Iowa-based company, Velorosa, makes cycling wear for bike-minded women
Velorosa® Cycling, a women’s cycling apparel company, revealed two new performance-wear collections this week. Velorosa’s race-inspired cycling jerseys and bike shorts allow women to mix and match pieces for a variety of combinations. Kim Hopkins and Lisa Carponelli, both of Des Moines, launched the company in 2015 with their
Signature Collection.
The partners say Velorosa is responding to the growth in women’s cycling and the need for more performance apparel options for women cyclists, both locally and throughout the U.S.
“As cyclists, we realized that performance biking apparel options were pretty limited for women,” said Velorosa’s vice president, Lisa Carponelli. “Our hope is women will feel comfortable, confident and beautiful, while riding in our cycling jerseys and bike shorts.”
Kim Hopkins, Velorosa’s president and lead designer believes what’s unique about the company is its coordinating collections. Each collection consists of several short-sleeved jerseys, sleeveless jerseys and cycling shorts that can be worn together in different combinations. “This allows women to get more mileage from their cycling wardrobe,” said Hopkins.
New for 2016, the
Soul Sister Collection features chevron stripes in oranges and yellows set against a funky, doodle pattern of turquoise, black and white.
“This collection is meant to celebrate the sisterhood of cycling, and we hope the women who wear this kit will feel part of a larger ‘tribe’ of women cyclists,” Carponelli said.
The new
Velocity Collection has more of an urban feel and features a palette of light blue, red and grey. This collection boasts colorful stripes and checkered flag accents. Carponelli said the designs in this collection are meant to inspire speed.
Velorosa bike shorts and jerseys are manufactured in North America by Louis Garneau. “The fit of the Velorosa bike shorts is perfect,” said customer and avid cyclist Ali Young of Des Moines. “The higher and wider waist band means you don’t have to worry about them being uncomfortable or moving around during your ride, and the wider leg band creates more of a clean line on your leg and doesn’t cut in.”
“I wear the Velorosa women’s cycling wear because it’s just that—women’s cycling gear that makes you feel as fantastic as you look,” said Tricia Bergman, another loyal customer. “It’s feminine, but not over-the-top and the colors and patterns allow me to mix and match within the line or with other pieces to create my own unique look,”
ABOUT
Velorosa Cycling was founded in 2015 by partners and cyclists Kim Hopkins and Lisa Carponelli, both of Des Moines. Hopkins began designing jerseys for her race team in 2008. The partners sell the race-inspired apparel online and at pop-up locations to meet the needs of women looking for unique, great-fitting, high-performance cycling clothing.
velorosacycling.com
ABOUT THE FOUNDERS
Meet Kim Hopkins (left) and Lisa Carponelli (right).These
two women have joined forces to expand the scope of cycling wear for
the avid female cyclist. Kim and Lisa met in 2011 on a training ride
with the Velorosa Cycling Team in Des Moines, Iowa. Kim, a competitive
mountain biker, had been designing the team kits for several years. Her
vision was to design an edgy new kit each year that could also be worn
with the jerseys and shorts from previous years. The women of the team
loved this concept as it gave them lots of mix-and-match options for
their cycling wardrobe. Lisa, who loves to ride both road and gravel,
enjoyed getting compliments on the team kits wherever she rode. While
riding single-track together one day, Lisa asked Kim if she’d ever
considered making her designs available to women cyclists nationwide.
Kim’s reply, “Only every day!” Velorosa® was born over post-ride beers later that evening.
They are often asked, “What does Velorosa® mean, exactly?”
It translates to ‘Pink Bike’ in a combination of French and Italian;
which they affectionately refer to as ‘Fritalian.’ Their mission is to
create cycling wearthat makeswomen feel comfortable, confident and
beautiful.
The duo are launching Velorosa® with their Signature Collection; an
assortment of race-inspired cycling jerseys and shorts that
mix-and-match for endless possibilities.Wear them for your next century
ride, your weekly group training ride, while shredding single-track or
when exploring your local trail system.
