Recently we had the chance to talk with Max Burgess, co-founder of Podia Cycling Club, a great cycling brand out of Kraków, Poland.

FGRG: I love your "slogan" I saw on the website, "Look good when you ride. Feel good when you ride. Ride." I feel it matches the motto we have, how important do you think feeling good is when you ride?

Podia: Personally I think it is really important. I can’t speak for everyone, but when I am out riding and feel like I am wearing something a bit different, something that nobody else has, something that speaks visually about who I am; I feel great. Equally when I feel good riding, I ride more – it’s a circle.

FGRG: Can you tell us a little bit about how you started out? Were you always into cycling fashion or not happy with existing products for example?

Podia: I actually worked in the television industry in London for more than a decade. I did an architecture degree during that time and then tried to make a switch, but it didn’t go according to plan. I was questioning what I really wanted out of life and the more unsure I was, the more I turned to the bike for answers. At some point I realised the bike was actually the answer.

My wife and I decided to move to her hometown of Kraków in Poland and start our own cycling brand. Podia began as a platform to capture the feelings I had discovering a new country through cycling. We created clothing to wear on rides and started getting requests to buy it.

It was quite a defining moment for me, people wanted to buy something I had designed, I am still pinching myself a bit. I am really excited about the 2016 ranges and I hope everyone else will be too!

FGRG: At the time of writing, all your jerseys are sold out (a good thing!) how hard is it to predict demand? Do you do a single run or do you keep producing products?

Podia: We came from a completely different world than fashion or cycle apparel and the first year was a huge learning curve for us. Trying to predict what will be popular and in which sizes seems like a form of black magic.

Last year we really only did single runs. The very first pre-order Club Colours Jersey was even labelled with a special ‘Original Edition’ logo on the back. We are growing to a point now where certain garments in our collections will become permanent items where others will be refreshed regularly.

FGRG: It is designed and produced in Poland, how involved are you with the design and production?

Podia: We actually have two ranges that differ according to where they are produced. We make the Club Range (last year the Club Colours Jersey, this year will be multiple jerseys and bib shorts) that is produced around Europe with some of the best manufacturers in the business. This is our premium range of garments. We also have the Training Range, that is produced in Poland.

When you start making cycling apparel there are many producers that will take your graphic and apply it to their styles. It’s often a stock cut and material which you can only customise graphically. This is something we started with early on, but it was very limiting for us. I always wanted to change something and improve it, but we were so small that the producers wouldn’t entertain it. Eventually we found a happy middle ground.

However, this year we are producing garments that are completely our creations. We had intended to launch both collections earlier in the year, but we really wanted everything to be right and that takes time; I’d rather release something a bit late and perfect than have regrets. The new Club Range has been a long process to get the right cut, and materials let alone new graphic designs, but I think it will be worth it.

It takes us time as we like to visit the factories and meet with the makers. We have actually covered a lot of ground around Europe in the past year by doing this, but for me that is all part of the fun of what we do.

FGRG: You gave a sneak peak on a women's jersey, your previous line was focussed on male sizing, what made you decide to go make a female version as well? Do things go differently in this process versus products for men?

Podia: Last year we heard from a lot of women about producing kit for them. Some were actually wearing our men’s jerseys because in actual fact, many other brands just take a male jersey and reduce the size; ‘pink it and shrink it’. I think that is starting to change because of demand, but there is still a way to go and many improvements in the industry still to happen.

It has actually been quite hard work getting the men’s kit to a place we are happy with and unfortunately women’s kit took a back seat. This year we will start our offer for women with one jersey and see how it goes. It is inevitable we will get feedback from it, and we are in such a good position to be able to act on that, like we did with the men’s kit.

FGRG: Can you give us a rundown of what goes on when you design new products? We love your color usage for example!

Podia: For the original Podia branding I worked with a friend I have known for a while called Marco Ammannati. He is an incredible designer who really helped to set us in the right direction.

I do much of the product design work myself. I have a sea of inspiration that I have collected over the years; studying architecture exposes you to so many different forms of great design and I am trying to bring some of that into cycle apparel in a very subtle way. This year for some new garments we have asked Marco to come back and help us out. He has brought a really nice fresh approach to what we do.

FGRG: I'm fascinated with your 'Ride Behind The Curtain' series in collaboration with Festka. Can you tell us a little bit about how this came about?

Podia: I met the guys from Festka when Podia was just an idea in a sketch-book. We talked a lot about moving to Eastern Europe and the bike world, so naturally they were the first ones I went to see when I moved. I think the two brands move in a very similar direction; Festka try hard to promote an image of the Czech Republic and we try to do the same with Poland.

Since I met my Polish wife, I have always been fascinated with Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. As someone who grew up in the UK, it is hard to comprehend what took place. The most interesting part is how this has affected the region, even now. Often, cities are pretty much the same all through Europe but as soon as you get into the countryside you can really see the difference between East and West.

Embracing the history of the region was a key part of the project. We try to visit places that wouldn’t be on people’s radar, but that actually might be a great place to cycle. Slovenia was a prime example of this and we are hoping to uncover more gem’s like that in 2016.

This year we start a new project called Podia Roadventures where we invite people to come and ride some of the places we have been exploring. The work we do for our New Roads articles around Poland and the Riding Behind the Curtain project really give us a good chance to find interesting places; now we want to invite people to visit them with us!

FGRG: Finally, as a cap fanatic, where are the caps!? ;-)

Podia: I know, they are coming. The caps are actually one of the products that Marco has helped us with! Expect something pretty 'out there’!

Thanks a lot for the interview Max! Be sure to check out Podia's website and instagram.

They have a spring sale this weekend so if you're interested and want to snag up some socks or accessories with free shipping, check out their shop!