Are you into rad collab gear that supports local artists and women cyclists at the same time? If it sounds too good to be true, it might well have been before a casual-cool bike apparel company teamed up with a Jackson, Wyoming artist to create a new gear line.
Club Ride collab benefits women cyclists
Club Ride and artist Katie Lozancich deliver the collaboration to benefit World Ride, a non-profit that creates mountain bike libraries and supports cycling projects for women around the world. Katie Lo’s bold line work and bohemian style adorn the tidy collection of shirts and one MTB fender. Five dollars from each sale will go to World Ride to support its effort to empower women cyclists everywhere.
Around the world: World Ride’s mission
World Ride was founded in Nepal, with the grassroots goal of helping Nepali women start mountain biking. Founder Julie Cornelius first got the idea in 2017, while visiting the country to help with a film about women in the local mountain biking scene. Since then, the 501(c)3 non-profit has grown to include branches in Guatemala, Peru, and Lesotho.
Conceptually, it utilizes mountain biking as a vehicle to help women develop courage and determination which can translate to other areas in their lives.
Its process is to start simple: first, creating mountain bike libraries where local women can register and borrow bikes to ride recreationally. Then, it helps facilitate MTB guide training for those who become interested. The women undertake leadership and first aid training from local partners to develop sustainable careers.
World Ride also supports its riders in their racing goals, which secondarily raises awareness about women’s mountain biking in their areas.
Katie Lo x Club Ride: Cool gear, cooler benefit
When Katie Lozancich isn’t hard at work as the Digital Content Manager for Teton Gravity Research, she’s out adding to her substantial catalog of freelance work. Somehow, she also has time to go mountain biking. According to the artist, the Club Ride collection started with a humble inspiration.
“Using my adventures here in Jackson, Wyoming as a starting point, I wanted to highlight the special moments that happen when you’re on an adventure in the mountains,” Lozancich writes.
The resulting designs portray a quiet campsite below a sky swimming with stars; a radically-hued mountain approach; and a view of a foothills sunset, as seen from within a copse of wildflowers. Each design is evocative but simple, each shirt an earth tone.
We’ll say the one-size-fits-most fender with the alpine design definitely stands out. Unless your bike’s already painted like a pack of fruit stripe gum, it’ll get looks.
The fender, plus men’s and women’s tees in size S-XL, are available at clubrideapparel.com.
