We are honored to be a member of the Velocio Ambassador program starting in 2020. Not only does Velocio make some of the best cycling apparel on the planet, but they do it in A BETTER WAY that is environmentally responsible and creates community.

As a bonus, we are able to offer you a 15% discount on a one time purchase directly from Velocio. Use the code KS15 at checkout to receive your discount.

17 October, 2021

In early 2020 (just pre-pandemic lockdowns) I was fortunate enough to become Ambassador for Velocio @velocioapparel. This was an interesting sequence of events, as Olivia Dillon @oliviadill (Velocio Director of Sales) raced on the NOW and Novartis for MS team in 2012 and 2013 when I was team director.

Fast-forward to 2020 and I thought it would be great to get involved with a newer, cutting-edge cycling apparel company that my partner Robin Farina @robinefarina had already been an ambassador for for a couple of years. Being that I'm the one who does the laundry in the family I had become somewhat familiar with the quality of the product from doing all that washing (the designs were quite compelling too). The Velocio Women’s cycling team first started during the time of NOW- Novartis and it had been great to watch the company grow, so I wanted to see what the hype was all about for myself.

Being accepted as an ambassador, the excitement was there to try some more modern apparel and really see how clothing has evolved from my first pair of wool cycling shorts with a real leather chamois in the early 80’s to most recently working as a sales representative for a modern day apparel company with a cycling lineup (although not a cycling specific company). The initial experience with Velocio was super (Olivia went over the top to get my sizing worked out) and has continued on that trajectory ever since. I was definitely fired up to ride more and when the lockdowns were enacted, followed by my Events Management job being terminated, I ended up with a lot of hours on the bike in 2020.

So there we all were, rolling through mid-2020, grappling with a global pandemic and what the future would bring and then the murder of George Floyd was broadcast on a world stage. This horrible event, again brought to light the systemic racism that this country has been built upon, but as we all soon realized, there was a bit more momentum with this horrific incident. Specific to cycling, we all realized that the cycling community as a whole must be more inclusive and Velocio was and continues to be at the forefront in the cycling industry at many different levels.

Bringing this all back home to Velocio it was so refreshing to be part of a company that, as I was soon to learn, is so much more than just an apparel company. Internally, Velocio began a robust conversation, involving ambassadors grappling with racism and what Velocio could do to be part of a solution. Actions were taken...Velocio did not only talk the talk, but they walked the walk. Doing the right thing was the only option.

In 2017 Velocio started the Unity Jersey project, which has become an annual jersey collaboration with different artists and specific causes to not only raise awareness , but also donate proceeds from the sale of Unity jerseys to the specific causes associated with each jersey. 

As active cyclists, which if you are reading this, you likely are, know that we all can do our part in many different ways with how we spend our money and allocate our resources. May I suggest pre-ordering the HOMELANDS SE JERSEY knowing that you will not only get a very distinct design bearing Gregg’s art, but also know that by spending your money for this jersey, you will be supporting The Sovereign Bodies Institute for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2 Spirit and Illuminative which aims to increase Indigenous representation in media. Admittedly I was not familiar with these causes prior to this jersey collaboration, but I do know that the leadership at Velocio do not go into projects like this without first doing the research. The pre-order closes October 25th, 2021 and jerseys are expected to ship by the end of February, 2022.

Remember, the bike brings us all together.

Thanks for reading.

~Kurt