WTF Mid-Atlantic Bikepacking
Danielle and co-founder Kimberly Wiman started and ran WTF Mid-Atlantic Bikepacking from 2018 to 2020 to create a space for women, trans, femme and non-binary riders to create community and explore their role in the outdoors together. WTF Mid-Atlantic led free bike packing trips for a variety of skill levels and hosted community events, inspired by the first Radical Adventure Riders summit and a precursor to the name change.
“Above all else, Parnes and Wiman strive to empower fellow bikepackers by creating a space for them to create relationships based on honesty and a love for the outdoors. ‘Bikepacking is really difficult, and oftentimes on non-WTF rides, there’s not much acknowledgment of how physically and mentally tough it is,’ says Wiman. ‘That vulnerability of feeling able to ask for help allows for a much deeper bond to form between people who go on a trip together.’ “
— Into the Woods: A local bikepacking group connects marginalized riders, Baltimore Magazine
Danielle and Kimberly were invited to contribute to Radical Adventure Riders first zine, Get Rad Be Radical, pictured above.
‘We’re building a strong community of WTFs from different backgrounds through this, which results in more people having access to biking and to the outdoors,’ Parnes says.
‘But the amplifying effect of that is that we create this supportive network of more confident, driven, and self-reliant WTFs when we’re back in our own communities, jobs, and families, trying to address issues every day.’
— How WTF Bikexplorers Built an Inclusive Cycling Space, Outdoor Magazine