by Nikki Haywood
To celebrate 10 years of CIOVITA — and 10 years since Trail Angels became their very first custom client — we’re looking back at some memories of our partnership. Together, we’ve grown from a shared dream into a movement that empowers women to feel strong, courageous, and beautiful on the bike. These 10 moments capture the spirit of what it means to ride, create, and dream together.
1. The First Canvas Kit
In 2016, when Andrew Gold launched CIOVITA, Trail Angels proudly became their very first custom kit client. With Andrew’s wife, Debbie, as one of our founding members, the connection felt natural — two communities with shared values, both eager to see women thrive in cycling. Over coffee at Jakes in Tokai, we dreamed of a kit that reflected our community.
2. Best Kit, Boldest Choice
In 2022, we unveiled Tequila Sunrise — our boldest kit yet. At first, the bright orange sparked hesitation, but courage turned doubt into confidence. Soon it became our most vibrant, visible, and instantly recognisable kit. Sometimes the bravest choices become the most iconic. Tequila Sunrise proved exactly that.
3. Exploring Beyond Borders
In 2024, a nameless kit made its debut on our Swiss Alps tour. Around a dinner table in Verbier, “Alpine” was born — a name as crisp as the mountains themselves. More than apparel, it became a keepsake of adventure and proof that our journey had expanded beyond South Africa.
4. The Most Iconic Ride
In 2023, Trail Angels rode 200 km as a DC team. It was a test of endurance, but camaraderie carried us through. Our CIOVITA kit united us, boosting confidence and colour on the road. Together, we proved that strength grows when women support each other through every challenge.
5. The kit that travels
Our kit travels far and wide! Clients love sharing their adventures with us by snapping photos in far-off places proudly wearing their Trail Angels kit. Even our stickers have made their mark, appearing on signposts across the world.
6. Milestone Moments
In 2025, Trail Angels was nominated by KFM as a finalist for the Best Amateur Sports Club in the Cape. We proudly achieved a bronze medal—an honour that recognizes not only our love of cycling, but also our inclusive community and the work we do to empower women in cycling.
7. The Revival Kit
First launched in 2016, it had no name until we reintroduced it in 2022 due to its ongoing popularity. That’s how it became known as Revival—one of our signature designs, much loved within the Trail Angels community.
8. What It Means to Wear the Kit
Putting on Trail Angels kit feels like wearing armour. It’s more than fabric. It gives you a sense of protection and courage — an affirmation that says: You’ve got this. We are in this together. You are not alone. Together we can do tough things. It shows you are part of something bigger.
9. Shared Values in Action
Trail Angels and CIOVITA are united by five values:
Courage — facing fears as courage is contagious
Adventure — finding joy in the unexpected.
Possibility — believing in “yes, you can.”
Authenticity — showing up as our true selves.
Community — always stronger together.
These values shape every ride, every kit, every story.
10. The future is full of possibility
Ten years ago, we could never have imagined the moments we’d share through our collaboration, the memories we’d create, and the adventures we’d live. The same is true for the next ten years — we step into the future with possibility, daring to dream big. The CIOVITA Trail Angels kit has helped so many women thrive, grow, and flourish. Now, we want to take this even further — to empower more women around the world to feel strong, brave, and beautiful in our kit. Our dream? That ten years from now, Trail Angels kit will be hanging in stores overseas, ready for women everywhere to wear with pride.
This journey has always been about more than kits or kilometres. It’s about women lifting each other up, discovering their strength, and riding with confidence and joy. As CIOVITA and Trail Angels step into the next decade, we carry with us the same values that brought us here: courage, adventure, authenticity, possibility, and community.
Here’s to the next 10 years — and to every woman who dares to ride, explore, and believe in her own power.
