The first weekend in June I got the chance to meet up with the folks from the RAR Finger Lakes Chapter. Together we led an awesome casual pace gravel ride in Ithaca. We then went to a gravel race the next day which was a first for many of those RAR members. I thought it would be a great time to highlight what RAR is and how they are helping the cycling industry improve and become a more inclusive space for all folks. 

Cycling has a cool way of creating community and friendships. When we first had the idea of Bivo, we came to do Rooted VT in what is now our hometown of Richmond. While walking up the stairs to the food area post-race, a fellow cyclist stopped us after seeing our Bivo hats and said “Hey!! I was your 100^th follower on Instagram!” That fellow cyclist is now a good friend, Jody Wilson. We owe a lot to Jody – he is an amazing photographer who gives us so many photos for our social content and website, has connected us with a variety of shops and key people in the industry and supports us as we grow. This past April, Jody did The Traka, a 360 km ride through Spain. Read his recap and see some of the scenery of the ride below. Thanks, Jody, for being such an amazing human. 

The sun is out here in Vermont! And the town of Richmond is bustling with mountain bikers, gravel riders, trail runners and walkers enjoying the 40+ miles of single track trails out our front doors. I am feeling particularly grateful of the Richmond Mountain Trails lately as spring (and summer! it's warm!) has sprung in Vermont. The amount of green in this Green Mountain State is rather insane. Vermont is really putting on a good show right now. I love to ride bikes but I also really love to run and the river trail from town is my favorite spot at the moment. It’s full of ferns. HUGE ferns that have a wonderful smell and cushion the trail from outside noise.

The artist for this collection is Holly Tyler. I first connected with Holly 'the illustrator' through my design connections to Chicago and soon realized that her, her partner Preston and JP (a gorgeous poodle!!) are so connected to cycling and outdoor performance sports industry – it was the perfect match for Bivo. As an industry pro in the cycling world, and her dedication to running every day for the past several years (yep, YEARS!!) – we had to find a way to work together. I'm so excited to launch a limited series of triathlon-inspired bottles with her illustrations as we've been talking about this for a while now! Thanks for the amazing work Holly!!

When we first heard from InstaFund Race team, we knew we wanted to get involved. InstaFund is the first carbon neutral pro team, and they are constantly challenging themselves to improve their sustainable practices. From limiting flights through optimizing travel schedules, to supporting their suppliers and sponsors who are transitioning to reducing their impact, InstaFund is challenging the traditional way of doing things as a pro team.

From the day we launched Bivo, we have been setting aside 1% of our profits to put towards the Bivo Fund. Each year, we donate that fund to charities that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We have a soft spot for organizations that help keep roads safer and who get more kids on bikes. Kids who have access to bikes gain confidence, become more focused in the classroom and learn a skill for life that helps lead to a healthy lifestyle.

Event season is upon us and it has been so incredibly fun to get out in front of the cycling community and see you interact with our bottles. We are constantly learning and recognize that elements of our bottle that are inherent to us might not be so obvious to you. Here are the Bivo 101s!

We know 'cross season is a ways away, but THE FEVER is really starting to spread. This past week, we spent time at The Sea Otter Classic where we finally got to meet Maghalie Rochette in person. Her enthusiasm for life, not just cycling, is contagious and her energy lifts the people around her. 

We have this saying in the product world that you must be careful not to create a product for yourself. The last thing you all need is a bottle designed by one of us without us stopping to think about all the incredible feedback and thoughts you have shared. 

Maghalie Rochette is a professional cyclocross rider from just north of Montreal. She has made a life of it, living on the road with her husband, coach, mechanic and agent, David, exploring roads and courses across the globe. She is a dreamer at heart and that has given her the ability to believe she can be the amongst the best in the world. In 2019, she proved that her dream was a reality when she won the famous Jinglecross World Cup race in Iowa.

We chose Vermont as a home for many reasons, and recreation was one on the top on the list. We love running out our door on the Richmond Mountain Trails and riding mountain bikes on the 40+ miles of trails right from the center of town. None of this would be possible without the incredible generosity of private land owners and without the hard work by the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA).

Sonya Looney is a world champion professional athlete, mindset and mental skills coach and runs the popular podcast, The Sonya Looney Show. I had the pleasure of speaking with Sonya on her show and had an absolute blast. She has a genuine approach to interviewing her guests and guides the conversations seamlessly. When I started talking with Sonya, we both thought it would be really cool to make a bottle together. So, I'm pleased to introduce the Sonya Looney F*cking Magical bottle!