CARNEY Women’s Cycling Apparel – Feel Safe, Look Epic. First up are CARNEY Arm Warmers.
Who are you?
Hi, I’m Ros Clitheroe, founder of CARNEY women’s reflective cycling apparel. I’m an ex semi-pro cyclist and my mission is to make cycling SAFER and encourage more women to ride a bike through visible and stylish cycling apparel.
What are you planning to make?
We have developed and tested final prototype of our launch product – CARNEY Arm Warmers, and are ready to go to production. On reaching our funding goal of £13,437 (~$17,841), your pledges will go directly towards taking the very first product from prototype to production.
What’s different about CARNEY apparel?
CARNEY apparel is unique in that it is VISIBLE – the arm warmers have reflective beads embedded into the material which shine like a beacon in the daytime and at night.
CARNEY apparel doesn’t require batteries and won’t rub off in the wash. The Arm Warmers are STYLISH to keep you looking great on AND off the bike – no high-viz in sight.
CARNEY apparel uses only the highest quality performance fabric from Italy and has been extensively tested on the bike to keep you visible, stylish and comfortable.
Where did this project come from?
Cycling is my passion – I ride regularly with my local club and used to race semi-professionally in a women’s team.
Unfortunately I have been hit by a car (twice!) whilst out on my bike. I wanted to make cycling safer and encourage more women to ride a bike through developing kit that ensures you’re visible, whilst still looking great at the same time.
We have partnered with a reputable design agency in the UK (ex-Rapha and Vulpine) to ensure cutting edge design, quality and credibility.
Virgin StartUp have supported funding for the prototype. You can read more on our story here:http://www.virginstartup.org/start-week-0/carney-cycling
What’s your plan, and what’s your schedule?
August 2016 – Kickstarter campaign
September 2016 – Initiate first production run.
December 2016 – Dispatch Kickstarter orders to customers.
What’s your budget?
The funds necessary to make the project happen is £13,437.
£12,216 = production cost + supplier cost + VAT
£1,222 = Kickstarter fees
Why do you care?
Cycling is my passion and I want to make the roads safer for other cyclists. Increasing the number of cyclists on the road is cited as the number 1 way of making the road safer through greater investment in cycling infrastructure.
I have put everything into this project and am fully committed to making it happen.
We have carefully undertaken robust supplier selection and due diligence to ensure potential risks are mitigated upfront. The main identified risk is:
Ship date delayed – extra time has already been built in for the manufacturing process and we have chosen only to work with highly experienced and reputable suppliers who have proven ability to meet deadlines and Quality for high profile organisations.