PARIA Inspiring the Cycling Lifestyle around the Community.

PARIA is redefining cycling culture through a blend of sport, fashion and community. Source sat down with founder Sam to discus the brand’s origins, values and evolution beyond traditional cycling.

How did the brand come about?

PARIA was born in Leeds as a reaction to traditional cycling culture. I’ve always felt that there’s a gap between the cycling world and the worlds of fashion, music, skateboarding and streetwear that I connected with. A lot of cycling brands felt overly serious and overly polished. Everything centred around performance and marginal gains instead of culture.

PARIA was created for people who love movement and sport but don’t necessarily identify with the stereotypical “cyclist” image. The name reflects that outsider mentality. It’s about individuality, creativity and community rather than elitism. Over time the brand has evolved beyond cycling into a wider lifestyle and ath-leisure space spanning riding, running, coffee culture, events and community.

What are the key values behind the brand?

At the heart of PARIA is individuality, creativity and community. We actively avoid following trends. Whether through products, campaigns, events or retail spaces, we want things to feel distinctive and emotionally engaging. Community is central to everything we do. Group rides, run clubs, events and collaborations all exist to bring people together in real life, not just digitally.

Music, skateboarding, independent fashion, rave culture and outsider subcultures heavily motivate and inspire us. Furthermore, PARIA has grown organically through authentic connection rather than large marketing budgets. People connect with its honesty and independence.

Please take us through your current line.

PARIA now spans technical performance wear and lifestyle apparel. Our cycling collection includes jerseys, bib shorts, gilets, outerwear, accessories and custom team kit. Performance fabrics and functionality sit alongside styles influenced more by streetwear and independent fashion. Our running collection includes technical tops, race shorts, running caps and more relaxed “park run” inspired pieces, all carrying the same PARIA aesthetic.

Meanwhile we’ve developed a growing ath-leisure collection including graphic tees, hoodies, sweats, fleeces, caps and casual outerwear. We see PARIA less as a cycling brand and more as a cultural movement connected to creativity and community.

How does customer feedback influence your product development?

Customer feedback is hugely important because PARIA is built closely with its community. A lot of our best ideas and refinements come from conversations on rides, in the coffee shop or through direct interaction online.

From a technical perspective we’re constantly refining fit, fabrics and functionality. Equally important though is understanding what people connect with. People don’t just buy PARIA because of performance. They buy what the brand represents socially and creatively, this heavily influences future collections and collaborations.

Tell us about your annual Paperboy Ride, Run and Rave event.

PAPERBOY is probably the purest expression of the PARIA brand. What started as a grassroots cycling event has evolved into a cultural day combining riding, running, music, coffee, food, beer and community. The ethos is simple: Ride. Run. Rave.

The event attracts people from across the UK and increasingly internationally. What makes it different is that it feels more like a festival than a sporting event. You’ll have serious riders alongside people who are there purely for the atmosphere and community. That inclusivity is incredibly important to us.

For 2026 we’re celebrating the 10th edition and expanding further into running with dedicated 10K and 20K runs alongside the ride.

How has your coffee/bakery shop helped in the development of the brand?

PARIA Coffee and NOT Bakery have become hugely important in the evolution of the brand because they’ve created a real-world home for the community. Rather than existing purely online, people can physically experience PARIA and become part of the culture around it.

These spaces have also introduced PARIA to entirely new audiences outside traditional cycling, creating a crossover between sport, coffee, fashion and lifestyle culture that feels very natural and authentic.

What new products are you most excited about?

One of the biggest areas of excitement is continuing to blur the line between technical performance wear and lifestyle apparel. We’re developing products that feel equally relevant on a ride, a run, in a café or as everyday wear. We’re also excited about the development of our running category and the “Bad at Sports” movement, which approaches sport in a more inclusive way.

Why should retailers stock PARIA?

Because PARIA offers something genuinely different within modern sporting and lifestyle retail.We blend sport, fashion, culture and community, attracting customers who may not traditionally engage with performance-focused sporting brands. For retailers that means distinctive products, strong storytelling, loyal community-driven customers and authenticity.