Passions and ideas are not born overnight and neither are the products set to launch on Kickstarter this October! It's been quite a journey for Ringo and as he gears up towards the launch while supported by a community of cyclists and his trusty team, we sat down with him to understand how all of this began and what Colligo is set up to achieve.
Q: Hey Ringo, let’s start from the beginning, what position does cycling have in your life?
A: A really important one, I feel that cycling has always been a part of my life. I got my first bike at the age of 4 and I think I’ve loved it from the start, since then I’ve always had a bike, it just changed and evolved along with my height.
Ringo’s recollection of his childhood memories is mirrored with a fond smile on his face as we dive deeper into his passion for cycling.
Ringo at 4 years old, and Ringo now.
Q: Did you enjoy riding solo or is cycling a group activity to you?
A: Initially I was always more of a solo rider, because it was a form of commute and exercise, and riding solo made it easy for me to ride in my own style and way, but that changed after COVID-19 hit. I think many of us really started to value the importance of having a community to connect with, and just have fun together during a time where everyone felt so separate.
Through my rides with various cycling groups I really started to see the power of community voice and discussions, and more importantly, the fact that there are many ways the cycling lifestyle can be made more convenient, but no one is actively coming up with solutions.
Q: Would you then say that Colligo Collective is trying to learn about problems and solve them?
A: Good question. I think that’s what many people will think, but no we don’t intend to ask for problems directly. I believe in communicating, learning problems indirectly, and offering solutions for people to try. A lot of the time it's only when a solution is presented that we see the problem that was always there. We aim to make products based on community discussions, that make life easier, and make you think ‘there is no way no one has thought of this’ - we will be the ones to create it.
Q: Creating solutions for hidden problems is quite unique, so how would you describe the colligo collective in 2 lines?
A: To keep it simple, the colligo collective is all about bringing together cyclists from around the world who share a genuine love for the sport to share their thoughts, and co-create solutions that need to be explored.
Q: Who do you think would be eager to join the collective?
A: I think anyone who’s been riding for a good amount of time, and wants to be an active contributor will see the value of the colligo collective. It doesn’t matter how fast or far you can ride, it’s really about loving the sport and the lifestyle.
Q: What can new members of the colligo collective expect?
A: One of the best parts about being part of the collective, is knowing that the products created have 100% approval from the community because it is born out of YOUR ideas. There is this guarantee that other cyclists recognize the value of the products and have been a part of its creation, and direct contributors will get products for free!
Q: The future is quite exciting for the colligo collective, is there anything else you would like to highlight?
A: It is very exciting and it’s been awesome to see it all come together with our growing community. The first set of community-backed products will be launching in October and we can’t wait to have more members on board to transform the cycling experience.
