CARLISLE, Pa. — Heidi Yakowski is a former competitive cyclist who competed in the 1996 Olympic Trials.
She was a member of several elite racing teams during her career.
She's retired now but continues to cycle for recreation and coaches a Carlisle, PA youth cycling club
Yakowski says, “I believe in women athletes, and I believe in women feeling good when they’re doing sports – even if they’re not racing.”
Today, she is the president and lead designer of Moxie Cycling Company and her goal is to get more women on bikes.
“I was riding with my friends and we were talking about how uncomfortable the jerseys are. I only had my old jerseys that were race jerseys and they were boring. They had all these logos on them," Yakowski explains.
While riding with other female cyclists in Michaux State Forest, Yakowski found out that women are passionate about not only riding but what they wear and how it feels when they ride.
“I said why don’t they have jerseys with flowers on them? or why aren’t there pretty jerseys? We’re not racing – we’re just riding for fun, but we love to ride," Yakowski says.
She took her knowledge of production sewing and got to work, knowing she could create something better.
The result was an apparel line that is designed for a woman’s body and provides the performance function needed for long hard rides, all while making the cyclist look stylish and fashionable.
The best part is – it’s a fashion-forward line, made for women by women.
Yakowski says, “You can also be a female athlete and gain confidence because you’re doing better – you did better than you rode last time. You feel your body getting stronger and toner – and you look good! You want to look good when you’re riding.”
The Women Mountain Bikers of Michaux test rode prototypes and provided feedback.
With bikes selling out across the country as a result of the pandemic, Heidi has seen an increase in demand for women’s cycling apparel.
Production is done right here in Carlisle and she is currently on the lookout for more local sewers to keep up with the demand.