Non-Binary/Gender Expansive Program

Meet our Non-Binary/Gender Expansive Program Leader, Bethel Steele

Bethel ('B') Steele (they/them or he/him) is a gravel, mountain biking, and a bike packing connoisseur. B has been a champion for non-binary and gender expansive race categories in cycling events, working with those events to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment, because everyone should have, and know that they have, a place in cycling. B and his partner Lauren lead the group "Queer + Bikes", a space that uplifts queer community on (and off) bikes. 

If you have questions for B you can reach out at bethelsteele@gmail.com

FoCo Fondo offers a non-binary/gender expansive category in addition to men's and women's categories, complete with equal prize purse on the 118-mile Quadruple Dog Dare You Route. For 2025, this includes a separate start at 6:06am, a $5000 prize purse 10-deep, and live coverage.

All route lengths will receive podium recognition for each racing category. The non-binary and gender expansive initiative is an effort to welcome and support non-binary and trans riders at the FoCo Fondo. Part of this initiative includes a LGBTQ+ meetup before the Saturday shakeout ride and a non-binary/gender expansive cookout on the evening before race day. 

Our Non-Binary and Gender Expansive Scholarship program will be open from January 15-February 15. Athletes will be notified at the beginning of March regarding their application with additional support as requested to follow. In addition to entry to any distance of the FoCo Fondo, we will be hosting monthly community and educational calls with optional access to our 12- or 8-week Source Endurance training plan!

Additional support you can apply for includes:

  • Housing at CSU dorms or local, bikeable Airbnb

  • Childcare grant

  • Hitch-A-Ride Carpool Gas Card or Airport Shuttle (our program does not currently offer additional travel support at this time).

Transgender Inclusion Policy:

FoCo Fondo offers three gendered categories: men, women, and non-binary/gender expansive, which are pulled from your BikeReg profile gender selection.

We request that athletes who wish to compete for men's or women's podiums observe the framework for "Group A" athletes from the IOC/USA Cycling framework for national events. We do not require that athletes provide any information to IOC/USAC in order to qualify, instead we trust that you are able to determine your category based on your private conversations with your doctor. Those who are not competing for the podium (either overall or age-group) are welcome to race in the category that aligns with their gender irrelevant of the framework. Because racing categories will be filtered by gender provided by your BikeReg profile, if you would like to compete in a different category than your gender marker in BikeReg, please email Whitney at whitney@bikesportsco.com well ahead of event day so we can make that edit for race day with the timing company.

We value riders of all genders at FoCo Fondo and acknowledge that the gender framework presented by the IOC/USA Cycling is imperfect. We offer equal prize purses and acknowledgement across all three categories at FoCo Fondo so that no matter the category, you can compete for the same prizes and absolute podium glory. We’re so happy you are here.