About Us
Meet Kim Hopkins (left) and Lisa Carponelli (right). These two women have joined forces to expand the scope of cycling wear for the avid female cyclist. Kim and Lisa met in 2011 on a training ride with the Velorosa Cycling Team in Des Moines, Iowa. Kim, a competitive mountain biker, had been designing the team kits for several years. Her vision was to design an edgy new kit each year that could also be worn with the jerseys and shorts from previous years. The women of the team loved this concept as it gave them lots of mix-and-match options for their cycling wardrobe. Lisa, who loves to ride both road and gravel, enjoyed getting compliments on the team kits wherever she rode. While riding singletrack together one day, Lisa asked Kim if she’d ever considered making her designs available to women cyclists nationwide. Kim’s reply, “Only every day!” Velorosa® was born over post-ride beers later that evening.
They are often asked, “What does Velorosa® mean, exactly?” It translates to ‘Pink Bike’ in a combination of French and Italian; which they affectionately refer to as ‘Fritalian.’ Their mission is to create mix-and-match cycling wear that makes women feel comfortable, confident and beautiful. Wear their gear for your next century ride, your weekly group training ride, while shredding singletrack or when exploring your local trail system.