The intersection of high-performance athletics and environmental stewardship has found a new visual expression through the release of a limited-edition collaboration between Protect Our Winters (POW) and the sustainable hydration brand Bivo. This partnership, centered around a uniquely designed stainless steel water bottle, features the creative work of professional gravel cyclist and POW Bike Alliance member Sarah Sturm. The project represents a confluence of Sturm’s dual identities as a world-class athlete and a trained artist, aiming to shift the narrative of climate activism from one of apprehension to one of joy and community engagement.
The Genesis of a Creative Collaboration
The design process for the POW x Bivo bottle did not originate in a traditional studio setting. Instead, Sarah Sturm utilized her primary environment—the saddle of her bicycle—as the space for conceptual development. Sturm, who has spent nearly a decade competing at the highest levels of professional gravel racing, noted that the long hours required for endurance training provided the necessary mental space for brainstorming.
Sturm’s professional trajectory has been defined by a transition from the arts to the podium. Before becoming a household name in the gravel scene, Sturm was a student of art and design. As her racing career accelerated, particularly with the rise of the gravel discipline over the last nine years, her creative pursuits were largely relegated to the background. This collaboration with Bivo and POW served as a pivotal moment for Sturm to reintegrate her artistic background with her current platform as a professional athlete.
The design itself is rooted in traditional mediums. Eschewing digital-first tools, Sturm began with pencil and paper, filling sketchbooks with motifs inspired by the natural world and the mechanical elements of her sport. The final artwork features a sophisticated blend of textiles and bold shapes. Flower petals are intricately woven into lettering, botanical blooms morph into the geometry of bicycle wheels, and an abstract cyclist is depicted with a crown of flowers. This imagery was chosen specifically to evoke a sense of "lightness" in a space—climate advocacy—that is often dominated by heavy or polarizing rhetoric.
Technical Specifications and the Cylindrical Canvas
Designing for a water bottle presents unique structural challenges that differ significantly from flat-surface art. Sturm had to account for the cylindrical nature of the Bivo bottle, recognizing that the artwork would rarely be seen in its entirety from a single vantage point.
"The movement of the canvas is kind of fun because when it’s in the cage, only one side will show from one vantage point," Sturm noted during the design phase. This led to a "continuous theme" approach, where the bottle can be viewed as multiple individual pieces of art or a singular, wrapping narrative.
The choice of Bivo as a partner was also a deliberate one based on technical and environmental standards. Bivo, founded by outdoor enthusiasts Carina Hamel and Robby Ringer, gained prominence in the cycling industry for developing the first performance-focused stainless steel water bottle with a high-flow nozzle. Unlike traditional plastic "bidons" used in professional cycling, which are often discarded or contribute to microplastic consumption, Bivo’s products are designed for longevity and a reduced environmental footprint.
The Growth of the POW Bike Alliance
The collaboration is a cornerstone project for the POW Bike Alliance, a specialized branch of Protect Our Winters. Founded in 2007 by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, POW initially focused on the snow sports community. However, as the impacts of climate change became increasingly visible across all seasons, the organization expanded its reach to include "the Outdoor State"—a demographic of 50 million people who participate in outdoor recreation.
The Bike Alliance was formed to mobilize the cycling community, ranging from road and mountain bikers to gravel racers like Sturm. The alliance leverages the influence of professional riders to advocate for non-partisan climate policies at the federal and state levels. Sturm’s involvement in the alliance highlights a growing trend among professional athletes who are no longer content with mere sponsorship-driven roles but are seeking active participation in systemic change.
Background: The Environmental Stakes for the Cycling Industry
The release of this collaboration comes at a critical time for the outdoor recreation industry. According to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2% ($563.7 billion) of current-dollar GDP in recent years. Cycling is a significant driver of this economy, yet it is uniquely vulnerable to climate shifts.
Increased frequency of wildfires in the American West, where many major gravel races are held, has led to race cancellations and hazardous air quality for athletes. Furthermore, extreme heat waves are shortening the viable windows for long-distance endurance events. By partnering with athletes like Sturm, organizations like POW aim to protect the geographical regions—high deserts, mountain passes, and forest corridors—that form the infrastructure of the sport.
The shift toward stainless steel vessels like those produced by Bivo also addresses a specific environmental issue within the peloton. In professional road racing, it is estimated that thousands of plastic bottles are used and discarded during a single Grand Tour. While fans often collect these as souvenirs, many end up as waste. The promotion of high-quality, reusable steel alternatives is a small but symbolic step toward a circular economy within the sport.
Analysis: The Psychology of Joyful Activism
One of the most striking aspects of Sturm’s design is its intentional avoidance of "polarizing" or "alarmist" imagery. Sturm expressed a desire to create something that people would "enjoy" using, serving as a "nice little reminder to protect what you love."
This approach aligns with emerging psychological research regarding climate communication. Studies have shown that while fear-based messaging can capture attention, it often leads to "climate fatigue" or "eco-anxiety," which can result in disengagement. Conversely, "joy-based" or "affinity-based" activism focuses on the positive aspects of what is being protected—such as the beauty of a mountain trail or the community found in a group ride. By centering the design on flowers and "lightness," Sturm and POW are betting on the idea that positive reinforcement is a more sustainable motivator for long-term advocacy.
Chronology of the Project Development
The timeline of the POW x Bivo collaboration reflects a deliberate pace aimed at quality over mass production:
- Conceptualization (Mid-2023): Initial discussions between POW and Bivo regarding a signature athlete-designed bottle.
- Design Phase (Late 2023 – Early 2024): Sarah Sturm begins "bike-brainstorming" and sketching during her training blocks in Durango, Colorado.
- Prototyping (Spring 2024): Bivo works on transferring Sturm’s hand-drawn pencil sketches onto the stainless steel surface, ensuring the wrap-around design maintains its integrity.
- Photography and Campaigning (May 2024): Photographer Gretchen Powers captures Sturm in her element, bridging the gap between her identity as a racer and her identity as a creator.
- Public Launch (August 2024): The bottle is released to the public, with a portion of the proceeds designated for POW’s advocacy efforts.
Broader Implications for Athlete Identity
For Sturm, the project was as much about personal reclamation as it was about environmentalism. In the hyper-competitive world of professional sports, athletes are often pressured to maintain a singular focus on performance metrics. Sturm’s admission that her art had "fallen by the wayside" as her career got more serious is a sentiment shared by many professionals in high-pressure fields.
"It’s nice to remember that we’re all really busy and we all wear a lot of hats," Sturm said. "It’s also okay to focus back on other parts of your life that you’ve missed."
This sentiment reflects a broader cultural shift in the athletic world toward "multi-hyphenate" identities. Modern athletes are increasingly seen as creators, activists, and entrepreneurs, using their platforms to humanize the professional sporting experience. By embracing "imperfection" and "creative thinking" over "athletic perfectionism," Sturm provides a model for how athletes can maintain longevity and mental well-being throughout their careers.
Conclusion and Availability
The POW x Bivo bottle, designed by Sarah Sturm, is currently available through the Protect Our Winters online shop. Each purchase is structured to support POW’s ongoing mission to influence climate policy and protect outdoor spaces. As the cycling community continues to grapple with its environmental impact, collaborations of this nature serve as both a functional tool for sustainability and a visual manifesto for a more hopeful approach to activism.
Through the lens of Sarah Sturm’s art, the message is clear: protecting the planet is not just a duty born of fear, but an act of love for the places that provide joy, challenge, and a sense of belonging.
