Lifestyle sports studies have emphasized the boundary work done by core participants and the resulting exclusionary and hierarchical structures of these sports. Mountain biking is a lifestyle sport structured to incorporate new riders, yet bikers still share a group identity, raising important questions about whether exclusivity is necessary for subcultural identity. Drawing on 60 interviews with mountain bikers, this study explores both the meanings participants make of their experience and the organizational structure of the community. The community is designed to recruit and fully incorporate new members, while members maintain a sense of identity as mountain bikers through transmitting skills and knowledge to newer riders. These findings point to the importance of organizational structure in shaping community practices.
