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https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal.atomPLANT ATHLETIC - Journal2021-03-03T14:20:41-05:00PLANT ATHLETIChttps://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/biodegradable-product-bags2021-03-03T14:20:41-05:002021-03-03T14:26:36-05:00Biodegradable Product BagsCameron AlksnisThese bags are made from corn starch with a man-made binding agent added for flexibility. They are slightly milky in color but also see-through enough to see the product and whats inside the bag.

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]]> As we continue our commitment to minimal waste and protecting the environment, we have been able to grow into these new product bags that we are really excited about.

These new product bags will help keep the product protected during shipping and storage and also are both reusable and biodegradable.

These bags are made from corn starch with a man-made binding agent added for flexibility. They are slightly milky in color but also see-through enough to see the product and whats inside the bag.

The best bit … these can be composted at home! Yup, when you’ve finished using it, just put it in with your food scraps and garden waste, and before you know it, worms will be eating this bag for breakfast.

Please join us in our commitment to protecting the environment. Reuse these bags as much as you can and stick them in your compost when you're done with them.

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/the-even-better-bib-short2020-07-12T15:23:00-04:002020-07-13T06:41:23-04:00The Most Eco Friendly Bib Shorts Ever MadeCameron AlksnisYou didn't think it was possible, but we made our award-winning Bib Shorts even better. We've worked very hard and developed our new bib shorts made from recycled materials.

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]]> Performance and sustainability are equally top priorities for us. We believe you can have both without one sacrificing the other. We are continually pushing the boundaries for what is possible.

This drive and exploration led us to develop our newest bib short. We wanted to make a bib short that was as equally sustainable as our cycling jersey and our tech-tees.

So we worked hard and developed a bib short that is nearly entirely made from recycled materials. From the thighs, all the way up over the shoulders, these bibs are made with materials that have been recycled and repurposed.

There is an incredible amount of waste and pollution in the fashion industry.

Second to oil, the clothing and textile industry is the largest polluter in the world (1).

Plant Athletic will not follow the norm. We choose to be different and push the standards of this industry. We can find a way to reduce waste and pollution in our industry and this is a big step for us.

Here are some features that we are super proud of with this new bib short.

Made With Recycled Materials

Without sacrificing quality or performance, we have managed to develop a material that is made from recycled materials. We are committed to reducing waste and our carbon footprint and we are so excited about these new fabrics.

From the lycra fabric that provides stability and comfort to the mesh straps that keep the bibs up and in place, these bibs are all recycled.

Of course, the chamois and the label are not made with recycled materials...but don't worry about it, we are working on a solution for that too.

New Hidden Pocket

In order to increase the utility of this Bib Short, we have added a super handy and hidden pocket. Big enough to store a large iPhone, keys, wallet or even a light vest in the colder weather.

This newly added feature is a small subtle feature but goes a long way. The extra storage is essential for those long ride days where you just need a little bit of extra carry space.

Improved Threading

we have adjusted and improved the threading slightly. In order to increase durability, we have made slight adjustments to the technique and type of threading. We want to ensure these Bib Shorts hold strong for years and years of long rides.

Improved Chamois

We have updated and improved the chamois in this new bib short. The new bib short has a more comfortable chamois that is built for long rides in the saddle. This new chamois also has improved breathability adding to extra comfort and reduced friction in the saddle.

Updated Women's Strap Design

The new Women’s bibs now have a more traditional dual strap design.

Higher Mid Section

We have made these new Bib Shorts a little bit higher in the front. We were noticing a gap in the front between the Jersey and the top of the Bib Shorts. In order to eliminate this game and allow for a smooth surface for the Jersey to rest, we raised up the front portion.

This also provides some extra support and comfort when riding. It helps feel secure and while sitting in the cycling position it forms the fold of the body perfectly.

References:

  1. http://www.alternet.org/environment/its-second-dirtiest-thing-world-and-youre-wearing-it;  Forbes – Making Climate Change Fashionable – The Garment Industry Takes on Global Warming

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/plant-athletic-our-values2020-06-18T11:51:00-04:002020-06-18T23:30:09-04:00New Name. Same Mission.Cameron AlksnisAs a brand, we will never end the ongoing pursuit of embodying, educating, and creating the changes we want to see in this world. Our values are as clear as they have ever been and we are extremely excited about this new chapter we are entering.

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We understand many of your concerns about us moving away from the word Vegan but believe us...this decision was not taken lightly and we want to assure you, our community, that our values and principles set forth at the inception of Vegan Athletic remain at the forefront of all that we do.

This change comes from the desire to make the word “plant” a focal point. Plants are central to everything we do and we want to communicate a message that emphasizes the importance of plants.

We want to build an inclusive community that inspires change in others. We realize that in order to create real change we need to reach out to others who are not already vegan and welcome them into our community. We need to accept everyone for who they are and passionately educate them on all of the benefits of a vegan lifestyle so they understand for themselves. This is how we are going to create change.

As a brand, we will never end the ongoing pursuit of embodying, educating, and creating the changes we want to see in this world. Our values are as clear as they have ever been and we are extremely excited about this new chapter we are entering.

Plants for Optimal Performance

Plant-based nutrition brings optimal health and performance. As athletes, we want to distinguish the difference between a whole foods plant-based diet and a vegan diet. For optimal performance and recovery, it is essential to be eating a lot of whole, plant foods as minimally processed as possible.

We want to stress the power of plants. Unlike animal products, plants are loaded with antioxidants, fiber, nitrates, clean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and much more which aid performance and recovery.

Disease Prevention and Reversal

There is more than enough clinical research to prove that the best way to prevent and reverse chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and many others is by eating a whole food plant-based diet. Many of these chronic diseases stem from a diet filled with animal protein and saturated fats. By making the right food choices we can control our own health destiny.

Animal Welfare

It’s time we put an end to the unnecessary and brutal mistreatment and torturing of animals. It’s time to put an end to animal suffering and exploitation for food and for profit. Not only is it unnecessary for us to eat animals to perform at our best and optimize our health, but it is also at the expense of the innocent animals that are killed and tortured every single day. Eat plants, not animals.

No animal should suffer in order for us to enjoy great products. All of our products are 100% cruelty-free and PETA Vegan Approved.

Saving the Environment

The single biggest thing any person can do to save our environment is to switch to a plant-based diet. Animal agriculture makes up 18% of all the greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than the combined emissions from all transportation worldwide.

Resource Depletion

By advocating for a plant-based diet we hope to help people understand that their food choices have a huge impact on the environment.

A plant-based diet uses far fewer resources than an animal-based diet. Just to produce 1lb of beef over 2,500 gallons of water is needed vs 216 gallons of water to produce 1lb of soybeans and 108 gallons for 1lb of corn.

Animal livestock covers 45% of our earth. Every second 1-2 acres of the Rainforest is cleared to make room for farming of animals or to grow food to feed to those animals. Animal agriculture makes up 91% of the Amazon Rainforest’s destruction.

Reducing our Carbon Footprint

As an organization, we take every opportunity we can to reduce our carbon footprint. We strive to be a zero-waste organization that focuses on using recycled materials as often as possible in all of our products.

Our shipping bags are made from plant-based materials and are 100% compostable. We also use no extra plastic or product tags on our products to reduce the need for added waste.

Giving Back

In addition to everything above, we always contribute back a portion of our proceeds to offsetting our carbon footprint. We also often plant trees or donate to various non-profit organizations that are doing great and aligned with all of our mission and values.

We are more excited and motivated than ever about this new phase of our journey and we ask that you join us. Plant Athletic is a brand for all of us. We are all stewards and ambassadors of this brand and we all have a role to play.

Please continue to be the shining light that you are and lead by example. Help us spread the word and let’s all build this community together.

#betheproof

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/welcome-to-a-new-era2020-06-14T08:11:00-04:002020-06-14T16:40:09-04:00Welcome to a New EraCameron AlksnisSince our inception, we have been on a mission to redefine the modern athlete. We are here because we want to change the narrative of what it takes to fuel and thrive as an athlete. We remain committed as ever to our mission and we’ve never been so excited, passionate, and optimistic about the future of a plant-based world.

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Since our inception, we have been on a mission to redefine the modern athlete. We are here because we want to change the narrative of what it takes to fuel and thrive as an athlete. We remain committed as ever to our mission and we’ve never been so excited, passionate, and optimistic about the future of a plant-based world.

We are leading a movement founded on the principles that as plant-based athletes, we can:

1. Improve our overall health and improve our performance by eating a plant-based diet. We remain committed to educating and empowering people.

2. Do what is right for our environment and preserve the sustainability of our ecosystem. A plant-based diet is the single best action any one person can do for the health of our planet and ecosystem.

3. Reduce our overall consumption and resource depletion. We are committed to operating in a way that minimizes our carbon footprint by using recycled materials, reducing waste, and allocating resources to offset our carbon footprint.

As a renewed commitment to these principles, we are changing our name to:

Same Mission. New Name.

Plants are central to our mission and everything we stand for. We want to continue to foster an inclusive community that can work in harmony for the greater good of our population and our ecosystem.

As a member of our community, we want to thank you for your continued support. We ask that you continue on this journey with us as we do our best to make the world a better place.

In the coming weeks we will be launching our new website, new products, and content. We are extremely excited about this step forward and we know you will be too. Feel free to reach out with any questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you.

Together, we can "Be The Proof" of a better way forward.

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/were-helping-the-australian-bush-fires-fight-climate-change2020-01-05T14:41:00-05:002020-01-07T14:34:14-05:00We Just Planted A Lot of TreesCameron Alksnis

We just planted a lot of trees! Thanks to you!

We want to keep everyone up to date on our progress with our efforts to help make the world a better place to live.

We have just recently decided to plant all the trees from this past quarter's SAVE THE TREES Collection in Australia in an effort to help the region during some very difficult times.

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]]> We just planted a lot of trees...thanks to you!

We want to keep everyone up to date on our progress with our efforts to help make the world a better place to live.

As you know, we launched our "SAVE THE TREES" collection this past October. We set out to plant one tree for each item sold. This enables our community to get involved and create change when they shop with us. At the end of each quarter, we are going to be planting trees at once for all the items sold during that time.

We have just recently decided to plant all the trees from this past quarter in Australia in an effort to help the region during some very difficult times.

Australia is home to a huge variety of unique plants and animals, with over 80% of native species not found anywhere else. Our amazing partners are creating wildlife corridors with local vegetation and tree species from the Eastern Tiers to Central Highlands of Tasmania. Beyond protecting the habitats of seven endangered species, the longterm goals for this project are to establish 1.5 million native plants and sequester over 30,000 tonnes of carbon by 2030. Rebuilding these corridors will also help strengthen the environment against the impact of climate change, now and into the future.

Our partner has chosen trees that will bring the greatest overall benefit to the region. This includes various types of Eucalyptus and Acacia trees, among others, depending on the specific needs of each section of habitat being recreated across the Tasmanian midlands.

Thanks to all of you who supported this mission, and who will continue to support it going forward.  Because of your caring support we were able to provide much-needed aid and trees in an area that is in more need than any.

We will continue to monitor and update you on this project. Of course, we are still planting a tree for each unit sold in our "SAVE THE TREES" collection. We will be planting more trees again in April.

Lot's of Love!

Cameron & Daniel

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/the-tech-tee-everyone-has-been-waiting-for2019-10-14T16:24:00-04:002019-10-22T10:50:00-04:00The Tech Tee Everyone Has Been Waiting ForCameron Alksnis

We've done it! We've made the most sustainable tech-tee yet. This new tech-tee has been completely reconstructed to improve performance and reduce its carbon impact.

We have taken materials that would ordinarily be waste materials and given them a second use. This technical running tee is made entirely of recycled materials. Without compromising performance we have made this jersey super eco-friendly and in line without zero waste principles.

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]]> We've done it. We've made the most sustainable tech-tee yet. This new tech-tee has been completely reconstructed to improve performance and reduce its carbon impact.

We have taken materials that would ordinarily be waste materials and given them a second use. This technical running tee is made entirely of recycled materials. Without compromising performance, we've made this jersey super eco-friendly and in line with our zero-waste principles.

After some significant testing, aside from the fact it is made with recycled materials, we've found this jersey to be the most comfortable and best performing yet. We are so excited to be leading the way in ethical performance fashion.

Here are some new features of this technical tee that we are super proud of:

Recycled Material

Performance meets sustainability with this tech-tee. While this is our most comfortable and best-performing tech-tee yet, it is also our most eco-friendly piece of apparel. It is made entirely of recycled materials.

We have taken a waste product and given it another use. Instead of adding to the amount of waste that is produced everyday we are reusing the material to make this tech-tee.

Lightweight & Breathable

Even though this tee is made with recycled materials, it is even softer and more lightweight than any tech-tee we've made before. It wicks away sweat very well and drys super quick. It feels dry almost all of the time regardless of the amount of sweat you are pouring into it.

The material is also very soft. As the fabric is recycled, it makes for a very soft finish. After lengthy testing we have noticed that it is extremely durable. This tech tee will stay soft and last you a long time.

The All-Purpose Fit

This tech-tee was made and designed to be used as a versatile all-purpose shirt. We want you to be able to use it for any workout or any occasion. This tech-tee is great for running, walking, cross-fit, yoga or even hanging around town in.

The sizing fits very true to size and is a very classic fit. While it's fitted and aimed at performance it has an all-purpose fit that will provide you comfort and performance no matter what you are doing.

We know you are going to absolutely love this shirt. You'll find yourself wanting to wear it for almost everything you do.

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/the-most-sustainable-cycling-jersey-ever2019-10-12T17:22:00-04:002019-10-22T10:47:55-04:00The Most Sustainable Cycling Jersey EverCameron Alksnis

Our new Recycled Jersey is our proudest and most sustainable piece of apparel yet.

Producing high quality apparel in a sustainable way is always a priority for us. We try to reduce our carbon impact in every way possible. This is why this jersey made with recycled material is so important for us.

We are very proud to take this step as it reduces our overall footprint and brings us closer to our goal of being a completely zero waste company.

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]]> Our new Recycled Jersey is our proudest and most sustainable piece of apparel yet. We have taken all the best features of our most recent jersey and upgraded them while adding enhanced features.

We always striving to be better and improve. This jersey is a testament to that. We worked hard to ensure this is our best performing and most sustainable jersey yet.

Producing high-quality apparel in a sustainable way is always a priority for us. We try to reduce our carbon impact in every way possible. This is why this jersey made with recycled material is so important for us.

Along with the recycled materials, there are many other features about this new jersey that we are excited about. Here are some of the main highlights of this new version.

Recycled Materials

This jersey takes sustainable fashion to a new meaning, it can actually be considered sustainable performance fashion. Aimed at performance with sustainability in our hearts. this jersey uses recycled fabrics in order to reduce our impact and consumption.

We use materials that have been converted from a waste product to be given a new life. Instead of being thrown into the trash, we reuse these materials in order to make these jerseys. The result is a smaller impact on our plant and a super soft and performance-orientated jersey.

We are very proud to take this step as it reduces our overall footprint and brings us closer to our goal of being a completely zero-waste company.

Aerodynamic Sleeves

This jersey has a new and improved aerodynamic sleeve. This sleeve, while super aerodynamic, is also very soft and comfortable. Similar to our past version of our Jersey these sleeves fit snug and long for maximum comfort and performance. They wick away sweat really well and leave you with that dry feeling throughout your entire ride.

Improved Mid Section

This jersey was built and designed to fit seamlessly through the midsection. We aimed to eliminate any slack or folding in the midsection. In addition, we set out to improve the length of the front and the back of the jersey and bring them closer to length for a more consistent fit.

Semi-Auto Lock Vislon Zipper

We wanted to have a zipper that performed the absolute best in all conditions. A zipper that you can slide up and down easily with one hand and that auto-locks to avoid unwanted slipping. We also added a clean, comfortable and easy to use a pulley.

We are super excited about this jersey and the platform is set for us to continue to build on and develop in the future. We are always striving to be better and we promise we will continue to improve and provide high-quality products that keep pushing the limits of how close to zero waste we can possibly get.

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/new-100-compostable-mailers2019-10-09T16:11:00-04:002020-06-14T08:07:30-04:00New 100% Compostable MailersCameron AlksnisFor this reason we are happy to announce we are changing our shipping bags to a fully compostable mailer that is made with plant materials and uses a soy ink. These mailers can be placed in your home compost or in any commercial compost and be broken down within 90 days.

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]]> We've taken it one step further.

We are always looking for ways to reduce our carbon impact and become carbon neutral. Our lifestyle choices and our products help reduce carbon emissions and support a sustainable world. We don't want to stop there, we believe our shipping bags need to be as carbon neutral as possible.

We are happy to announce we are changing our shipping bags to a fully compostable mailer that is made with plant materials.

These compostable mailers are made from totally biodegradable and compostable materials; corn starch, PLA (synthesised from corn) and PBAT (Polybutyrate Adipate Terephthalate). PLA (Polylactide) is a bio-based, biodegradable material made from renewable plant material (starches such as corn husks, rice straw and wheat straw).

This combination of materials represents a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to traditional plastics, is non-toxic and contains no Phthalate or Bisphenol A (BPA).

The most sustainable option for our customers once finished with these mailers is to put it in with their food scraps and garden waste. They will break down within months in a compost environment in a non-toxic process. Yes, they’re fine in worm farms and will be broken down in a bokashi too.

The materials are certified AS 5810-2010 for Home Composting, meaning they will be completely degraded by microorganisms in the natural world under compost conditions. Ultimately this generates carbon dioxide and water and does not pollute the environment.

We hope you understand and appreciate the steps we are taking to protect our environment and preserve our planet. In a world where e-commerce is exploding, the amount of waste material being created during the fulfillment process is astronomical. Anytime you shop with us you are helping the planet. Please take the time to add these mailers to your compost and reduce waste.

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/improve-your-cycling-performance-by-eating-beets2019-10-09T16:07:00-04:002020-06-14T08:09:27-04:00Improve Your Cycling Performance by Eating BeetsCameron AlksnisMore

]]> We know you are always trying to stay one step ahead of the competition, so we want to offer you some advice and insight. Strictly monitored by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), athletes (both professional and amateur) are tested for banned substances. Surprisingly athletes still get caught using banned substances even though they know the risks of getting caught.

What is there was a type of doping that wasn't banned by WADA?? Would you try it? Many athletes always look for complicated doping solutions when in fact, the easiest and healthiest solutions are right under their noses....beets!! That's right, beets. Beets have been proven to be very beneficial for athletic performance. Let's take a closer look at why and some of the evidence behind it.

A recent study was conducted by a group of researchers to determine if beetroot juice, in fact, aids athletic performance or not. They had a group of participants on a stationary bike cycle as hard as possible for as long as they could before they had to stop.

Each time the cyclists were given a different serving size of beetroot juice. One was a placebo (medicine with nothing in it, just for the psychological effect of the cyclist not knowing the difference) and the others were a 1/4 cup (4 units), 1/2 cup (8 units) and 1 cup (16 units). Here were their noted results:

Placebo (no beetroot):

Cyclists went for about 8 minutes on the placebo where they didn't have any beetroot juice.

1/4 cup (4 units of beetroot juice):

Cyclists didn't notice any perceived gain. They went for about the same time and when they had the placebo.

1/2 cup (8 units of beetroot juice):

With 1/2 cup the cyclists noticed much improvement and were able to go for approximately 9 minutes. I minute longer than the placebo and the 1/4 cup of beetroot juice.

1 cup (16 units of beetroot juice):

With 1 full cup of beetroot juice, the cyclists did see an improved performance but it was no better than the performance they had when they only had 1/2 cup. They went for about 9 minutes here as well. No added gain from the 1/2 cup serving.

They concluded from the study that 8 units of beetroot juice were the optimal intake in order to increase athletic performance. They determined in fact that the gains from this 1/2 cup serving actually goes a long way when it comes to enhancing athletic performance.

If we don't want to drink beetroot juice (because it's expensive and processed) how many beets would we need to eat in order to realize this gain? Well, the British Heart Foundation provided the table below which helps give us a pretty good idea.

As we can see from this table...the vegetables in the high nitrate content category have about 2 units of nitrates per 80g of the food. From this we can determine that in order to get the optimal 8 units of nitrates the cyclists were getting from the beetroot juice we would need to eat about 320g of beetroot. That's actually pretty doable. Your average can of beets is about 410g. So if you ate a can of beets you could reach the equivalent of 1/2 of beetroot juice no problem.

This is great news for all of us athletes out there trying to get ahead. Look no further than beets! The power of plants is real and we need to start realizing it. People are paying big money for drugs, pharmaceuticals and sports nutrition products but the answer is simple. Eat more plants!!..especially beets and dark leafy green vegetables. You get the most bang for your buck and don't even have to worry about WADA tracking you down.

References:

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/animal-agriculture-is-the-worst-greenhouse-gas-emitting-industry2019-10-09T16:04:00-04:002020-06-14T08:08:31-04:00Animal Agriculture Is the Worst Greenhouse Gas Emitting IndustryCameron AlksnisMore

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Although the large oil industry is much to blame, the animal agriculture industry is rapidly becoming the worst greenhouse gas emitting industry out there. The global spike in meat and animal product consumption and the rising population is forcing the meat and dairy industries to grow and an incredible rate. It is estimated that by the year 2050, animal agriculture will make up around 81% of all global emissions.

In the United States alone, about 42% of emissions come directly from animal agriculture. The majority of those gases are caused by animals that use bacteria in their stomachs to ferment food. When they burb or pass gas is causes a very large amount of methane gas to be released into the atmosphere.

A 2018 study found that when taking into account entire supply chains (fertilizer production, growing of feed, transport, etc), the combined emissions of the top 5 global meat and dairy producers exceeds that of the top oil producers like Exxon-Mobil, Shell, and BP.

The below scorecard shows us the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in order to produce each type of food. What we see is the incredibly large difference between the emissions from plant-based foods and animal agriculture.

By switching to a plant-based diet alone, you can save greenhouse gas emissions immediately. For example, eating beef has 20 times more negative impact on land use and greenhouse gases than eating beans.

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/thermal-range-sale-1-week-only2019-06-19T15:34:00-04:002019-07-21T01:11:11-04:00Thermal Range Sale - 1 Week OnlyCameron AlksnisWe will do one production run of the Thermal Range at the beginning of July to get everyone who is looking for Thermal Range some gear. So if interested, make sure you get your orders in before the end of June.

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]]> Thermal Range Production Run

We appreciate everyone's support and patience with us as we are working hard towards getting Vegan Athletic back up and running and moving in a forward direction again. We do have big plans for the second half of 2019 and beyond.

I know we haven't been able to keep the whole VA range in stock at all times but we appreciate your understanding on this during our transition. We have received so many requests about the Thermal Range and when it's going to be back in stock.

We thought about it hard and spoke to some of you, and we have decided to open up the Thermal Range on the website for the remainder of June only. We will do one production run of the Thermal Range at the beginning of July to get everyone who is looking for Thermal Range some gear. So if interested, make sure you get your orders in before the end of June. Sale ends June 30th.

As many of you know, we have shifted our order fulfillment process to an Ethical Express model. This ensures we stay in line with our ethical and sustainable initiatives but also mail our orders within 1-2 days of your order being placed. I know...awesome stuff right!

Unfortunately as we are still in growth mode we wont be able to offer our Ethical Express fulfillment for this Thermal Range sale. We will be operating this sale under the older Ethical on Demand model. The good news is we will honor our current free shipping rules (which you can find below).

Thanks again for all the love and support. We appreciate you being part of this journey with us. Together, through time, we are making change!

Big Love,

Cameron & Daniel

SHOP THERMAL SALE HERE

FREE SHIPPING

Depending on where you are in the world we are happy to offer you free express shipping. Unfortunately, we can not offer free shipping to all countries in the world but we will do our best to make shipping as quick and affordable as possible.

Currently the following regions qualify for free shipping:

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/ethical-express2019-04-01T20:44:00-04:002020-06-14T08:08:03-04:00Ethical ExpressCameron Alksnis

Ethical Express is Vegan Athletic's updated answer to manufacturing environmentally sustainable apparel and products for ethically conscious consumers... worldwide.

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Vegan Athletic Fulfillment and Shipping Operations Update

Hey VA Fam!

We're super excited to announce some new changes in the way we produce and fulfill our orders now. We have taken a step forward to providing a quicker and more improved way to get your orders to you. We're even more excited to announce that this new model will not sacrifice any of the sustainability goals we have previously set and that it will actually allow us to reduce our carbon footprint even more.

Ethical Express is Vegan Athletic's updated answer to manufacturing environmentally sustainable apparel and products for ethically conscious consumers... worldwide.

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BATCH MANUFACTURING

Our commitment to providing you high-performance apparel that is designed, manufactured and shipped in the most ethically and sustainably way possible, knows no limits.

In partnership with our factory in Guangzhou, China we are getting ahead of the orders by placing larger batch orders for production. We have found that in an effort to reduce resources we could become more efficient by producing many units of one design at a time. Each batch will be dependent on styles and designs and some may have limited quantities.

Our goal is to streamline the fulfillment of orders while reducing resources to produce each piece of apparel. We are now working hand in hand with our manufacturer to ensure they get the most efficiency out of each manufacturing run.

The main objective from here is to have these units on hand so that when an order comes in we can fulfill it right away to anywhere in the world using express shipping. We realize that in this day of e-commerce many of you do not want to wait 4-5 weeks for your order. Under this new model, we will be able to give you a heads up on the batch orders as they come in so you can place your order and get it shipped out the next day.

ETHICAL EXPRESS

While we are moving to a model with express shipping on all orders, we will make no sacrifice in our efforts to remain as sustainably efficient as possible. All orders will be sent using express shipping and will get sent out within 1-2 business days of the order being placed.

Every order we send will be using our 100% EcoEnclose recycled bags. These bags are also great because of the dual adhesive strips that allow you to re-use the bag for future shipments or returns.

We will also reduce our carbon impact by limiting extra plastic packaging inside each shipment. When you receive an order from us there will only be the product inside the 100% recycled mailer, no added plastic shipping wrapping or plastic product bags. We will also reduce the need for large labels and tags on each garment as this is an added waste product as well.

WORLDWIDE SHIPPING

We offer our express shipping worldwide. No matter where you are in the world, don't worry, we got you! We are here to support your efforts to be a proud plant-based athlete. So where ever you are we'll find a way to get you your order as quickly as possible. If you have any questions or specific shipping instructions for your orders please feel free to reach out to us at hello@veganathletic.co.

FREE SHIPPING

Currently, the following regions qualify for free shipping:

We want to sincerely thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done to support us and our efforts to provide the best ethically and sustainably made performance apparel in the world.

Big Love,

Daniel, Cameron & Daniel

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/big-things-coming-in-20192019-01-20T17:54:00-05:002019-07-21T01:10:45-04:00Big Things Coming in 2019Cameron AlksnisMore

]]> Updates on our shipping times and new colors and designs for 2019!!

On behalf of the Vegan Athletic family we want to wish you all a very Happy New Year. May you realize all the success and happiness you deserve this coming year. We have some very big plans for 2019 and we want you all to be a part of it. We are so grateful to have such a great community and can’t wait for the amazing things coming.

We want to express our utmost gratitude for all the support and messages we’ve received over the last month or so. The support of our pre-sale in December was incredible. We feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many people who share the same passion for a plant-based lifestyle. The larger our community grows the more change and impact we can ultimately have.

We also want you to know that going forward in 2019, Vegan Athletic will no longer be using a Manufacture on Demand Model. While we will always maintain our commitment to producing ethically and sustainably responsible apparel, we want to keep inventory on hand so we can always offer express shipping and have no more 4-5 week lead times!!….Yahoo!!! :)

That being said, we are hard at work getting stocked up with inventory. Get excited because we are planning and creating new designs and colors for the new year! While we are in design mode, we’d love to hear any feedback or requests you may have. We are always open to your opinions or ideas as we want to bring you the best apparel to support your 2019 goals.

Thanks again and can’t wait to see you all rocking the Vegan Athletic kit soon!

Big Love!

Cameron, Daniel & Daniel

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/customer-appreciation-end-of-year-pre-sale2018-12-13T21:11:00-05:002019-07-21T01:11:51-04:00Customer Appreciation End Of Year Pre-SaleVegan AthleticWe want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who have sent us your support and kind words about the good news that Vegan Athletic is going to be producing apparel again. The amount of positive feedback we’ve received since announcing this news has been truly heartwarming and clearly shows the strength and unity of our vegan community. We did anticipate there being a few happy people out there who missed out on buying our products in the past. Which leads us to the reason for this next piece of news.

In 2019, Vegan Athletic will receive a lot of upgrades, refinement, development and support that will help the brand grow into its next phase of evolution, enabling us to better supply the vegan athletic community with ethically sourced, made and distributed apparel around the world.

A lot of the work has begun in allowing us to re-launch the brand in as early 2019 as possible. But while all of this is happening behind the scenes, we realised that we still have our product range and web-store just sitting idle as it has been since manufacturing was put to a halt in May this year.

So just this week, we had a chat with our factory management team about the idea of possibly opening up the Vegan Athletic store for one week only before 2018 comes to a close. We asked if they were able to take a week's worth of pre-orders from our entire range of products for the final Ethical On Demand product run… They looked at their production capacity and came back with a thumbs up!

We’re happy to announce we will open the store from next Saturday the 15th of December until Sunday the 23rd of December. All orders will be then sent to the production floor, made on demand for every customer and shipped directly from our factory to the customer's door within 4-6 weeks from order date.

We wanted to do this as it gives everyone around the world an opportunity to buy and receive some Vegan Athletic gear in the middle of summer or winter, depending on where you are in the world. At the same time, we will be working on the preparations to launch and open the store under a new fulfilment and distribution model in the first quarter of 2019. This new model will enable us to offer express shipping on all our website orders to anywhere in the world, without compromising our sustainability or ethical values.

The same loved and respected products that we will offer next week will also be available when we reopen, but this is an opportunity we wanted to offer to those who just can’t wait. And, for those that do decide to place an order next week, you will also receive a $20 Gift Card (minimum purchase order is $100) that you can use in 2019 on any Vegan Athletic purchase, just to say thanks for supporting our final pre-order run.

— Daniel, Cameron & Daniel

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/we-have-a-solution2018-12-07T09:29:00-05:002019-07-21T01:10:56-04:00We Have A SolutionBench BookKeeping

There is the old saying that "Good things come to those who wait." I've always found that saying to be true, especially when it has come to running Vegan Athletic over the last four years. I never felt like I needed to rush decisions, rush designs or put pressure on others involved to make things happen for this brand. I felt the same way when I decided to end the manufacturing side of the brand a few months ago when it got to a point where the business needed more financial backing and more people power to take it to where it needed to go. I took my time and spoke to a lot of great people from around the world who offered a lot of advice and help, and after all of that, I still concluded that closing our manufacture of apparel down was the right decision to make for the position I was in.

A month after I made that decision, I received a message from a guy who had reached out initially to offer help and advice. Cameron was, like so many other customers, bummed that Vegan Athletic was closing down the apparel production, but understood the position I was in, mainly as we had spoken in a lot of detail over the months leading up to that point about what the brand and myself needed to continue. That message led to a phone call where Cameron said he hated to see Vegan Athletic leave the apparel market and may be able to offer some solutions to help. By this point, I had made peace with the decision to stop production, but Cameron insisted that he wanted to see Vegan Athletic continue because the brand empowers so many plant-based athletes all around the world. He told me to wait few days for him to speak to a close friend of his who he thought might like to be a part of the solution.

A couple of days later Cameron rung back with news that his friend and business partner, also named Daniel, were interested in seeing what it would take not just to get Vegan Athletic back up and running, but what it would take to continue the progression of where this brand is heading into the future.

Both Cameron and Daniel are proud plant-powered athletes and are huge advocates for vegan athletes. They have very extensive athletic backgrounds and plenty of entrepreneurial experience. Cameron has spent the last three years building up his own online plant-based organic superfood company and has a certification in plant-based nutrition from the Center for Nutrition Studies at eCornell University.

The more I started to get to know Cameron and Daniel, the more I began to think that there was a possibility that Vegan Athletic could be looking at the very well aligned team it has been needing.

At this point, the Vegan Athletic social channels started going quiet. Over the last three months, the three of us have been working on this new direction together and I can now officially say I am super excited to have them part of the bright future of Vegan Athletic.

I honestly didn't see this coming, I didn't think it was possible that there would be someone, in this case, two people who could understand the philosophy of the brand, who would understand our customers and audience and who could appreciate the level of detail that has made Vegan Athletic the brand it became. Both Cameron and Daniel have the experience in the areas that I was not able to bring to the table, and I have been able to build a brand that they could not find anywhere else that met all the right attributes they have wanted to invest themselves into.

For those of you who have been loyal to Vegan Athletic since the beginning, who have supported me in taking this brand from a small side project into a very well respected and wide-reaching international name, I want to assure you that I have thought long and hard about making this decision to allow Cameron and Daniel onboard. Because this decision always came down to supporting you, the ethically conscious community of athletes who are redefining what the modern athlete can be.

I've seen what a positive impact the words vegan and athletic can have when printed on apparel and I am so happy to have waited. I took my time to make this decision, and as a result, good things have come, and good things will continue to come for Vegan Athletic in the future.

There will be a lot more information about all of this news and when we will be opening the shop back up very soon. We have catching up to do, we have new timelines and goals to plan and I think everyone is going to be stoked to know that we will continue to manufacture from the same factory who have been making our apparel from day one.

For now, I just wanted to share this with everyone so we can all throw a little fist pump around the world knowing that we are going to be able to continue making good things for good people again!

Big love,

Daniel B

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/change-is-needed-and-change-is-good2018-04-18T00:00:00-04:002019-07-21T01:11:07-04:00Change Is Needed And Change Is Good.Bench BookKeeping

Some or many of you may have noticed that over the last month we stopped all production and sales of apparel. We have a banner on our web store that reads "Due to our factory experiencing a high capacity, new product orders will not be available until June. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but this is the reality of made to order slow fashion." In the following paragraphs, I'm going to explain the finer details of what had led us to this situation and where we will be heading going forward.

In late April our factory manager, Jo, notified me that they were experiencing a higher than expected volume of production which meant they were not able to fulfil orders within the four weeks "ethical on demand" turn around time. The reason was/is, our factory is growing, with new customers and brands that are using them to manufacture their products, meaning that it is getting harder for them to promise a four week turn around time for Vegan Athletic orders.

Our orders are accumulated over a week and then sent into production. We have a lot of styles, shapes and colour options that our factory is happy to produce for us, but as the factory is receiving more orders from other customers, it is making it harder to fit the Vegan Athletic apparel orders in between. Well, it's not harder to fit them in, it just means that if a large order from another brand goes in before we get ours in, then we have to wait longer as the factory operates on a lineup system. It is very inefficient to place the Vegan Athletic orders between the production of other products, which means changing fabric rolls, changing printing machines, sewing machine threads, cutting templates, zippers etc. So this is why Jo gave me the heads up that the production times for the month of May and June were going to be a lot longer, but more importantly is that production times going forward are going to be uncertain given the factory's expansion.

I didn't/don't want customers to have to wait more than five weeks to receive their orders and so with that I decided to stop all new orders and start thinking about how to work with these new changes.

Over the last month, I've been working out a number of options, and it's why things have been a little quiet in our social media. I've had many conversations with our factory to try and work out what is the best outcome given where we are both going to be heading in the future. I've also been crunching the numbers to look at what is going to be the most financially stable option for Vegan Athletic and maintaining that whatever the future looks like, sustainability and quality will continue to be the top priorities.

There has also been another factor to consider since we ceased all sales and production. That is, that Vegan Athletic is in need of greater financial foundations. Not many people know that I started Vegan Athletic with zero capital. The brand has built itself through pre-orders and then that turned into the Ethical On Demand model, which up until May of this year was working really well. It allowed the brand to grow and reach the community around the world and the sales have always continued to grow in a positive trend. But this halt in the model has forced me to realise that Vegan Athletic as a brand is in need of someone or some group who can help take it to the next level. I am at the core a creative designer who has done the best I could to run this brand and business how I wanted it to, but now I'm at the point where the brand is asking that it wants to operate at a level that is far beyond my business, financial and entrepreneurial capabilities.

I've made the decision just this week that I'm inviting anyone or any group who believe that they have the ability to take Vegan Athletic into its next chapter to get in contact with me. Vegan Athletic has a customer base that is growing every day. So many athletes around the world are going vegan and Vegan Athletic needs to keep up with providing these good people with good apparel. It has been hard to come to this understanding, but to be honest, I'm so happy to be in this position now. VA is becoming bigger than I can handle and that says a lot about where the world is heading.

So please, share this news with anyone you know that could help take this brand where it wants to go. You can contact me via the email info@veganathleticapparel.com.

Just before I wrap this up, some other news just to get everyone up to date.

— We've got more in the pipelines for Vegan Athletic Food and have enjoyed moving into the space of nutrition for athletic and optimal performance. If you haven't already got a copy I highly recommend it given how much positive feedback we have received since launching it in March and for all of our German speaking friends, we are about to launch Vegan Athletic Food in German so keep an eye out on that one.

— Also, for all those who keep asking for the podcast to come back. I'll do my best to make more time for that too. There are so many topics I'd love to cover, and podcasting is such a great medium to use for expressing them.

So until we are back up and running (and we sure will), keep moving, keep a positive perspective on the future and keep being great examples of what the vegan lifestyle is all about.

Biggest love.

Daniel B

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/vegan-athlete-wins-5500km-cycling-race-across-australia2018-03-30T10:26:00-04:002019-07-21T01:10:01-04:00Vegan Athlete Wins 5500km Cycling Race Across AustraliaVegan AthleticA close friend of mine, Abdullah Zeinab, has just won the 2018 Indian Pacific Wheel Race!

Plant Based News interviewed me about Abdullah's achievement, you can read the entire article here.]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/get-up-to-speed-slow-down-and-have-a-read2017-02-15T18:31:00-05:002019-07-21T01:10:15-04:00Get up to speed, slow down and have a read.Bench BookKeeping

First and foremost, everyone is loving the products! VA cycling apparel is starting to turn a lot of heads and it’s definitely sparking positive conversations on social media but more importantly out in the real world, out on the road, where it really connects!

Even Rich Roll has got around Vegan Athletic in the last few weeks as he just so happened to stumble on a gram that Dr. Garth Davis posted of himself wearing a VA Organic Tee in the gym. Rich got in touch with me a few weeks ago to let me know he was really impressed with the design and philosophy behind the brand. Rich and his wife Julie are going to be in Melbourne next month for a speaking tour so we are planning to catch up while he is downunder. I got big love for Rich so I’m really honoured that he rates the brand. I’ll get that man in some kit real soon don’t worry ;)

So with a lot of positive momentum growing around VA, I’ve had to put my head into super drive and work out how to best manage and operate this brand going forward.

You may have remembered that I started selling gear on a pre-order system last year. Customers paid for their gear, I sent a weekly order off to the factory, they manufactured according to that order, sent it to me in Melbourne and then I shipped your orders off from here, around the world. The only issue with that model was the extra time and shipping fees it took to send that stock from China to Melbourne and then Melbourne to you, the customer. But the great thing about manufacturing on demand like that is how much better it is for reducing waste and dead stock. It’s something I’m noticing straight away with the last re-stock in January. It’s just a part of the industry, and it’s the part of the industry I really want to change.

In the apparel game, deadstock (products that aren’t selling due to being an unpopular size or colour) is a huge waste of money, but more importantly to me, it’s a waste of resources. The amount of natural resources and energy that goes into making just the fabric alone is beyond comprehension. As a brand that is built on the foundations of ethical practice, having this situation just doesn’t float with me.

Like I said, my head is on super drive at the moment in trying to problem solve a way that I can have a constant supply of stock to customers around the world without the waste and dead stock issue, without all the shipping miles and the extra time that comes with sending stock from the factory in China to Melbourne and then back out again.

The good news is, there is a very possible solution to all of this and the solution comes from having a great relationship with the owner and management team at my factory in China.

Last week I had a meeting with my main man William. I proposed a manufacturing model to him that could be the solution to all the issues I’ve addressed above and right now we are working on the finer details… it’s looking promising. If it all comes together, then this is what the new manufacturing model for Vegan Athletic could look like.

With this new model, you the customer, would have contributed to saving a lot of high quality fabric that may have gone into a dead product line, not to mention a lot of air miles in shipping as everything will be completely stored and shipped directly from the place it is made.

Now I know what you’re thinking and I think the same thing too… “but I want it now.”

Trust me, the 4-5 week window for your gear to arrive is actually really fast given the minimum order circumstance that I’m asking the factory to take on. Which they are totally happy to do by the way. This isn’t going to force them to work any harder, they are simply rearranging a few processes on the production line to make all of this possible for VA.

For a high-quality piece of apparel to be manufactured by hand and delivered to your door in that time frame is only something we can do in today's technically and logistically connected world. If Vegan Athletic apparel used pre-purchased blank stock and we just printed a few logos on it like you would do with a t-shirt business, then yes, you should expect a shorter turnaround time. But the entire line of Vegan Athletic apparel is all made from scratch using the best, most sustainable technical fabrics in the world and in a factory that looks after its staff like family… half of them are actually family. It’s what family run business’ do.

I think a lot of people are going to say that I’m cutting out a lot of my market... I’m completely ok with that. Because I’m ok with slowing down. If it means that the world can be a better place because I’ve built a brand that is going away from fast fashion, for the “fastest” community of people who are going to make the “biggest” impact on the future of this planet, then yes, I’m happy to help pioneer the slow fashion movement. It’s one hell of an oxymoron to be forcing slow fashion upon the fastest of the fast fashion industry, but I’m gonna give it a red hot crack.

I’ll keep you all posted on the latest updates as they happen over the next week or so. Right now we are just finalising the shipping and logistics which will play a crucial role in how this all turns out. So please just hang in there with me. I’m doing this because I’m so bloody passionate about doing the right thing and I know if there is going to be any community of people who understand why I’m doing this, it's the vegan community. I love you all so much hey!

Thank you for being a part of this journey. Thank you for supporting Vegan Athletic. Thank you for helping in the good fight to change this planet… for good.

Please feel free to leave any comments below. I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts.

Big love

Daniel B

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/whats-going-on-at-vegan-athletic2016-07-30T02:58:00-04:002019-07-21T01:10:41-04:00What's going on at Vegan AthleticDaniel BovalinoIt’s been a very productive few weeks here at Vegan Athletic so I think it’s about time that I get everyone up to date on what has been going on and what is going to be happening over the next few months.

There has been a solid amount of prototyping and product testing for both the cycling and running apparel. I’m really happy to say that we now have a womens and mens cycling range that fits, performs and looks amazing.

Getting technical apparel to properly fit the male body is a challenge, but getting it to properly fit the female body is at times near impossible! In saying that, after five pattern trials and countless alterations to our final prototypes, the cycling bib shorts and jerseys are now entering the final phase before we go into production. That final phase is a complete order of all jerseys and bib shorts in each size (XS - XL) in both womens and mens which will be used to define all measurements so that our sizing charts are accurate to the millimetre.

That final production run has been sent to the factory today and I’m expecting it to arrive in 2-3 weeks. It should only take a few days to then finalise the sizing charts, photograph each colour option and get the online store ready to open for pre-orders.

Now I want to take this opportunity to talk about pre-ordering, why we use this method of sale and how it’s going to work in the future for Vegan Athletic.

Vegan Athletic is lucky enough to be working with a manufacturer who are able to quickly adapt to the needs of clients who want to move in new directions to better serve their customers. As a small start up, we don’t have the capital to be able to order in minimum order quantities. But even if we did, that method of ordering say 100 of each size and colour isn’t something that I want to do, or in this case, need to do.

The reason I don’t like this method of manufacture is that it leads to a lot of waste. Waste in the form of some sizes or colour options being left over because we just don’t have customers who fall under that particular size or that they just don’t collectively like a particular colour option. We saw this happen with the organic tees. There just aren’t many XL vegan athletes out there and so we have a box full of XL organic tees that aren't getting much love. Now don’t stress. There is a plan for not wasting those tees by turning them into another product when I get some time to sit down with the sewing machine and some scissors, but this is a scenario that I want to avoid, especially in these early stages of our brand.

Unnecessary waste plays a big part in the decision making here at Vegan Athletic. Because we already live in a time where we are over manufacturing stuff, and the more stuff we manufacture, the more waste we potentially create. Which is why I said we are lucky to work with a manufacturer who can see this issue as well. We are now able to manufacture on demand in time frames that are really fast considering the amount of labour and detail involved. I can now send an order to our factory and in just shy of a month we can have your order delivered to your door anywhere around the world.

So the way Vegan Athletic will operate in these early stages is on a pre-order system. Once a week we will take the list of pre-orders that have come through our online store and send that list to our factory. That order will go to production and typically will be made within a 3-4 week time frame, sometimes even faster depending on the time of year. Your order will then be bundled and shipped directly from our factory in Guangzhou, with tracking details emailed to you on despatch. Over time we will be able to recognise what products seem to be most popular and with extra capital behind us we will begin to have those products pre-stocked and stored at our factory which will dramatically speed up the time that you receive your order.

Hopefully this is all starting to make sense and you’re able to appreciate how lucky I am to be working with a manufacturer who can allow me to operate in this way. The amount of skilled labour and detail that goes into making technical athletic apparel can easily be taken for granted. To be able to have the ability to design and produce what I believe is some of the highest quality products in the game, in such small runs and quick turn around time but most importantly in an ethnically responsible environment, is honestly the only reason why I believe Vegan Athletic is able to even exist.

We are getting closer people! I’ll keep you all up to date and I do apologise for the delays in getting the products ready. Everyone who has written in asking how long until release have all been so understanding and I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am to be building a brand that is serving such a beautiful community of humans!

I apologise for this getting long winded but I just haven’t taken the time to sit down and get everyone up to speed for a while. I’ll be writing and possibly vlogging more in the next few days and weeks ahead on a range of topics that relate to the products soon to be launching, the social responsibilities that the brand is constantly considering and a deeper look into the conscious effort to change the way we look at buying and using athletic apparel.

Until then. Stay great. Stay vegan. And keep being the proof that the Vegan Athletic life is the way to a far better future for us all.

Big love,

Daniel

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/98799169-the-truth-about-cycling-bib-shorts2016-04-23T21:04:00-04:002020-07-02T15:33:20-04:00The truth about cycling bib shorts.Cameron AlksnisSo many cycling brands just choose the safest option and sublimate the panels they want to have logos or colours/designs on. Nothing can peel off or crack, it's always the cheapest option and 9/10 people won't really care or even know the difference. And that is where we have decided to put our foot down. We want our gear to last. We want you to feel confident that when you buy our bib shorts, you know you are going to get a long lasting product.

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]]> I have been hoping that I wouldn't have to write this post but reality bites sometimes and here I am, on the eve of launching our first range of cycling gear, writing about why we have decided to delay the manufacture of our cycling bib shorts but go ahead and start selling our cycling jerseys for men.

I know, you've all been waiting for us to launch our first range of cycling gear. We have teased you all throughout the prototype stages with sneak peeks on social media and we know, it has been a long period of testing. The reason for this elongated slab of testing time has come down to one thing... the bib shorts. The short sleeve jerseys were spot on from the first prototype. Hands down best jersey we and our testers have ever worn. But the bib shorts have been another story. Comfort and cut is spot on. The chamois (pad) is really good, I've been using them for years and they last. But the problem with the Vegan Athletic bib shorts has been a problem that both myself and Greg have had for a long time. We hate sublimated (printed) panels on bib shorts.

Now not many of you are going to understand what we mean when we say sublimated so I'm going to show you and teach you because it's something worth knowing about so you can make better informed decisions in the future when it comes to purchasing cycling bib shorts.

In the photo above is a sample pair of Vegan Athletic bib shorts where the side panel and band have been sublimation printed. This means that those two sections of the shorts are made from a white lycra fabric that is printed on. The panel that runs on the inside of the crouch and around the backside is made from a pre-dyed lycra, which you can't print on, it's just 100% black, or blue or red or what ever pre-dyed colour you choose. This creates a two toned look. No matter how well you colour match the printed panel to the pre-dyed panel, you will always get a two tone between the two types of fabric. This, in our opinion doesn't look good and it certainly doesn't age well. Sublimated panels will fade lighter over use and time and if you brush up against a rough surface you will certainly see some horrible white threads become exposed through the top printed surface.

Pre-dyed lycra is the best stuff to make cycling shorts out of but if you want to print a logo on it you have to use either a heat transfer or rubberised screen printing method. These methods look brilliant when you transfer them. They look brilliant for the first few weeks, or months if done properly, some can even last a good year if you look after them. But ultimately, these printing methods on pre-dyed fabric eventually crack or peel off. That is why so many cycling brands just choose the safest option and sublimate the panels they want to have logos or colours/designs on. Nothing can peel off or crack, it's always the cheapest option and 9/10 people won't really care or even know the difference. And that is where we have decided to put our foot down. We want our gear to last. We want you to feel confident that when you buy our bib shorts, you know you are going to get a long lasting product.

In the photo above (thanks to Kirsty Baxter) I'm wearing a prototype pair of fully pre-dyed lycra Vegan Athletic bib shorts. They use a heat transfer method to print the letters onto the side panels. I'll confidently say that these have been the best pair of bib shorts I've ever owned. But, the heat transfers were starting to peel up after I put them through some hard stretch testing and washing. Since then we have looked high and low at finding a print method that sticks and stays onto pre-dyed lycra, that never peels and never cracks. A good friend told me that you shouldn't try and find perfection in manufacturing but we have spent hours and hours and hours testing and deciding how we can make a pair of bib shorts that in our eyes are as close to perfect as possible.

So here is the deal. We gave sublimated one final test this week with some more prototypes that we were highly specified with fabric choice, stitching patterns and colour matching. We thought we possibly may be able to start selling these with the new jerseys that have been ready to go since the start of the year. But, as it has been since the beginning, this final round of sublimated bib shorts just weren't up to the high standard that we hold so close to our quads. Mind you, they are really good shorts but we just don't want to put them to production. We just wan't to give you the best and the good news is that we know what that involves and have made the decision to go ahead on that.

We have got one more round of prototypes to make for what we believe is the answer to all of the problems we have pointed out above. We will need a few more weeks to get these shorts right and when we do, you better look out because we are going to hit you up hard a fast to make these bib shorts the only bib shorts you will ever want to buy.

The question was raised this week when we got the last set of sublimated sample bib shorts. It was me actually who raised the question to Greg. I said "Greg... Do you think we can sell the jerseys without the bib shorts? I really don't want to just sell the jerseys, it's crazy doing that..." And Greg looked at me, through his phone on FaceTime and said "Listen here little Prawnie, we are going to sell these jerseys without the bib shorts, we are going to tell everyone why and we are going to look after our people for hanging out so long with us. I know how good these shorts are and you are going to make sure people get the best and that is that."

So here I am, I've explained the truth about bib shorts to you all and I'm just happy that I can see the light at the end of this particular product tunnel. I am terribly sorry that it has delayed us, that it has stopped us from being able to sell a full kit in one go but I'm not sorry that we at Vegan Athletic are continually trying to toe the line with the best quality we can possibly create.

Yours truly,

DB

]]> https://plantathletic.com/blogs/journal/90385857-vegan-athletic-factory-visit2016-02-29T18:50:00-05:002019-07-21T01:11:16-04:00Vegan Athletic Factory VisitEighty West Collaborator

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VEGAN ATHLETIC IS COMMITTED TO PRODUCING ETHICALLY SOUND PRODUCTS THAT DO NO HARM TO ALL EARTHLINGS HERE ON OUR TINY PLANET. THAT IS WHY WE WENT TO VISIT OUR FACTORY IN CHINA ON THE 22ND OF JANUARY 2016. THIS FILM TAKES YOU INSIDE OUR MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN GUANGZHOU, CHINA. BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN TRANSPARENCY. WE BELIEVE IN BEING THE PROOF.

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On Friday 22 January 2016, Daniel, Founder and Designer of Vegan Athletic Apparel traveled to China to visit the factory who we have partnered with in producing their athletic apparel.

The purpose was to work on refining and developing the new range and a few new products. But ultimately, Daniel wen't to China to meet the people who are behind every thread, every cut and every step that goes into the manufacture of the brand's products.

For Daniel, being made to feel a part of the family who make up that factory was the greatest outcome. Vegan Athletic is now more than ever happy to state that we feel completely confident with the decision to work with this company. We believe in fairness and freedom for all earthlings.

Thank you to our hosts for making Daniel feel so welcome and allowing us to document inside your factory. We came, we saw, we worked, we captured.

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