Which of these innovative products catches your eye? These are the finalists in the Innovative Product of the Year category brought to you by Wyndymilla for the Total Women’s Cycling Awards in association with Velo Vixen.
When it comes to making cycling more comfortable, more accessible, and safer, then look no further than this shortlist. From stylish plus-size cycling kit to new technology to protect your head, these products have made their mark on the world of women’s cycling, and deserve recognition.
The winners of each category will be announced at the Total Women’s Cycling Awards ceremony at The London Bike Show in February 2015 – stand by for more info.
Voting is open soon, so make sure you have your say on which finalists in each of the 11 categories deserve to be crowned winner. Don’t forget to spread the word online!
Vote for your Innovative Product of the Year here.
Fat Lass at the Back
Fat Lass at the Back is the long anticipated plus-size women’s clothing range from Fat Lad at the Back. It launched this year, and was a roaring success. Starting at a UK size 8 and going up to a UK size 24/26, with everything from jerseys to tights to jackets, the kit is designed to be true to size with flattering colours and panelled construction. They’ve done their homework too, actually questioning and surveying hundreds of women online to find out what they wanted, and from 2015 you’ll be able to buy it through Evan’s Cycles too!
MIPS
Keeping your head safe and protected is of paramount concern to a lot of cyclists, and MIPs, which stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System is a new bit of technology designed to do just that. Researched and developed by scientists, neurosurgeons and biomechanical specialists from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, it protects your brain from the rotational forces your head can experience when hitting the deck at an angle, not just the direct impact. It’s becoming available in more and more helmets, with Giro, Fox and POC having MIPs options.
Sugoi Zap Jacket
The Zap Jacket from Sugoi may look like an stylish but fairly normal waterproof cycling jacket during the day, in a cool red, black or yellow colour, but when the light levels drop, the high-tech fabric shines out. Quite literally in fact! The pixel fabric technology means that thousands of tiny glass beads embedded in the jacket material give 360 degrees light reflectivity, making this jacket shine like a beacon. It’s proved a success with cyclists, that’s for sure.
Zwift
Indoor training is viewed by many as a necessary evil. Yes, it’s great for getting extra miles in your legs, doing drills, and getting bike time when the weather is grim, but it’s just not as fun as actually being out on your bike. Until now. Zwift is an innovative mix of multiplayer video game technology and an online community of members that gets you as close to the experience of riding with your mates as possible without leaving your bike cave. It hooks up to your cadence sensors, heart rate monitors and other bits and pieces, and allows you to chat to other riders, draft them, ride in groups, ride alone – basically whatever you want. Sounds like fun!
Clug Bike Holder
It’s compact, comes in bright colours, and keeps your bike securely hanging on the wall – oh, and it’s called ‘Clug’ because it’s like a hug for your bike. Cute! This amazingly simple but effective little bike storage device was brought to life through a Kickstarter campaign, and now the ‘worlds smallest bike rack’ is in production and ready to go. Different sizes are available to suit different bikes including road bikes, hybrids and mountain bikes. Pretty neat!
Blaze Light
The Blaze light is an innovative product that aims to increase the safety and visibility of cyclists to car drivers and other motorists. An on-bike laserlight projects a green bicycle logo on the ground 5 to 6 meters ahead of the cyclist, allowing you to be seen when you’d otherwise be invisible. That means places like t-junctions, when vehicles overtake, or making lorry and bus drivers aware of your presence. Founded by physicist-turned product designer and passionate cyclist Emily Brooke, Blaze has attracted a lot of attention across both the cycling and the mainstream press.
Proviz Reflect 360
If reflectivity is your thing, the Proviz Reflect 360 Jacket has it in droves. Released by high-viz and reflective clothing and accessories experts Proviz in 2014, it’s made completely from highly reflective and waterproof fabric. During the day it’s a demure grey colour, but at night it shines out like a beacon when light hits it from any angle.
