perreo offers all information in Spanish and English to make biking accessible to non-English speakers, and hosts intro-to-bikepacking trips designed to give participants the skills, gear, and confidence to experience the freedom of bike camping.
WTFNB El Paso is a community-led bikepacking and cycling collective rooted in the El Paso-Juárez borderlands, centering women, trans, femme, nonbinary, and BIPOC riders. We create safer, affirming spaces for first-generation cyclists and first-time campers to build skills, confidence, and connection to land. Through workshops, practice rides, mentorship, and supported trips, we make bikepacking more accessible and community-centered. In partnership with Bici Sin Fronteras and Critical Mass El Paso, we are building binational solidarity through a women’s bikepacking initiative on both sides of the border and a shared gear library to reduce barriers to outdoor access.
Thanks to our grant supporters!
