Holy cow #pennyinyopants

I don’t even know where to begin with this one.

The past two weeks have been an absolute whirlwind off of an amazing Cyclehack experience.  Alongside Melbourne and Beirut, we created loads of innovations around the cycling experience that can make a real difference in people’s lives.  It’s great to see quite a few of these being developed and being implemented across cities. Dates announced for next year and over 10 cities and counting signed up to do it at the same time.

Dates

And then there is Penny in Yo’ Pants.

Of all the cycle hacks we thought would go viral, this wasn’t one of them.

We were keen to find a bikeable accessory that doesn’t mean you have to buy a special skirt or bike, but you could just throw on your favourite dress and hit the road without worrying about who sees your underwear.  Be on a bike who you are off the bike. Simple.

Thanks to Alec from Trakke, we had an idea. All you need is a penny and a rubber band – and apparently, a short film putting them all together.  And a website.  Really, if it weren’t for Cyclehack and that amazing room of people – this just wouldn’t have happened.

Pennies

And after two weeks, over a million people have seen that film.  They have also nearly seen my underwear.

1mil

It’s been picked up by Slate, Cosmopolitan, Momemtum Mag, and countless other sources all over the world.  Old friends have stumbled upon the film and reconnected (OMG Jo, you are on SLATEEEEE).  Friends in New York and Copenhagen have seen women using Pennies out in the wild.

Cosmo

But the best part- and I mean the really cool part – are the comments from women all over the world.

Loved your penny in your pants video. Great idea–so simple and so economical. I too ride a bike every day to NYC and wear skirts to work. Your solution means I don’t have to wear shorts every day, something that’s tough in the warmer weather. Take care! – via Facebook

This is a revolution! Penny in yo pants.  

Love it! The most innovative ideas are sooo simple! “Penny in yo pants” is a must for all female cyclists 

These women just won bike commuting.  

This amazing duo even shared a video of their first Pennies experience. 

Our favourite Scottish bikeable maker   even took her Penny out for a spin.

BrdksniIcAAZ9Eh.png-large

So, the next step?  We’ve been busy prototyping better models to the simple penny/rubber band model to prevent the bad puckering of fabric and make the whole process much easier. I’ve been learning about laser cutting and product design and recruiting the amazing support from some pretty great people.  I can guarantee that our version of Penny in Yo Pants will be awesome and made with love.

IMAG0346

The amazing Sarah at the amazing MAKlab

Even better – some of the proceeds from Penny in Yo Pants sales will go to women’s organisations all over the world who are getting women on bikes.  Imagine, your bikeable skirt can help a woman find her bikeable legs.  I’m overwhelmed at the possibilities!

We will shortly be launching a Kickstarter campaign to support the prototyping process and get our Pennies out into the world. I’m currently confirming these organisations so more to come. I’ll keep you updated here but you can also join our mailing list at www.pennyinyourpants.co.uk or follow us on Twitter at @pennyinyopants.

And apologies to loved ones who have to hear me say ‘put a penny in it’ on a daily basis – I’m hoping it catches on.

 

 

 

 

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