Since the first celebration in 1911, March 8th has not only come a long way in celebrating the many success stories of women across the world, but it’s also a day to praise women as inspiration (honestly, we should do it every day).
At BZEN, women are the centre of the whole business. They are the primary customer and the main inspiration. “To make women feel safe, comfortable and ZEN on their bike was the inspiration behind the brand”, says Pierre Detry, Founder and CEO of BZEN bikes. “The recognition and positive feedback that we receive every day from our clients, and I should say, women are more willing to share their experience and gratitude, persuaded us that we are moving in the right direction”.
Men think about technical performance and results. They buy products from this point of view. Bike manufacturers, mostly men, produce bikes, having in mind the same point of view. Women don’t bike a lot, not because they don’t like it, but because it’s hard for them to find a bike that will give them comfort and safety.
“Being occupied during the week with our businesses, my wife Tatiana and I always try to find time for shared activities during the weekend. Personally, I love biking, it is one of my favourite sports, and my wife fell in love with it too, ” confesses Pierre Detry. “Our bike “promenade” with Tatiana was always a great moment of “our together moment”. But over time, she started to get tired with the feeling that it was no more a joy but a challenging race. I was so disappointed that our bike rides were over that I decided to offer her an e-bike as a present for Christmas. In no time, we continued our promenades to the mutual pleasure of both”.
Tatiana was inspired by the idea of the e-bike, and she tried to use her e-bike instead of the car more and more often. But the bike was too heavy and sporty; she didn’t feel comfortable and safe on it. “As I was listening to Tatiana,” shares Pierre Detry. “I was surprised to know that women responded to quite a different number of features of the bike. She wanted to ride a bike in her dress and not to worry about her delicate shoes. The sitting position on the bike must be not only comfortable but also elegant and it must accommodate any type of look. I understood that there was no e-bike designed to satisfy women’s needs, and it gave me an idea of creating one”.
“I am not a sport biker,” shares Tatiana (Pierre Detry’s wife). “I do not like to sweat or to compete. And I definitely do not like to dress each time for the bike tour differently. We live in a beautiful little town in the suburbs of a big city. It is only a 20-30 minutes’ bike ride to the city centre, and I love my BZEN bike that allows me to travel freely all around comfortably. I have a business of gymnastics for kids, and almost every day I drive little distances to visit different gymnastic centres; my BZEN bike is the best solution for it”.
Women want to be elegant and attractive, to look confident and to breath happiness. “Woman on a BZEN bike should only think about herself and not about the bike and how it works”, continues Pierre Detry. BZEN bikes are designed to give the right natural position to the rider. Our bikes provide the comfort and safety of a balanced riding, as the battery is placed in the bike’s frame and not behind the saddle.
“Tatiana shared with me her experience of riding, making me discover the most important things for women of which I wasn’t even aware and which for most women would sound natural and self-evident, I guess,” concludes Pierre Detry. “I’m very grateful to Tatiana as she became an inspiration for me and BZEN bikes. She continues to be my best advisor and my first “tester”, whom I trust endlessly”.
No one will argue, women make this world a better place. We should celebrate women a lot more. They are doing the most challenging work you can imagine (apart from being badass mothers, carrying wives, daring artists and successful entrepreneurs). They inspire their beloved ones with kindness, ideas and unlimited support.