Wild Rye x Pivot Cycles Apparel Collection

We #ChooseToChallenge the male-dominated cycling industry to be a more welcoming place for women-identifying riders. In order to do so, we believe collaboration with other brands within cycling industry over competition. Enter Pivot Cycles x Wild Rye collaboration collection...

“I basically cold-called Cassie, that’s how it started.” 

That’s how Elorie Slater, Marketing Director at Pivot Cycles explains the growing collaboration between Wild Rye and Pivot. “I bought a merino jersey and the OG Freel shorts from Wild Rye in 2016 and have put them both through the ringer. They've suffered tons of abuse and hundreds of hours on the saddle and it’s still in great shape! I knew we needed a partner with shared values and my Wild Rye gear has been such a workhorse!”

Naturally, at Wild Rye, we were excited (although not surprised!) to hear that our gear had endured all kinds of harsh treatment. After all, that’s what it was designed for! But the big news was receiving some recognition from the cycling industry. As we kick off our fifth season of making a killer mountain bike product, Wild Rye is excited to launch its first brand collaboration with Pivot Cycles to welcome more women-identifying riders into our growing mountain sports community.

“Pivot felt like a natural fit,” says Cassie Abel, Wild Rye CEO “There was a female marketing director at the helm and Pivot’s uncompromising commitment to product resonated with Wild Rye’s own product-first ethos.” Wild Rye is excited to partner with Pivot to reach even more female-identifying riders who might be looking for a welcoming space in the world of mountain biking. We know that starting out and even progressing in the sport can be hard, which is why we’re joining forces with Pivot to focus on the rider experience. 

“We’re both working to bring more women into cycling,” say Elorie. “I have a deep seated belief that if you want to change the experience of riders who identify as women in mountain biking, all companies interested in that goal need to work together. Sometimes our industry lacks safe spaces for female-identifying riders. To fix that, we have to let go of the idea of ownership and share this story across all brands.” At Wild Rye, we share that goal and are coming together with Pivot to do just that. By pooling resources like athletes, event teams, and even a passion for product, Pivot and Wild Rye are excited to spend the coming months focusing on the female-identifying rider experience. 

But it’s not just a shared commitment to female-identifying riders that gets us stoked about this collab, it’s also Pivot’s passion for building perfect bikes and the reputation of the brand as a leader in design. “When Elorie first approached me, I started asking my friends and local dealers about their experience with Pivot,” Cassie says, “and everyone raved about quality and attention to detail.” Elorie says about Pivot’s process: “we build our bikes one at a time. We’re deeply intentional in our design choices.” For Wild Rye, this intentionality manifests as a commitment to craft, “Wild Rye believes in making the rider experience better through beautiful and technical product design, we can’t imagine a bike partner who exemplifies that more than Pivot.”

The apparel collab features a pair of Freel Shorts and Mia tank with a distinctive roadrunner print—an homage to the desert landscape Pivot calls home. “We test our bikes in some of the harshest riding conditions anywhere,” says Elorie, “and we felt like the roadrunner, known for its speed and perseverance in the most inhospitable landscapes was the perfect print.” We then, of course, applied our signature whimsy to the idea, “I don’t want to call them animal doodles,” says Cassie with a laugh. But she’s right. We’re known for our playful prints and our designer, Kelsey Van Patten embraced the possibility of the road runner to create a fun and evocative southwestern print. 

We know this is just the beginning for Wild Rye x Pivot and we look forward to hosting events and partnering with Pivot in the coming months, including planning in person events in the Fall of 2021.  

“The ultimate goal,” says Abel, “is supporting female-identifying riders.” 

“We’re stronger together,” adds Slater. 

We hope you love the collection, which officially goes on sale March 16h! Get a sneak peek at the limited edition pieces here.