The Bia Hub partners with Fons bikes

The Bia Hub, a new cycling epicentre in Twyford is proud to announce its new partnership with Fons bikes. Based in the beautiful Berkshire village, the Bia Hub forms part of the Bia Cycling community, founded by Jenni Green four years ago.

The Bia Hub and Fons are partnering to give women cyclists in the greater London area access to testing and buying this high-quality women-specific bike brand.

After working in the cycling industry for an extensive time, Fons founders Jos van Gastel and Coen van Den Broek realised women had limited choices when visiting their local bike shops and decided it was time to make road bikes exclusively for women. They named the brand after Alfonsina Strada, the first and only woman to ride the Giro d’Italia.

Green created the Bia brand, and ultimately the Bia cycling community for like-minded, strong, independent individuals to help make women more confident in the cycling world, and their lives in general.

“With the Bia Hub and Jenni, we hope to reach out to female cyclists in the UK and help them to be able to purchase the bikes that they deserve. We feel that with this partnership, women can experience the enjoyment of a good road or gravel bike.

Jos van Gastel, co-founder of Fons bikes

“Cycling has meant so much to me in my own life. It has helped me through so many challenges. For a long time, I wanted to share those experiences with others and that’s how Bia Cycling came to be. We have a club, we have weekly rides, we have gear, ’Escapes’ and the Hub is now the culmination of everything – including a cycling cafe. We’re very excited to receive the support of an exciting brand like Fons bikes. The brands are very well aligned in their ethos, and I’m looking forward to growing together with them as we look to empower women cyclists,” Green said.

To make this partnership more meaningful to cyclists, the Bia Hub and Fons have set out to use the shop as a test centre where cyclists can ride bikes before purchasing, something that isn’t a norm in the industry. “Women like to know more, stress-test the details and understand fully what they’re getting into before taking the plunge. This is the ultimate way to do that”

“With the Bia Hub and Jenni, we hope to reach out to female cyclists in the UK and help them to be able to purchase the bikes that they deserve. We feel that with this partnership, women can experience the enjoyment of a good road or gravel bike. We also feel that a proper test ride is necessary before you make a decision on what kind of bike you want and what specs are important for you,” Jos van Gastel, co-founder of Fons bikes said.

“We are not focussing on selling loads of bikes. We are focussing on steady growth for both us and the Bia Hub but more importantly getting more and more women out there on the bikes they desire and deserve,” van Gastel explained.

Bia cycling has varying aspects to its community. On Friday’s, it has women-only rides through the surrounding villages, a club where they welcome new and experienced riders to enjoy their sport in a safe place as well as the new physical workspace, The Bia Hub.

The Bia Hub is housed in a building with a 100-year history. The local community has embraced the Hub, and are loving the idea of having a community-minded space which embraces the sport of cycling, locals and visitors alike. The Bia Hub will be a ‘happy place’ for all things cycling.

“Cycling is very much a male-dominated world. And whilst we are focussed on women, men are, of course welcome,” Green added. “We’re a place to empower women who enjoy cycling. Some ladies find that they’re scared of entering into conversations about bike mechanics and technical aspects — but we can help. It’s about feeling comfortable and empowered,” she concluded.