As part of our SHEOVITA Women's Month series, ambassador Ruby Eastwood shares her personal journey from campaign model to CIOVITA fit model, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the research, development and craftsmanship behind every piece of cycling apparel.
My relationship with CIOVITA began with a simple yes.
Last year, I was invited to take part in the brand's winter campaign. At the time, I had no idea that saying yes to that opportunity would become the first step into a much larger world—one that would eventually lead me into CIOVITA's Research and Development department, onto more group rides and deeper into a cycling community that now feels like home.
From Campaign Model to Cycling Apparel Product Tester
After the campaign, I began working with the R&D team as a fit model and cycling apparel product tester. Until then, I had mostly experienced cycling kit from a rider's perspective. I knew when something felt comfortable, when a pocket worked well or when a pair of bibs stayed in place during a long day in the saddle. What I had never fully understood was how many decisions, people and stages were responsible for creating that experience.
Working behind the scenes changed the way I looked at every garment.
Inside CIOVITA's Research & Development Process
A fitting is not simply a matter of putting on a finished product and deciding whether it looks good. It is one part of an ongoing process of observation, discussion, testing and refinement.
During a fitting, we assess how a garment sits while standing, but more importantly, how it behaves when the body moves into a riding position. We consider the length, compression, seams, pockets, straps, fabric and overall balance. A detail that appears insignificant off the bike can make an enormous difference after several hours in the saddle.
Sometimes, we spend weeks moving the hem of a jersey up and down by only two centimetres. That may sound excessive, but it demonstrates the level of care behind the process. Two centimetres can affect how a jersey sits over a pair of bibs, how it moves when the pockets are loaded and whether a rider feels comfortable and confident wearing it.
The same consideration applies to every component. The type of zip, the placement of a seam, the stretch of a fabric and the position of a pocket are all deliberate decisions. Nothing is included without thought, and nothing is adjusted without purpose.
The Women Behind Every Piece of Cycling Apparel
What makes this process particularly special is the opportunity to work alongside women like Lauren, Clare and the wider team. Over time, these women have become more than people I work with. They have become friends, mentors and an important part of my own cycling journey.
I have witnessed their talent firsthand: the patience required to examine the same garment repeatedly, the technical knowledge needed to understand why something is not sitting correctly and the creativity required to solve a problem without compromising performance.
Their work is a reminder that cycling is shaped by far more than the riders we see on the road. It is also shaped by the women behind the patterns, prototypes, fittings and final products—women whose knowledge, skill and attention to detail influence how riders feel every time they put on their kit.
Behind every finished piece is a chain of skilled people working across design and development, pattern making, garment construction, quality control and testing. Each person contributes a layer of expertise, and each stage depends on close collaboration with the next.
How Cycling Clothing is Tested Before It Reaches Riders
CIOVITA's in-house process allows those conversations to happen continuously. Feedback from a fitting does not simply disappear into a report. It becomes part of the next pattern, prototype and test. As a fit model, it is incredibly rewarding to see a comment or observation from one session appear as a physical change in the next garment.
The process also continues far beyond the fitting room.
A garment must perform on the road—in heat, wind, sweat and constantly changing riding positions. It must work with full pockets, repeated washing and long hours in the saddle. My responsibility is to test honestly and communicate clearly, not only about what works, but also about what could work better.
This has taught me to notice the smaller details. I now understand why one seam feels more comfortable than another, why a certain fabric works in specific conditions and why a well-positioned pocket can transform a ride. More importantly, I understand the care and collective effort behind those decisions.
The quality of a garment is rarely created by one dramatic breakthrough. It is built through hundreds of small, thoughtful choices made by people who care deeply about their work and the riders who will eventually wear it.
Finding My Place in the Cycling Community
My first campaign with CIOVITA introduced me to the brand. R&D allowed me to understand its people and process. The wider cycling community helped me find where I belong.
Saying yes to something I did not feel entirely prepared for brought me into a space I never imagined I would occupy, but one that now feels completely true to me.
Cycling has given me confidence, friendship and a sense of belonging. It has shown me what can happen when women create space for one another, share their knowledge and encourage each other to keep showing up.
I love this sport. I love this community. And I feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside the women helping shape what we wear while doing it.
I hope that, in understanding a little more about the hands, minds and care behind each garment, more women feel inspired to put on their kit, get on their bikes and find their own place in the cycling community too.
