We’re all aware that women are a minority in the competitive cycling scene – just take a look at your local club’s most recent start list. For many women, this can be a barrier in learning and developing new skills; trying new things in life is always easier when you’re surrounded by others who are standing in or have been in your position.
For years, this disparity has been particularly prevalent in the freeride and slopestyle scenes. And this is where the Trek Momentum camp steps up to fill a critical role. Last year, Harriet Burbidge-Smith approached her sponsor – Trek Bicycle Australia – with a concept shaped by her own experiences as a female slopestyle/ free-ride athlete overseas.
Harriet, aka “Haz,” is an ex-BMX racer who has found herself at home amongst the wildlings of mountain biking. But it wasn’t a smooth transition for Harriet, who’s journey was splintered with injuries, sponsor rejections, setbacks, and failures – the pre-hallmarks of any successful athlete. The success came after Harriet threw herself into a series of “camps” overseas aimed at female free-riders.
“With Trek Momentum, I basically started
