MONTEREY, CA (BRAIN)—Trek launched its Women Who Ride club with a ladies-only wine and cheese party on Saturday afternoon at the Sea Otter Classic.
About 30 women showed up to hear about the new club and mingle with other female riders.
The idea is to attract women to cycling by creating an online community where riders of all levels can share stories and motivate each other, said Krista Rettig, Trek’s Women’s Specific Designs brand manager.
Membership costs $39.99 per year and includes a Women Who Ride gear kit, entry into a monthly sweepstakes for gear including bikes, access to a club newsletter that shares information on new products and training tips, apparel discounts and race entry giveaways.
Additionally, Trek will use the club as a resource to cull feedback on how to improve its products, Rettig said.
Rettig said she introduced Women Who Ride at Sea Otter “because it’s primarily men here and we wanted to have something for women.”
The seeds for Women Who Ride were planted last year when Trek solicited a 500-word essay from women explaining why they cycle. They whittled the 2,500 submissions to five to symbolize each of Trek’s five segments — road, mountain, triathlon, hybrid and fitness. The winning women will represent the club at various events.
The club’s Web site, www.trekbikes.com/women, launched on Friday and the response has already been positive.
Trek aims to sign up 250 women in the first year.
“I suspect we’ll surpass that,” Rettig said.
(PHOTO by Nicole Formosa: Krista Rettig, Trek's brand manager for its Women's Specific Design division, talks to a crowd of ladies at the Sea Otter Classic during the launch of Trek's Women Who Ride club.)
— Nicole Formosa
