Face Masks Are Back

When we offered our face masks at our cost – and the option to donate them to front-line workers at bike shops – the entire production run was spoken for within just a few hours. Clearly, our customers need masks for their errands and also for their rides when the country reopens. It will be nice stop along the way again during our rides…

This week, we’ve been delivering masks to bike shops all over. Here are Shawna from Free Range Cycles in Seattle…

… and Andrew from Cascade Bicycle Studio.

We’ve just received a second batch of masks. As before, they are made from left-over fabric by Matt here in Seattle, who also sews our Cyclotouring Knickers. The dense cotton weave offers just the right blend of breathability and protection. The latest batch is a mix of colors: navy and khaki. And once they are gone, there won’t be any fabric left to make more.

We’re offering the masks to our customers. You simply add a mask to your order, and we’ll include it in the box. You also can donate masks when you order. We’ve made a few tweaks, so here is how it works now:

• Add the mask to your order. This allows us to pass along the masks at our cost, rather than having to charge overhead for credit card fees, packing, shipping, etc. When you check out, there will be a prompt that allows you to add a mask.
• No choice of colors. (They all look good.) No returns, no warranty.
• Order at least $75 before you add the mask. (The system allows you to add a mask to smaller orders, but we’ll consider it a donation, and you won’t get a mask.)
• Quantities are limited. If the mask doesn’t appear at the checkout, then it’s sold out.
• One mask per customer. (If you order more, you’ll still get just one, and the others will be donated to bike shops.)
• You can donate all your masks to bike shops. Just write “Donate Masks” in the Comments field when you check out. Or order more than one mask, and we automatically donate the extras.
• Bike shops can request masks with their wholesale orders. They simply write the number of masks they need in the Comments field, and if there are enough donated masks, we’ll include them with their shipment. (We’ve sent a newsletter to our bike shops to explain the system, and also ask them to order only the masks they really need. Customers cannot select which shop gets their masks.)

We also encourage you to sew your own masks. It’s a fun and easy project. You can see our efforts and a great pattern provided by Ostrich, the makers of Rinko bags, in our previous post.

Update (5/11): The second batch of face masks has sold out. We’ve been sending masks to more than a dozen bike shops all over the country from the second batch. Thank you for contributing to this effort!