FUTURUM | Serious Cycling Wear


Keep riding, the entire year. You can. Promise. In sustainable cycling clothing of superior quality. Good for the planet, good for you. We provide innovative premium quality cycling wear at a fair price. So, you decide. Are you going to join thousands of roadies, gravelers and mountainbikers?


Our sustainability goals and challenges

We are passionate cyclists. Either road, gravel or mountain, we all love being in nature. We struggle, we grind, we bleed, we fall and we get back up. Always minding our surroundings. Wherever we are in the world. It is our goal to protect nature and be an environmentally responsible business. This will always be our biggest challenge. So far we’ve come to the following achievements:

Continuous collection

A new collection every year? We do not play that game. We believe in high-quality clothing with a timeless design that exceeds trends.

Sustainable materials

Sustainability is the most important consideration in our product development. Products simply have to last a long time.

Life long warranty

Seriously? Yes, we are! We believe in quality and durable products that last longer than trends. So you can keep on riding. All year round.

Close to home production

Producing far from home at lower wages is cheap. We produce closer to home, for example in Italy or Portugal. Yes, this is at the expense of our profits, but it is of great benefit to the environment.

Merino

Merino wool is 100% biodegradable and has natural antibacterial properties that keep it fresh for a long time. And when you wash, you can do it cold. At 30 degrees. That also makes a difference. Many of our merino products already consist of at least 95% merino wool.

No plastics in our packaging

Since 2016, we have no longer been sending plastic in our packaging, but rather paper which we know has been obtained and processed in a sustainable manner. This has already saved more than 100,000 pieces of plastic packaging.

History - From an idea to a high-end clothing brand

How do you develop a cycling outfit step by step? Until ten years ago, FuturumShop could only answer this question in general terms. In the meantime, the cycling clothing industry has few, if any, secrets. With FUTURUM, FuturumShop set up its own clothing brand in 2014. Not with commerce but with sustainability as the main driving force. "There is a clear philosophy behind FUTURUM: the aim is to make cycling clothing items for the avid cyclist ever so slightly better than they are. And I mean especially more durable. We saw that the industry was not yet fulfilling this part optimally and that there was room for improvement. By taking it on yourself, you have more control. You have a better grip on what is happening in the chain of your clothing. Although that seems easier than it is, because you have to deal with many links, such as the producer, suppliers of fabrics, suppliers of yarns and transporters. You have to be on top of things," says Harmen van der Meulen, founder and owner of FuturumShop and FUTURUM.


At the offices of FUTURUM, sustainability is one of the hot topics of the moment. "As much as one third of the microplastics in the ocean come from our washing machines. That is why we want to make our clothes in Europe, close to home, from natural materials as much as possible instead of synthetic ones. If you work with high quality materials, there is less wear and tear. If the materials are from a natural source, there are no synthetic fibres coming loose in the washing machine," says Van der Meulen. "We are constantly working on all kinds of tests. For example, we are working on the development of a technology with which you can treat yarns to prevent them from being released. If our test succeeds, that will be the solution, of course." For exactly the same reasons, FUTURUM no longer develops clothing that contains fluorine components. "Many waterproof jackets have a coating which contains PFAS, or fluorine compound. This coating helps to protect the rain, but it does not help nature. In Norway, ski areas were polluted after cross-country skiers used wax containing PFAS on their skis. In our case, we don't want those fluorinated parts in the washing machine. 4 SEASONS, for example, is therefore water-repellent and PFAS-free. You often hear in the industry that there are no good alternatives. But if you're on top of things and have the will, you can be very progressive."

Product Development
It's all about the details

FUTURUM opts for the very best and most durable materials. We believe in the qualities of merino. The merino sheep is known all over the world for its wool quality as it has natural antibacterial properties and when it touches moisture, Lanoline is released and keeps the wool fresh for long period of time. An aditional advantage of merino is that it's fully biodegradable, leaving nothing behind in the environment after a relatively short period.

We are proud that we could add more and more products with 95% merino, because frequently sold base layers are made of plastic, polyester-like fabrics. When it is burnt, it is harmful to the environment and it also does not vanish when it is released in the environment. merino is 100% biodegradable. You can wash merino at only 30 degrees in the washing machine.

"95% merino baselayers? Most said it was impossible.
We simply did it."

You can choose to make products that look great, are highly functional, but break down after a few years so a customer will quickly buy another one. FUTURUM acts different and consciously chooses sustainability as the most important condition in our product development. Always. Products simply have to last a very long time. This is expressed in the choice for the right materials for cycling clothing, but also by adding extra reinforcements at strategic positions to decrease wear and tear. We rely on the durability of our products in such a way that we offer you a lifetime guarantee. In the end, even our product design supports this long-life approach. We focus on classic and functional design instead of chasing short-term trends.

#MYCHALLENGE

REACH THE TOP, beat a teammate or break your personal record - fight to accomplish your challenge. We are aware of your feelings. Whether it is the excruciating pain in your legs or the indescribable sense of fulfillment when the ride is over. You are a winner. FUTURUM rides with you.



high-end-cycling-clothing

From refugee to Olympic Champion

Cycling has been a throughline in the, otherwise tumultuous, life of Daniel Abraham. He grew up in Eritrea where cycling is the country’s number one sport. Like many young Eritreans, he fell in love with the freedom of being on a bike. But the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea changed everything: Daniel was forced to flee to the Netherlands at 15 years old where he found himself in a refugee camp.

Gradually Daniel established a life in the Netherlands and realized he’d found himself in a nation of cyclists. In between Dutch lessons he’d grab his bike and ride as long and far as he could. It was a way to deal with the frustrations and challenges of having his life uprooted.

"Like many young Eritreans, he fell in love with the freedom of being on a bike."

Fast forward to today and Daniel’s passion for cycling has now taken him to the very pinnacle of the sport. In 2021 he lined up at the UCI Para Road World Championships and the Paralympics in Tokyo in the colors of his adopted nation – the Netherlands – looking to add a third world title to his 2016 Paralympic gold. He succeeded with just three seconds to spare at the Worlds. At the Paralympics in Tokyo he powered away from the competition and recorded the fastest time, beating the first competitor by no less than 33 seconds, adding another gold medal to his list.

“The level is high in our category, therefore I know that the margins are always small. The TT was tough with strong winds and a technical course and I was nervous, focused on doing everything right. In Emmen, Netherlands in 2019 I lost the World Title on microseconds, I didn’t want that to happen again. Winning by such a small margin did make it extra emotional for me, and made me extra happy.” Daniel now uses his platform to support young cyclists in Eritrea in the hope of giving them the opportunities he craved.

“Cycling is a big sport in my home country Eritrea and also in Northern Ethiopia. Young refugees from Eritrea that land in Europe after a very tough journey through Libya and across the Mediterranean, are often passionate about the sport. I try to give them some support and help them to make cycling a motor for their further development and integration.”