MUC-OFF PLEDGES 10% OF PINK CLEANER PROFITS IN JULY TO BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS BETWEEN WOMEN AND BIKES
POOLE, UK: Muc-Off, the global leaders in bicycle and motorcycle care are proud to announce the launch of their #MoveOver campaign, targeted at championing female cyclists across the globe.
When the pink stuff launched in 94â, it changed bike cleaning forever. 28 years on, and Muc-Off are still fighting for change. #MoveOver is a celebration of the revolution in womenâs road racing, building momentum behind the movement as female riders the world-over jostle for space, and fight to overcome adversity.
#MoveOver coincides with the long-awaited return of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, in which twenty-four pro-teams will battle for a record âŹ250,000 prize fund, in a gruelling, eight-day stage race between July 24-31. The event, which comes over three decades after the last Womenâs Tour de France in 1989, will see the pro-peloton prepare for a start on the Champs-ĂlysĂ©es in Paris, hosted as an unprecedented double-bill, as the finale of the menâs race concludes on the same day at its traditional finishing point in the heart of the French capital.
Although the campaign centres around a race which sits at the very elite end of the cycling spectrum, the objective of the campaign is to support women at all levels of cycling â whether they are a budding pro or have never learned to ride a bike. The core purpose is to help broaden the base of the pyramid, which in turn helps to breed talent and aspirations, and support those at the very pinnacle of the sport to focus on inspiring the next generation.
The bicycle has been a symbol for womenâs liberation for well over a hundred years. Susan B. Anthony, American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement was quoted in 1896, saying âthe bicycle has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a bike. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood.â
To help ensure that women of all backgrounds and levels continue to have access to the opportunities and benefits of cycling, Muc-Off is partnering with seven non-profits that help break down barriers between women and bikes. These include Cycle Sisters, Black Girls Do Bike, Homestretch Foundation, Womenâs All Ride Collective and more, which between them provide support to women at every level â from those who have never ridden a bike, to riders fighting to step up into the professional arena.
"Muc-Off has provided Homestretch Foundation with incredible products for the past two years, enabling our female pro cyclists like Siobhan Kelly (CAN) to keep their equipment running at the highest level -but this generosity goes much further than clean bikes. Muc-Off recognises that women and men are not treated equally in pro-cycling, and they're doing something about it by supporting women and making change happen. I am so proud to be part of Muc-Off's #MoveOver initiative to make cycling a better place for women. Thank you, Muc-Off! As we say at Homestretch Foundation â Together we all move forward. Thank you for embodying this mission.â Kathryn Bertine, CEO & Founder of Homestretch Foundation.
In addition to the campaign spotlighting and celebrating the work of these charities and organisations, Muc-Off will be donating 10% of all profits generated from sales â direct and through distribution and retail - of their Nano Tech Bike Cleaner, Â refill ranges and Waterless Wash, between July 1-31, helping to support the imperative work they do.
Muc-Off have marked this pivotal moment further by releasing a limited run of a âMove Overâ special edition takeover of the brandâs iconic OG bike cleaner, which feature graffiti-style female-empowerment-themed quotes and illustrations. This aims to amplify the footprint of the campaign and is an added tribute from the brand to the campaign. The âMove Overâ edition bottle is available direct from muc-off.com only.
âAs riders ourselves, we know the power of the bicycle as a vehicle for change. Inclusivity has always been central to the Muc-Off DNA, and we encourage people of all backgrounds to experience the life-changing benefits riding bikes can bring. #MoveOver is about helping to break down the barriers faced by women in cycling, by inspiring and supporting equal opportunities for female riders across the globe! Iâm super excited to see the impact of #MoveOver on female participation in cycling, and the wider cycling community.â Alex Trimnell, CEO at Muc-Off.
This campaign is part of an active longer-term push by the British bike care and maintenance business to help get more people on bikes, and of course help people understand how to look after and get the best out of them. In regards specifically to getting women on bikes, Muc-Off has long term partnerships with charities and organisations that do exactly that, from British Cycling to Trips for Kids, and they have worked with one of the named non-profits of this campaign â Homestretch Foundation for several years. In addition to this, there have been significant conscious efforts to address the gender, race, and ability balance of the brandâs sponsorship roster, which in regards to gender has increased from 9% to 42% female since 2019.
One of the newest additions to our roster is the new EF Education-TIBCO-SVB team who stepped up this season to the World Tour, as the sister team to EF Education Easypost. This team is one of the few in the womenâs peloton who opt to pay the menâs WorldTour minimum salary to their riders, which currently sits at over double the womenâs.
âThis is a pivotal year for womenâs cycling. The success of this yearâs Tour de France Femmes will dictate the future of our sport. Our initiative of paying our women the menâs minimum salary is an important step towards achieving parity, and it enables our athletes to focus solely on their riding. Weâre proud to work with Muc-Off and itâs exciting to see a campaign like #MoveOver, that champions womenâs cycling, raises awareness of the key issues, and hopefully creates a lasting impact on the sport.â Linda Jackson, Founder of EF Education-TIBCO-SVB.
As part of their sponsorship, the 2022 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, will see a special edition swap-out kit designed by Rapha and skateboard brand Palace, which will be worn by both teams at each race. The jerseys aim to reflect the teamsâ commitment to gender parity in the sport, creating a talking point which hopes to raise further awareness of the issues, and provoke a lasting and impactful change to the sport. Muc-Off will have a logo on the jersey as a mark of their investment into the cause it represents, which links closely to the #MoveOver Campaign.
EF Education-TIBCO-SVB is one of two womenâs road teams invested in by the brand, the other being Canyon//SRAM Racing with whom Muc-Off have worked since 2018 - A team that have been credited by many as one of the driving forces that have elevated the profile of womenâs racing over the past few years.
To learn more about the #MoveOver campaign, see full list of charities and organisations being supported, and to see how you can get involved, head to: muc-off.com/moveover
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Press Contact
Steve Fearn, Global Bicycle PR & Communications Manager Â
T +44779 547 3002 E sf@muc-off.comÂ
About Muc-Off:
Back in 1991 Rex and Marilyn Trimnell got things started with X-Lite UK. After designing and manufacturing the worldâs first twin crown bicycle fork, Rex created a perfectly pink spray to clean his kit. To make a long story short, Rexâs cleaner was the best thing since sliced bread, and it wasnât long before word got out and Muc-Off was born.
Fast-forward to now and Muc-Off is now the go-to brand for top riders. And, in case you havenât noticed, they do a bit more than our original pink cleaner these days.
