New mountain bike clothing for women: Raphaela Franke on founding RaphRoxs and achieving the perfect fit

At the this year’s BIKE Women’s Camp at Lake Molveno Raphaela Franke was there with RaphRoxs, and we took the opportunity to ask her a few questions. In the interview, she talks about her journey to self-employment, the challenges of manufacturing in Europe and her vision of making the cycling world a bit more female-friendly, step by step.

​BIKE: Raphaela, how did you come up with the idea of setting up a company specialising in women’s mountain bike clothing?

Raphaela Franke: I’m a passionate mountain biker myself and I also really enjoy developing products. Thanks to my background as a bespoke tailor and fashion designer, as well as my professional experience in the textile industry, I’ve brought a wealth of expertise to the table. In my personal life and whilst cycling with other women, I’ve realised that there’s still a lot of potential in the field of women’s mountain bike clothing. The women were really keen to share their wishes and ideas. That motivated me to launch my own brand.

What specific problems were you hoping to solve with your clothing?

Colours do, of course, play a role because they evoke emotions. The most important factor, however, was the fit. There is still a significant gap in this area within the industry. Many manufacturers use men’s cuts and simply scale them down. However, this does not take sufficient account of the female anatomy.

The perfect pair of mountain bike trousers is the result of several factors: a good fit, the right colours, a well-thought-out design, the material and the right functionality.

What special features do your trousers have?

The most important feature is the fit and the specially designed cut. The trousers also have an adjustable waistband. Women don’t feel equally comfortable every day – for example, due to hormonal fluctuations or a bloated tummy. That’s why the waistband can be adjusted to suit.

When cycling uphill, you can loosen your trousers a little, whilst on the descent you can tighten them so they don’t slip down.

I’ve also positioned the zips so that they don’t bulge and don’t get in the way when cycling. They’re often located in places that don’t flatter the figure, or the mobile phone pocket gets in the way. We’ve come up with a better solution for this.

Where did the ideas and feedback for the products come from?

I’ve received a great deal of support from the mountain biking community. From the very beginning, it was important to me to involve women directly in the product development process.

I launched a survey on Instagram and handed out questionnaires at events. I asked female riders what they liked and didn’t like about existing trousers, and what their perfect pair of mountain bike trousers would look like. These findings were incorporated directly into the design process.

How did you set up your business?

At some point, it became clear to me that I wanted to take the plunge and launch my own brand. The first thing I did was to register the brand name ‘RaphRoxs’, because it was very important to me.

‘Raph’ stands for ‘strong, tough girls’, whilst ‘Roxs’ stands for laid-back women and, at the same time, for riding on challenging trails. It also contains part of my name.

After that, I took part in a four-month entrepreneurship programme. There, I learnt a great deal about the economic and organisational aspects of setting up a business. Although it was very intensive, it was great fun and helped me to familiarise myself with all areas, step by step.

How big is your business today?

RaphRoxs is still very small at the moment. It’s basically a one-woman show.

From the initial sketch through to product development, right through to the online shop, social media, bookkeeping and marketing, I currently do everything myself. I work from home, where I have a small studio with industrial machines and a storeroom. That’s where I store the goods, pack the orders with lots of love and post them out myself.

How big is your current collection?

The collection currently comprises five different products. Each is available in three colours and in a range of sizes. (15 items)

To start with, I’d say that’s already quite an extensive collection.

You offer the trousers in a range of sizes and two lengths. Why was that important to you?

It was important to me that as many women as possible could find a pair of trousers that suited them. That’s why the trousers are available in both short and long lengths, as well as in sizes 34 to 46.

That makes a total of 14 different sizes, which does make production more complex, but for me, the customers’ comfort was the top priority.

Variety was also important to me when it came to the colours. The colours have been chosen so that they can all be combined with one another. This allows every rider to put together her own style.

Where are the products manufactured?

Around 95 per cent of production takes place in Europe.

The trousers are made in Italy, the long-sleeved tops and T-shirts in Portugal, and the socks in Spain. It is important to me to keep textile value creation and expertise within Europe, as a great deal of production has been relocated to Asia in recent years.

In the long term, my dream would actually be to have my own production facility, but that’s still a long way off.

Was it difficult to find suitable producers?

Yes, it took a long time and was much harder than expected.

Although I come from the textile industry, my experience was mainly with the Asian market. Finding suitable manufacturers in Europe with expertise in outdoor products who were also willing to work with the smaller order quantities typical of a start-up was a real challenge.

What are your plans for the future?

I’ve got lots of ideas. Of course, I’d love to develop more products, such as shorts, cycling shorts or a jacket.

The long-term aim is to continue expanding the brand. First, however, I would like to establish the existing products and then develop the next collections together with the community.

Where can you buy the products?

The products are currently available via the online shop. Anyone interested can follow me on Instagram, visit the shop and place an order there. www.raphroxs.com

I’ll also be attending selected events in person, including the end-of-season Bucket Ride Festival at Lake Faaker See. Anyone interested can come along and see the products for themselves there.

A call to all female cyclists: Raphaela Franke develops her products in collaboration with female cyclists. What features would make the perfect cycling outfit for women, in your opinion? Share your ideas in the comments!