Wild Rye, Pivot Cycles partner on women’s collection

Riding apparel brand Wild Rye has teamed up with Pivot Cycles on a three-piece collection designed to celebrate riders who identify as women. The collection features Wild Rye’s flagship Freel Short in a desert-inspired roadrunner print, the Mia Tank, and a new Edith 5-Panel Camp Hat.

The collaboration started with an idea from Pivot’s marketing director, Elorie Slater, and quickly blossomed into an evolving brand partnership with plans beyond this initial collection, including events, athlete involvement, and future product collaborations. “The brands’ shared obsession for design and bringing riders the best ride experience possible, made the idea an immediate ‘hell yes,’” said Cassie Abel, Wild Rye CEO, in a press release.

Slater has been riding in Wild Rye apparel since the company’s 2016 launch.

“I’ve put this kit through the wringer. It’s suffered tons of abuse and hundreds of hours in the saddle and it’s still in great shape.”

In considering collaboration partners, Wild Rye made perfect sense to Slater.

“Our brands value innovation and materials integrity. That’s a lot to have in common, but we also firmly believe in cooperation between brands when it comes to creating more opportunities for female-identifying riders. Wild Rye is a perfect partner.”

“Receiving that email from Slater felt like a major breakthrough for our up-and-coming brand. As we prepare to launch our fifth season of premium mountain bike products for women, it feels like the cycling industry is finally recognizing what we’re doing at Wild Rye,” Abel said. “Pivot is a natural fit.  Not only does the brand recognize the importance of speaking to and elevating female-identifying riders, but Pivot’s commitment to product resonates with our own product-first ethos.”

Slater and Abel share a deep-seated belief that if you want to change the experience of riders who identify as women in mountain biking, we, as brands, have to let go of the idea of ownership and take action together. Both brands are eager to bring more athletes, allies, and everyday riders into the fold.

The apparel collaboration will feature a distinctive roadrunner and cactus print—an homage to the desert landscape Pivot calls home. “We test our bikes in some of the harshest riding conditions anywhere,” says Slater, “and we feel the roadrunner, known for speed and perseverance in an inhospitable landscape, is a perfect print.” Wild Rye applied its signature whimsy to the idea, “I don’t want to call them animal doodles,” says Abel, but the apparel brand known for its playful prints clearly embraced the roadrunner and Wild Rye-ified it. The collaboration will be available for purchase on Wild-Rye.com, PivotCycles.com, and at select bike dealers across the U.S.

Learn more at Wild Rye and Pivot Cycles

Photos: Emily Sierra