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Letter from Luca

Hello,

Luca here. I want to say thank you for being part of the LUCA story so far. It means so much to me to be able to help other women feel comfortable and confident to cycle because I didn't always feel like that myself.

I've had bikes all my life, but I just saw them as something handy to ride from A to B – road cycling was for geeks…right? When I learned the term MAMIL (Middle Aged Man in Lycra) it hit the nail on the head of how I felt about cycling: it was geeky, male-dominated and intimidating.

It took a move to London, being in a relationship with a very keen cyclist, and some extra encouragement from a dear friend for me to finally give road cycling a go. I wore cleats for the first time—and yes, I did fall off my bike at the traffic lights, twice. But what can I say? I fell in love with the sport immediately. So much so, that I didn’t stop for a second to think about how I looked on the bike.

It wasn't until a couple of years later – notably lockdown when the bike became a big part of my routine – that I started to think about investing in my own gear instead of just borrowing my friend's. However, shopping for that was a different story. I quickly realised most cycling gear is primarily designed for men and any womenswear seems like an afterthought.

I wanted something that didn't exist yet – cycling wear designed for women that gives us the confidence and comfort we deserve on the bike. The lightbulb moment for LUCA.

At the time I was working part-time at a coding school while completing my master's in applied sports nutrition, but I couldn't stop thinking about combatting the MAMIL energy. After then doing an internship with a large fashion brand where I gained a better understanding of the industry, I knew it was time to focus on my new-found passion.

After lots of research, countless trips to the factory in Portugal and many late nights, we are where we are today three years later. Seeing a product you have dreamt of turning out exactly how you imagined it and being captured on a content shoot in Ibiza is an unreal feeling.

With the help of a wonderful fashion designer, the community, strategists, content creators, family and friends (you all know who you are)! LUCA would not be made possible, and we made sure to celebrate this at the super fun launch party.

So, what’s next for LUCA? We aren’t just a brand, we’re a community. Our products are already out there, bringing women the comfort and confidence they deserve, and the feedback so far has been so pleasing. And we're not stopping there, the next collection is already underway. We are all about constant improvement both in terms of our products and our role in the cycling community – think ride outs, events and cycling content. Let's make SWILL a thing (sexy women in LUCA lycra)!

Keep those eyes peeled – we'll be sharing exciting updates and news in this newsletter.

Love Luca x

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