Why Orya? A Letter From Our Founder

When I experienced my personal frustration with the women's cycling apparel world, I started researching to see if I was the only one feeling this way. Besides the obvious fact that women are largely outnumbered by male cyclists, I found research showing that women leisure cyclists felt self-conscious and like they didn't belong due to the lack of outfit options. I quickly realized I had the green light to create Orya...

I wanted to share my findings below to help spread Orya's mission of not only bridging the gap between performance and leisure cycling, but also creating a safe and inviting space for women within the cycling world. 

Like I said, male cyclists outnumber female cyclists. on a global scare. As a result, the current image that cycling apparel offers, and to some extent cycling itself, is a very male-driven image. In our modern world, gender norms are beginning to blur; women and men are finding ways to express themselves without having to pertain to one category or the social norms. This is where my question lies:

Why is it not possible to dress for cycling in a feminine sporty way, without following the traditional masculine look?

Women can of course choose to be feminine, masculine, or androgynous. However, it is fair to say that cyclists who want to look feminine can and should create their own confident space.

The general image of cycling apparel is the tight short and jersey top, helmets and sneakers, and some wind-proof neon-colored jacket. Leisure riders also bike in their regular every day clothes, and professional riders will go to the other end of the spectrum and wear the aforementioned classic outfit.

Well, there is your regular athleisure clothing made for other activities lie yoga, running, and hiking.

But what about technically-specific cycling athleisure clothes for women?

British cycling sociologist Rachel Aldred found in her 2012 studies that cyclists are “caught between two threats: appearing too competent as a cyclist (a “proper cyclist”), and appearing not competent enough (a “bad cyclist”).  This appearance that she is referring to is based off of apparel, helmets, and bike accessories. The athleisure available for other activities would fall into the second category, where users don’t feel validated as a proper cyclist since they aren’t wearing the appropriate clothing. Current cycling brands on the other hand include road-racing features that give the leisure users the feeling that they are adopting an incoherent identity.

Cathy Bussey found that the attire for women in cycling was a reason to keep women from exploring the cycling culture: “I am worried about looking stupid”, “I’m going to look terrible for the rest of the day”, “No one looks good in spandex”. These are insecurities and judgement fears formed directly by the lack of option that women have for cycling attire. Other research has found that women have experienced sexual harassment when biking in tighter shorts, which is the traditional bottom wear attached to cycling. Bussey also found that because this industry is mainly directed to men, there is a “shrink-it-and-pink-it” approach to the female model. This means that the cycling apparel is not very well thought out and is merely shrunk and tinted pink for women.

 The Market:

The female cycling market is much smaller than the male one, which explains why traditional cycling brands don't develop further into it. Of course, women can cycle in their regular clothes, in other sports clothes, in their every day clothes etc… However, since there is a preconception that cycling is a predominant male practice, a  female cyclists’ identity is immediately threatened because of the conflict in those two words alone: female cyclist. The key to this idea is to eliminate this conflicting identity: A female cyclist should feel comfortable and confident whilst wearing her feminine outfit, and there shouldn’t be a conflict in her wanting to partake in a masculine sport. On the contrary, it should help a woman enjoy the experience of cycling and embrace the cyclist lifestyle. Female cyclists can inspire each other to live this healthier and stronger lifestyle with clothes that reflect that.

People around the world are preferring cycling over other means of transportation due to the health benefits of cycling, but also because of the growth of environmental consciousness. For example, there is an increased use of the e-bikes due to the increase concern for pollution. The cycling market is predicted to grow over the next 8 years and Europe is anticipated to have the largest market share due to the large cycling culture and the presence of cycling infrastructure and cycling tourism.

Healthy Lifestyle

This brand is about a confident healthy lifestyle that women can connect to: the lifestyle of wearing your sporty chic cycling activewear to coffee, or to the grocery store, and pairing your everyday social activity with cycling.

Cycling is a great low-impact sport for all ages and is great for strength, stamina, and aerobic activity.  A Danish study conducted over 14 years with 30,000 people aged 20 to 93 years, found that regular cycling protected people from heart disease.

Cycling provides a great way of commuting and of connecting to other people as well. The health benefits are truly endless and it is an activity that can be done at all levels, through all ages. 

Im looking forward to encouraging more women to cycle and providing a safe  community that women can turn to when they feel intimidated. Hopefully by providing a comfortable yet technical outfit, we can get more women to entertain the idea of cycling! It all starts somewhere...

- Mariel