We had the good fortune of connecting with Nick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had begun making prototype bicycle saddles while I was completing my doctoral studies and I had offered my design to a large saddle company. The owner of that company told me to go start my own company, so that’s what I chose to do. I’ve been passionate about the idea of making my own bike parts for over thirty years, and I’ve especially been passionate about bike saddles due to the comfort or discomfort they can create while riding a bike.

It ended up that a traditional academic track and a corporate path were shut off to me due to being autistic – my efforts to chart a traditional life trajectory required the right to belong, and as is the case for many autistic people, being assessed as not a good fit is a significant barrier. Some estimates show that 90% of autistic adults with college degrees are unemployed.

So, my company has taken on a different meaning for me; one of survival and also possible freedom.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Wove is quickly becoming recognized as one of the best bike saddle companies in the world, and this recognition is in line with the brand we are working to establish. The world’s top pro triathletes ride our bike saddle and next year, the world’s best gravel cyclist will be on our product, and in 2026 the world’s best Grand Tour cyclists will be on our saddles.

One of the largest challenges to establishing Wove has been the reality that as an autistic person, I haven’t had a safety net while building this company: no family to provide support let alone financial assistance, and an inability to rely on the safety of a 9-5 job. It has been incredibly precarious every step of the way and the journey is not over.

After shipping our product for over a year and a half, I was able to turn to my customer base and raise the additional capital Wove needs to take our next step in manufacturing and marketing, so the hard work is paying off and safety seems in sight – I’m very confident that this company will thrive in the coming years.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would rent them an ebike so they can tag along with me on a long bike ride. We’d grab some coffee and pastries at Moxie Bakery on N Broadway, and then head up Magnolia Rd outside of Boulder to Peak to Peak Hwy, onto Coal Creek Canyon and up and over Wondervu and up Twin Spruce and back to Nederland for coffee, then Ward and back to Boulder for a dip in Boulder Creek. Dinner at Bramble and Hare or Corrida.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I began working with David Simmons of Simmons Racing custom full carbon cycling shoes in 2015. David made hundreds of bike saddle prototypes and experimented endlessly for years to create what is currently the lightest most well padded bike saddle ever created; it is the highest quality bike saddle ever to exist. He did all of this prototyping at no cost to me, paying for the materials and giving thousands of hours of his time. He did all of this because he wanted to see me succeed.

Matthew Vailliencourt has been working with me since 2018 and has dedicated himself to my company and taken an ownership mentality in making sure Wove succeeds.

Website: https://wovebike.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/wovebike

Image Credits
Nate Castner @mtn_techne

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