FAQ​

 

What is The Hustle Hive?

We are a mountain bike racing and riding team for women and gender-expansive cyclists who pursue the fun side of fast. We bring together cyclists of different skill levels who share a passion for mountain biking, racing, community building, and pushing our limits. While our focus is cross-country and enduro mountain biking, we also support each other in gravel, cyclocross, and bike-packing adventures. We are neither a purely racing team nor a recreational club, but rather a unique blend of bees who understand that racing and community-building are two intertwined goals.

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What experience is required to join?

If you’re passionate about mountain biking and building community around bikes, we want to hear from you. Perhaps you have years of experience racing and want to help empower newer riders. Perhaps you are relatively new to mountain biking and are curious about racing. Perhaps you have a story we haven’t yet heard. Join us! 

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What are the requirements for being an active team member?

We expect teammates to participate in 4 organized cycling events per year (related to racing and/or community building), attend monthly meetings and team rides, purchase a Hustle Hive kit ($100), contribute to team administration, and work to make mountain biking a more inclusive sport.

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What does “gender expansive” mean? Why does it matter that Hustle Hive is a “gender expansive” team? Whom does it include? 

“Gender expansive” includes those whose gender identity and/or gender expression expands beyond, actively resists, and/or does not conform to the current cultural or social expectations of gender, particularly in relation to male or female (source: https://itgetsbetter.org/glossary). We welcome anyone who identifies as woman, trans, femme, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, etc. In contrast to acronyms such as “FTW-NB,” the term “gender expansive” is more transparent to the wider public and allows us to leave space for new and evolving gender identities.

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Hustle Hive aims to support gender expansive riders as part of our mission to create a more inclusive and diverse mountain biking community. Our riders may participate in any variety of race or cycling event categories - women’s, men’s, non-binary, or other - depending on where they feel the most aligned or what they’re comfortable with. 

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What is the Hustle Hive doing to create a more inclusive and safer space for teammates and community members with underrepresented identities in mountain biking?

Members of the Hustle Hive come from a range of backgrounds and experiences related to topics of inclusion and social justice, but we share a passion for advocating for folks that have been excluded from cycling due to their identities. When supporting riders of different backgrounds, we acknowledge that impact does not always match intent and that unfortunately we may not always get the impact right, but we WILL strive to continue to recognize, listen, learn, and reflect in order to grow the Hustle Hive into a more inclusive and safer space.

 

In 2022, as part of our commitment to creating a community for gender expansive riders, the Hustle Hive participated in a workshop to increase our understanding of the experiences of gender expansive folks and re-branded the NEMBA Tuesday night ride series with inclusive language. The team has also reached out to race organizers to advocate for inclusive race categories. We look forward to collaborations with groups who know the needs of different communities.

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If I don’t want to apply for the team, are there social opportunities to ride with the Hustle Hive?

Yes! Email us at thehustlehive@gmail.com to join our mailing list, where we advertise community rides and other resources. Or follow us on Instagram: @the_hustle_hive.