If you’re like me, you’ve discovered that the best women’s bike clothing comes from smaller, women owned businesses. In this episode of the Femme Cyclist podcast, I interview Cassie Abel, the co-founder of Wild Rye and in a future episode this season I’ll be chatting with Jenn Kriske, the founder of Machines For Freedom.
What really sets these companies apart is that their clothes are created by women who found that the big companies just weren’t creating clothing for women that were comfortable, functional, and attractive. And they’ve actually listened to women like you and I to discover what we want. They’ve recognized that not all women on bikes are a size 4.
Whether you’ve been considering purchasing a pair of shorts from Wild Rye, or you’re just interested in bad ass women creating their own space in the male-dominated cycling industry, you’ll enjoy my conversation with Cassie. She’s an inspiring business woman and a new mom trying to balance it all (something many of us can relate to). She’s also the first person I’ve talked to who who’s acutally had COVID which was interesting to hear about as well.
Wherever you are, whether you’re about to hop onto the trainer for a ride or you’re sitting in the car on the way to work, I hope you enjoy this interview.
Stuff We Chat About In This Interview
- How Wild Rye was born and her belief that women deserved better options.
- What makes Wild Rye unique–durable, approachable vibe, contemporary style.
- Having a baby and the courage to get back on the bike after giving birth.
- Cassie’s experience getting COVID-19 and how Wild Rye has fared during the pandemic.
- Why Wild Rye had to switch from U.S. manufacturing to overseas, and how they’ve managed to create a sustainable supply chain.
- How Wild Rye has created tehcnical apparel for women in a wide range of sizes.
- What it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry.
- How she’s helped created Women Led Wednesday and a women led brand directory.