A Machine for Influence

In the aftermath of the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd, many bike companies grappled with how to react swiftly but authentically. Marketers pondered how to pen non-performative promises on brand social media accounts without virtue signaling. Largely white-led brands were suddenly faced with cycling’s whiteness—and it was alarming.

Machines For Freedom was one of few brands that didn’t have to embark on days of soul searching in order to speak up. The Los Angeles-based women’s apparel brand had already been working on finding its voice since launching in 2014. From the beginning, founder Jenn Kriske, aimed for Machines to be a brand for all womxn, not just the size-2, usually white, racers she saw portrayed by the big brands. She wanted her brand to reflect the faces and bodies she saw in the Los Angeles riding community, and most of all, she wanted a high-performance chamois comfortable enough for long distances that wouldn’t land her in the hospital with infected saddle sores (this happened).

Machines was built on tenets of equal representation and diversity, and thus already had a roster of Black and POC ambassadors in the family when the Black Lives Matter movement re-surged. So when that family was threatened by violence, it didn’t feel uncomfortable to say something. Machines was among the first to break the cycling industry’s silence with a pledge to match donations of up to $10,000 to organizations and movements fighting for the liberty of Black lives, and had raised $20,000 within two weeks.

“We got a lot of comments because we jumped in really quickly,” Kriske said, during our recent conversation, as she drove home from a riding trip in Moab. “It was no question for us. It’s something we had invested in for a very long time. This is the growth process we’ve been on for six or seven years. It’s very different if you’re just in the starting gate. … Many companies are still in the highly defensive mode.”

On her own account, Kriske, who’s white, has posted about the importance of BIPOC in the C-suite, and has been critical of white women who fight for racial justice, at the same time benefiting from a long-running system of oppression. But Kriske doesn’t consider Machines to be an activist brand. In fact, it’s been very new that a company like hers might benefit from voicing a strong opinion. Being outspoken hasn’t always paid off, and Kriske often struggles to make business decisions, weighing whether a move that’s aligned with her values and the brand’s values also makes the best financial sense. “Each time I go with my values, and it’s worked out so far. But I do sometimes question, if I hadn’t stuck our flag in the ground, would we be bigger than we are?”

Case and point: Kriske struck a deal earlier this year to be the apparel sponsor for a new cycling team. The team’s riders were all white, which concerned Kriske, but she initially brushed it off since the main sponsor was calling the shots, not her. But after renewed demands for racial equality following Floyd’s death, she couldn’t stay silent. The presenting sponsor had expressed similar sentiments about diversity publicly, but ultimately listed off a litany of excuses for why brainstorming ideas to bring on more racers of color wasn’t possible. “I was completely shut down, to the point where I was like, ‘This is actually going to be damaging to our brand (if we sponsor the team).’”

The deal fell apart. “This is the trade-off that’s been happening for the past six or seven years—it’s living my values versus having opportunities for the brand. This would’ve been great exposure for us.”

Kriske acknowledges that she has the privilege make those choices and not have to worry about losing her job, or about her company tanking—Machines was acquired by Specialized last year so she’s no longer shouldering the risk solo. While the backing from one of the biggest brands in the industry has allowed Machines to move beyond the bootstrap phase, it remains independently run by Kriske in Los Angeles, as a small business unit whose budget is revenue-based, and whose profits are re-invested into Machines not swallowed up by its parent. Ultimately, Kriske feels the deepest sense of loyalty to Machine’s community, which, in turn, holds the company accountable for upholding the values upon which it was built.

That's how it’s always been. Machines sells consumer-direct and its following was largely built on social media before Kriske even launched her first two products, the Endurance Bib and Jersey. Machines now has a catalog of jerseys, shorts, outerwear and accessories, and though it’s historically been more positioned in the road and gravel categories, Kriske is planning a more focused push into mountain bike apparel in 2021.

The goal, with both marketing and product, is to speak to a female audience that was being largely ignored by bigger brands—cyclists who may not be sample size, but are still willing to throw down serious cash for high-quality performance apparel. She developed a chamois for wider sit bones, invested in premium fabrics and foams and worked with a designer from outside the industry who brought aesthetic cues from skate, snow and surf. Kriske didn’t skimp on materials and Machine’s prices reflect that—the Endurance Bib alone runs $235—and she also didn’t skimp on sizes, offering a nearly unheard-of range: XXS through XXXL.

That formula has worked, but Machine’s success can also be attributed to the company’s mindset. Kriske invests a lot of time and energy into cultivating a community—and instilling confidence in her customer base that their opinions and ideas matter.

It’s a constant work-in-progress. As an industry, Kriske says, cycling still has a long way to truly be invested in marginalized communities—things like recognizing the value ambassadors bring to your brand and paying them, not just sending out free product with a ‘You’re welcome for the exposure,’ attitude.

“You’re seeing all these beautifully crafted statements coming out of these companies, but the mindset isn’t shifting. The mindset at the top levels, and the company cultures have not shifted.”