Judging from her brand-new line of impeccably-designed women鈥檚 mountain bike duds, you鈥檇 expect Katy Hover-Smoot to be a badass cyclist. But you鈥檇 be wrong.
鈥淚鈥檓 actually a pretty average rider,鈥 she says.听Her real genius is backcountry skiing, though when the drought of winter 2011/12 left the Sierras snowless, the Lake Tahoe resident took to two wheels out of desperation.听That flirtation sparked a love of mountain biking that not even her crappy rig could dispel.听She soon upgraded听the 1996 hardtail Stumpjumper she鈥檇 borrowed from her ex-boyfriend. But finding great bike shorts proved more difficult.听
鈥淚 wear a size six, but I always had to size up to a large to get shorts that fit over my big biker-skier quads,鈥 says Hover-Smoot. That threw the fit off everywhere else鈥攍ike the waist, which was typically too big for her. 鈥淎nd the fabrics [in women鈥檚 mountain bike apparel] always seem like an afterthought, just generic synthetics that feel crinkly and awful,鈥 she says.
So she vowed to create something truly outstanding. 鈥淭he mountain bike scene has gotten so much better for women over the past two years,鈥 says Hover-Smoot, 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 still lots of room for innovation. There aren鈥檛 many industry players that are speaking to women in a voice that they can hear or understand.鈥
After polling her Tahoe riding posse, studying runway trends, and drawing on her visual arts background (she earned a PhD in art history from U.C. Berkeley), Hover-Smoot launched on August 10. Named for a celebrated biking-climbing-backcountry-skiing zone in the eastern Sierra, Buttermilk currently has four styles. The line's听currently sold direct听through the Buttermilk website, though听Hover-Smoot听also distributes it via a 1962 Shasta compact trailer that she drives to races,听trailheads, and bike events. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pop-up retail solution to support our main e-commerce channel,鈥 she says.听
As for the gear, there's the听 ($129), which听includes a leg opening that鈥檚 wide enough for muscles made bulky by biking and skiing, and a conical waistband that eliminates the problematic gap experienced by many small-bellied athletes. The lightweight Schoeller fabric not only has a nice hand, it鈥檚 also durable听without feeling overly thick or heavy. 鈥淚 wanted something that you could actually wear while climbing up a mountain in 90-degree heat,鈥 says Hover-Smoot.
Also made of silky Schoeller fabric, the ($79) features Italian-made padding and a conspicuously high waist that covers a rider鈥檚 back when she鈥檚 bent forward on the bike. It looks (and feels) like something Victoria鈥檚 Secret might have made鈥攊f Victoria鈥檚 obsession was singletrack.听Two shirts鈥攖he ($69) and the ($109),听both made of a merino-nylon blend鈥攃omplete the line.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard as a small brand,鈥 Hover-Smoot says. Materials and production cost more when they鈥檙e negotiated in small quantities, and tiny companies get brushed aside when factories get big orders from huge players. But Buttermilk has plans to expand. It鈥檒l launch a small line of women鈥檚 skiing base layers this fall, and 2017 could see a greater range of mountain bike shorts to suit a broader range of bodies and inseam preferences.听鈥淚 want a short that doesn鈥檛 discriminate,” she says.听
Plus, Four Other Brands Making Bike Apparel for Women, by Women
Shredly
When Ashely Rankin introduced her in 2012, she debuted 12 pieces. Now, Shredly offers five categories and 54 items, which have become a cult favorite among riders throughout Colorado (where Shredly is headquartered).
笔辞肠听
Senior Manager for Apparel听Monica Lindstrom designed everything in POC鈥檚 new Fondo road bike line launching this fall, and Product Manager听Amanda Dahllof collaborates on POC鈥檚 women鈥檚 mountain bike line (including the new , $110).听
Dakine
Dakine听Designer听Brittany Crook masterminds the line.
Maloja
A German brand that鈥檚 starting to make inroads into U.S. markets, Maloja employs a team of six women to design the .