behind the name

What’s in the Name?

Dusty: This, to us, came as an obvious descriptor when it comes to gravel riding! Whether muddy or dusty, many times you end a ride or race with dust and gritty dirt in your teeth, nose, ears and hair. The dusty-ness of gravel also means lots of bike baths! 

Bandita: Is actually not a word in English! There is no true definition. We were excited to be able to define it and add our own meaning to the bandita call. So, why did we choose it? A combination of factors… 

The women behind The Dusty Bandita come from a variety of backgrounds and proudly represent the BIPOC community. Leaning into our creative side and learning from other resources we found the word, and name, “Bandita,” to have different meanings throughout the world. In Hindi, the name Bandita means “together.” In some Spanish speaking countries, the word “bandita” can have a literal or figurative translation. For instance, in Mexico, the word “band” also means a group, with “-ita” being “little;” the literal translation is, “little band.” While in some countries the word “bandita” is more figurative, meaning “adventurous” or “zealous.”  Likewise, the word bandit in English is an outlaw who breaks the law, and to us, a bandit also represents someone who is confident in their ways, pushing their limits albeit in an unlawful way. We obviously don’t want to be out there breaking laws, however, taking some of the characteristics of a bandit and combining it with adventurous, zealous, and togetherness, we felt Bandita was well rounded and included it all! 

To us, Bandita is multifold. A Bandita is someone who is confident, both inside and out; someone who is willing to pursue their dreams and passions with grit and perseverance. In addition, a Bandita is someone who bands together with others who have similar intentions. Bandita’s respect and empower one another to rise up, push their own boundaries and expand their confidence within themselves in new ways! 

And so this is why, The Dusty Bandita!