Ariel Marlowe - Chumba Ambassador - Gravel, CX, Route Building, Community
2025 felt like such a long year, likely because it was packed full of events, races, and amazing rides with friends. So grateful for the support from Chumba and Astral, it’s been such an honor to show up and show out on the Terlingua and Stella!
While I don't have a dedicated race season until the fall, my year activates early. In February, we held our annual Black Women's History ride with Black History Bike Ride (BHBR) and kicked off our Spring Bikepacking program for our local shop, Dogspeed Cycles. In March, I was able to represent Chumba at Philly Bike Expo in collaboration with Bikepacking Roots, at Midsouth via Chamois Buttr, and at East Texas Showdown as the media coordinator and DeathStar FTK holder.
In June, we hosted BHBR's annual Juneteenth Ride and Celebration and also began filming for BHBR's 3rd documentary, "Cycles of Resilience, which features my beautiful custom Terlingua. I also joined Patrick Farnsworth of BikeorDeath for an adventure in Arkansas, riding the Arkansas Graveler for 6 days through Central AR and the Ouachitas. Ended the month with a 3rd place SS at SBT's gravel circuit race, which they aren't bringing back for 2026.
September found me traveling to Burlington, VT to share the BHBR documentaries and host a ride. While the ride was cancelled, the screening was very successful. Grateful to Chumba for offering raffle prizes, putting more shirts and hats onto new fans! The rest of the fall flew by with Texas CX season kicking off, Central AND West Texas, and I launched a new media and events production company, Hi-Vis Productions. I also started a new team based in Austin and focused on off-road called Hi-Vis Pro! We released our inaugural kit at Outside City Limits, a refresh of the old Six Shooter course at East Metro Park. CX is alive and well in Austin, with lots of momentum going into 2026
TXCX States is next weekend (Jan 10/11) and I'm hoping to end the season on a high note. As I write this, it's impossible to look back and not be so grateful for the opportunity to join the team. What a group of badasses and thank you for supporting us as we look to the future!
IG @amarlowe89