Gear for cyclists is made attractive; commuting to work on your bicycle; and the best
places to cycle in Washington state
本文介紹吸引人的自行車手配備，以及騎自行車通勤上班的方式，還有華盛頓州最佳單車路徑
Fiks:Reflective makes bike safety attractive
by Kim Lyons / © 2014, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Distributed by MCT Information Services.
Nick Drombosky’s business idea stemmed from a simple principle: He wanted to make bicycle safety a little more stylish.
He started Fiks:Reflective in 2011 with $10,000 in Kickstarter funding, making reflective stickers that affix to wheel rims. The company also makes stickers for helmets and bike frames that come in several colors.
Unlike some products for bicycles, these stickers are made with 3M Scotchlite reflective film and are made to be easily removed.
Drombosky admits to a stumble out of the gate when he was getting the business up and running.
“I was approached by a distributor that was an importer for a bunch of big European box stores … ,” he recalled.
He knew it was a big opportunity. Still, he regrets the amount of time he spent working on that one deal. Especially since that deal didn’t go as planned.
But after the initial snafu, he kept interest alive with Facebook and Instagram.
Fiks:Reflective products are now sold in 41 countries, as well as online. In 2012, he expanded the line to include reflective T-shirts, hoodies and caps after a second successful Kickstarter that raised $14,000.
Any money that comes in goes right back into Fiks:Reflective. To say he lives frugally is an understatement: “I end up living off apples and saltine crackers,” he said.
Improving a city’s safety
Scott Bricker, executive director of nonprofit bike safety advocacy organization Bike Pittsburgh, said the products [Drombosky] makes have gone a long way to improve the visibility of cyclists in Pittsburgh. Bike Pittsburgh includes a set of the stickers in its membership welcome packet, stickers that Drombosky gives the group at a discount.
Bricker said Fiks:Reflective’s simple designs play an important role in helping younger riders stay safer at night. “He figured out a way to make reflectivity cool.”
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Discussion Questions
-Do you ride a bike? If so, what kind of safety measures do you take?
-In a group of people, do you prefer to stand out like a sore thumb, or would you rather remain unnoticed? Why?
-In your opinion, where is the prettiest place to ride bikes? Why?
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