The CCI story - how rain and inspiration led to our bicycle covers
Hi, my name is Garth Phillips and I am the founder of Cycle Covers International.
The 2005-2006 triathlon season was the first time I had entered a triathlon. My two boys decided that they wanted to have a go at this fun sport. It was very impressive to see so many people of all ages, shapes and sizes competing. There were people who were way out of condition, to the super fit. It was great to see so many people just enjoying the atmosphere.
During the larger race meets (Noosa, Murwillumbah-Gold Coast), you have to put your bike into a transition area the day before the race. What surprised me about this was seeing all of these costly bikes exposed with a complete lack of protection. There was nothing to cover them or protect them from the weather. The best protection I could see were black garbage bags or clear plastic somehow wrapped up and around the bikes which wasn't very successful at all.
My invention came about when I entered the 2005-2006 Gold Coast triathlon. My bike was taken by a friend of mine (Paul Lees) the day before to be placed in the transition area. Well, it rained and rained and bucketed down all night and all next day. I don't know what was worse, the howling gale force winds or the rain. For the next four weeks after the race I had niggling problems with my bike because of the drenching.
It truly amazed me that there were hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on all of these bikes and clothing equipment. Not to mention the blood sweat and tears spent on getting there bodies into shape. And all of this can come undone if you don't realize what is the most important factor in all of this: the clean functioning condition of your bicycle. By this I mean avoiding dust, road grime, rain, mud, bugs, etc covering your bike.
After this incident I thought to myself. "Why not make an all-weather cycle cover for the bicycle? It could be used to store the bike under your house or in your garage. It could then be put on the back or top of your car. It could protect your bicycle while in the triathlon transition area and a cycling race meets". I knew it had to be light weight, easy to manage, and easy to carry. After months of hard work, my final design was patented and production began.
The result is the CCI bicycle cover! An all-weather resistant bike bag which is easy to fit on and store. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and I hope to see you soon at the next triathlon with your new CCI cover.
