Barbara's Founder Story
From starting over at 40 to creating cycling clothing for women
Birds on Bikes began with a simple frustration: founder Barbara Spooner could not find cycling clothing that made her feel comfortable, confident and like herself.
But the story behind the brand started long before Barbara got on a bike.
Creating a new beginning
Barbara was a full-time mum until she was 40.
After leaving her marriage, she found herself needing to create a new life and career. She completed a diploma in graphic design, but entering the industry at 40 without professional experience proved difficult.
Rather than waiting for someone else to give her an opportunity, Barbara created one for herself.
She started her own graphic design business and built it from the ground up, learning not only about design, but also branding, marketing, customer experience and the realities of running a small business.
It was a challenging beginning, but it taught her something that would shape everything that followed:
Sometimes the best solution is the one you create yourself.
The ride that changed everything
When Barbara met her now husband, he was already a cyclist.
She began riding with him and quickly discovered how much she enjoyed the freedom of being on a bike. What she did not enjoy was trying to find something comfortable to wear.
As a size 14, Barbara found that much of the available cycling clothing was either difficult to find in her size or made her feel tightly squeezed and self-conscious.
In her words, she felt like she had been:
“Squished in like a sausage.”
She wanted cycling clothing that was practical and supportive, but also flattering and stylish. She wanted to feel comfortable without feeling as though she had to look like a professional athlete to belong on a bike.
After searching and coming up disappointed, Barbara asked herself:
“How hard can this be?”
That question became the beginning of Birds on Bikes.
Learning as she went
Barbara did not come from a traditional cycling-apparel background.
What she did have was a designer’s eye, a lifelong familiarity with sewing and a strong instinct for solving practical problems.
She began researching fabrics, fit, padding and garment construction. She tested ideas, adjusted patterns and learned through both successes and mistakes.
Most importantly, she listened to women.
Their experiences helped shape Birds on Bikes into a brand focused on the things women repeatedly said they needed:
- Comfortable, supportive waistbands
- Women-specific padding
- Fits that work with curves
- Pockets large enough to be useful
- Seamless inside legs to reduce rubbing
- Garments that feel flattering, not restrictive
The brand grew from one woman trying to solve her own problem into a community of women who had experienced exactly the same frustration.
Designed for women—not adapted for them
Birds on Bikes was never intended to be a smaller version of men’s cycling clothing.
Barbara wanted women to be considered from the beginning of the design process.
That means thinking about how women’s bodies move, where garments need to offer support, how waistbands sit, how padding is positioned and how clothing makes someone feel when they put it on.
For Barbara, good design is not only about how something looks.
It is about whether it solves a problem, supports the person wearing it and helps them get on with enjoying their day.
Building Birds on Bikes in Brisbane
What began as an idea gradually developed into a women-focused cycling apparel brand with its own Brisbane studio and retail space.
Barbara remains closely involved in the design and development of the collection, working with the garments from the first idea through to fitting and production.
Being close to the making process allows Birds on Bikes to respond directly to customer feedback and continually improve the details that matter.
The journey has not always been smooth. Like many small Australian businesses, Birds on Bikes has faced production pressures, staffing challenges and the difficulty of balancing growth with local manufacturing.
But the purpose behind the brand has remained the same:
To help more women feel comfortable, confident and welcome on a bike.
More than cycling clothing
Barbara has never believed that cycling belongs to only one type of person.
Birds on Bikes is for women riding rail trails, exploring new places, commuting on e-bikes, joining cycling holidays, returning to exercise or simply heading out for a relaxed ride with friends.
Some customers are experienced riders. Others are buying their first pair of cycling pants before they have even bought their bike.
Every one of them belongs.
That inclusive view continues to shape the future of the brand.
The next chapter
Many Birds on Bikes customers are now travelling with their bikes, joining organised tours and building cycling into their holidays.
In the new year, Barbara plans to introduce a lifestyle range for the travelling cyclist, offering comfortable, practical clothing for both on and off the bike.
The vision is to create pieces women can wear while travelling, exploring, relaxing and moving between rides—without needing an entirely separate wardrobe.
It is a natural next step for a brand that has always been about more than performance.
It is about helping women feel comfortable wherever the journey takes them.
A note from Barbara
“I started Birds on Bikes because I wanted to enjoy cycling without feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious in what I was wearing.
What I discovered was that many other women felt exactly the same way.
Every message from a woman who has ridden further, returned to cycling or simply felt good in her clothing reminds me why this brand matters.
Birds on Bikes is for real women, real bodies and real rides—and I am so grateful to every woman who has become part of the journey.”
Barbara
