Robert Egan’s Post

This is Jess Golding. Yesterday afternoon she crossed the Arctic Circle wearing KOSTÜME kit, as one of our supported riders on the North Cape 4000. What an image and story to wake to this morning! As a long distance rider and racer, Jess had really struggled to find cycling shorts that worked for her, so I sent a pair of ours to try, and here she is completing a 4,000km epic in our full #EDIT001 kit! Satisfying doesn't begin to sum it up. Before I launched the brand I was advised again and again not to put effort into women's kit. It won't sell. You'll lose money. It's not worth it. So, of course, I prioritised it. I found Demi Bowater to help with technical design, and we developed features like a clipless/zipless toilet break and gripper-free legs for the bib shorts, a ponytail hole for the cap, nailed the cut and sizing, and made sure our women's kit was front and centre when it came to launch reviews, marketing etc. I knew that what those experienced heads were saying was rooted in some truth (although our preorder model de-risks the 'lose money' part significantly) but I also know that it is essential to support female cyclists with the same quality, innovation and sophistication - or indeed even more so - than the male-equivalent products. I don't want to be part of a world (or certainly not run a business) where these are not the absolute basic values. So yes, our sales are massively male dominated. But it's very early days, and better, more sustainably-made, fully-featured and affordable products will absolutely help to grow cycling for everyone. And in the meantime, stories like Jess' make it all the more tangible and worthwhile. #BeMoreJess #Kostüme #cyclingapparel #womeninsport #cycling #roadcycling #womenscycling #equality #inclusivity #longdistancecycling #ultracycling #northcape4000

At Sea Otter Classic, America’s biggest bicycle trade show, pedal power wasn’t just about bike racing and the latest gadgets. Amidst the sea of booths, a powerhouse of women in the industry gathered for a live Uplift panel, dishing out insights and advice for their industry peers. Recent studies hit hard, revealing the cycling world still leans heavily towards white, straight men, with many women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals facing harassment or worse. In fact, 71% of the women say that they were considering leaving the cycling industry. In response, a group of industry veterans are hitting the alarm bells, rallying for change through dialogue and mentorship. Attracting over 160 attendees, the panel featured off-road racing legend Rebecca Rusch, Zwift’s Kate Veronneau, DEI specialist Lisa Bourne, MBA Bourne, and yours truly. We shared advice on breaking barriers, making an impact, and forging connections in a male-dominated arena while fielding the crowd’s questions and concerns. Moderated by Uplift’s founder Rachael Burnside and hosted by Kathryn Taylor of Feisty Media, the event was a first step in opening up the dialogue and making connections.  A video of the event will be made available soon via these channels, and while you wait, dive into our series exploring the challenges and triumphs of women in the bike industry today: "You don’t have to be a straight white man to work in the bicycle industry, but it helps" - uncovering the industry's diversity report. https://lnkd.in/gYEh3SYt "71% of cycling industry women are considering leaving" - hear from trailblazers on why and what’s being done to turn the tide. https://lnkd.in/gDpkz2QE "After 10 years in cycling, here’s why I am leaving the bike industry" - a personal account shedding light on the realities within. https://lnkd.in/gAzr6mYv

What an incredible "Lunchtime with Cycle Sprog" session yesterday, sharing some real successes getting women and kids on bikes, along with the real challenges this poses. My key takeaways were: 1) It takes time. Funders need to be aware of this and not expect instant results. 2) Many groups not usually reached by the cycling industry need to see themselves represented in the initiatives 3) It can take a lot of advance work to get people confident enough to give cycling a go 4) A decent bike makes all the difference between loving and hating cycling 5) Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure 6) BUT...... infrastructure itself isn't enough - you still need behavioural programmes, especially to groups not usually welcomed into the world of cycling. 7) Recent research is showing mothers who cycle with their kids say it's more convenient than driving - in certain circumstances. 8) Women only sessions are really important, and can drive huge numbers to participate when organised with, and advertised to, the correct demographics / communities. Huge thanks to Katherine Cory Dawn Rahman and Becky Cox for sharing their extensive knowledge and experiences and to Emily Wormald for making it all happen. And to everyone who turned up to learn and share their experiences and challenges. Look out for our next Lunchtime with Cycle Sprog session in the New Year when we'll be discussing campaigning. #ActiveTravel #Cycling #WomenOnBikes #FamilyCycling

Did you know that for every two men riding a bike there is only one woman? For women the top barrier to getting on a bike is lack of safe infrastructure. I love this article which shows the way to getting more women cycling. It also highlights the personal benefits of cycling. For those in the transport infrastructure sector it emphasises the value of co-design. Women must be engaged in the planning process. #womenininfrastructure #transportplanning #activetransport #womenempoweringwomen

Empowerment and the Critical Mass movement are closely linked. Critical Mass involves a group of cyclists riding through city streets together to raise awareness and advocate for sustainable mobility. Empowerment arises from the sense of community: individual cyclists, who often feel vulnerable or marginalized in traffic, become part of a larger group. This critical mass gives them the strength to confidently demand their rights and push for better cycling infrastructure. The Critical Mass movement encourages people to use bicycles as an eco-friendly and healthy mode of transportation. By acting together, it also raises awareness of the challenges cyclists face in daily traffic, building confidence in the power to drive change. The message is clear: when enough people come together and take action, they can influence traffic policies and shape a more sustainable future. This is empowerment at its core—through unity and collective effort. #CriticalMass #Empowerment #BicycleRevolution #Sustainability #StrongerTogether #Cycling

🥳 Read the interview with our Policy Director Lauha Marianne Fried now in Zag Daily! 🚵 In the interview, Lauha discusses the next steps for the #EUDeclarationonCycling, CIE's advocacy work, and the vital importance of getting more women involved in the cycling industry. She also highlights Ville de Paris as a leading example, where strong policies and infrastructure have significantly boosted cycling and emphasises the importance of taking ambitious steps to make cycling a central part of sustainable urban transport across Europe. 👉 Read the interview by Sela Musa here and below: https://lnkd.in/d4GW4sWM 🚲At CIE, we are committed to driving this transformation and supporting cycling industries (and cities) making cycling a key element of the European sustainable transport strategy. #CyclingIndustriesEurope #Bike #Cycling #EU #Paris #Women

🚲 Notice how few women or elderly individuals cycle in your city? 👀 Even though bike ridership is increasing, young men still dominate the cycling lanes in Europe. However, many initiatives are striving to change this ⬇ 👴 👵 **Cycling Without Age**: Restoring the joy of cycling for elderly individuals who can no longer ride independently. 🙋♀️ **TandEM**: Empowering women across the EU with train-the-trainer cycling and bike repair workshops. 🚌 **Bike Buses**: Ensuring children can safely bike to school in supervised groups. Learn more about these impactful projects and how they're promoting equitable urban cycling in our latest article at Tomorrow.City. #UrbanMobility #CyclingForAll #SustainableTransport #ActiveMobility #EITUrbanMobility #TomorrowMobilityCongress # //https://lnkd.in/dstrQkHh

Thanks to Cycling Industry News and Danielle Reiff-Jongerius for giving Karla Sommer of VELOKIN and me the opportunity to shed light on the topic of diversity and equality in the Cycling Industry from our personal perspective. It is in the nature of my work to be active in the background. Our customers' messages are relevant, not our own opinions. But on some issues we are obliged to come to the fore and speak up — on behalf of all those who don't have the opportunity to do so but are confronted with similar circumstances. Disclaimer: There is a possibility that some people may feel provoked or find the content polarizing. If so, why do you feel that way? Opinions are never 100% objective, just like the experience and knowledge on which they are formed and based. But it is certainly not the aim to spare the feelings of those who are responsible for the experiences described, or to gloss over things that are not nice. At the same time, it is a great privilege to be able to work with customers and partners for whom these topics are no longer an issue, because respect is something that goes without saying. We look forward to a lively discussion. #cyclingindustry #equality #diversity #opinion #womenincycling

This is a fascinating article by Gloria Liu full of things I didn’t know. More women than ever are cycling, but ill-fitting equipment forces many to ride in pain. This piece captures the devastating consequences of concentrating decades of R&D on men. It highlights the women fighting a legacy of shame and silent suffering to bring about change. I suspect it’s an ad for Specialized Bicycle Components. If so, it’s a great one! #Cycling #WomensSport #Advertisingandmarketing https://lnkd.in/dRGsKibC

As woman who bikes for most of my transportation needs, this research is important towards understanding how we need to design our public transportation systems to be more women friendly. It also validates what many of experience. The looming provincial legislation (Bill 212), in addition to putting a chill on implementing safe cycling infrastructure, is already making it more unsafe for women who bike. I am experiencing an uptick in unpleasant and misogynist behaviour and fear that the gains in seeing more women bike will be lost. #Gender #TransportationEquity