Lenka & Peto in French Retro and Lesca frames
The Velits couple met through cycling. Their paths first crossed just before Peto's departure for the Tour de France. Today you can find them both at Isadore in Bratislava's Pradiareň, which also serves as home base for a close-knit community of passionate cyclists.
31. May 2024, Author: Barbara Leschingerová, Photo: Jakub Čaprnka
The idea for Isadore was born about 11 years ago, when brothers Peter and Martin were fully immersed in their professional careers. As entrepreneurial newcomers, they first drew up a plan that eventually became a cycling apparel business. The brothers found inspiration for the company name in the repertoire of the rock band Incubus, which they listened to a lot back then. These days, Peto focuses on strategy and gathering insights that push the company forward.
Before Isadore, Peto was fully dedicated to professional cycling. He remembers it as a demanding period that existed outside the normal way of life.
"Being a professional athlete is physically and mentally demanding, but you really focus on just one single thing. In many ways it was a simpler life, but already during my career, my brother and I started to realize it was a kind of bubble that didn't push us forward anywhere beyond the sport. For me it was a beautiful experience and professional sport definitely shaped me as a person."
Lenka has been working at Isadore for seven years – currently in the custom kit program they launched two years ago. With a team of designers, she works to fulfill all the requests of customers from different corners of the world. You can see personalized Isadore jerseys mainly on cyclists in Slovakia, but also in Tokyo or America.
Maybe that's why Lenka's big dream is to travel to Japan and experience the local culture. Besides their love of cycling, she and Peto are united by two children, whom they've been raising to be active in sports from an early age.
Lenka found in ZITA a stylish companion for everyday wear and cultural events, which she enjoys attending with family and friends. She admires the timeless elegance and comfortable material of French Retro frames, which she can wear all day long.
"Choosing glasses is quite a challenging activity for me. They have to appeal to me in shape, color, and they have to make the right first impression when I put them on. I usually reach for more timeless designs that reflect my lifestyle."
It was Lenka who brought Peto to ZITA. When choosing frames, he expected a quick process without unnecessary persuasion, which our optician delivered. With Lenka's support, he left with French frames by Lesca, which emphasize clean lines and handcrafted production.
At Isadore you'll find not only cycling apparel but also a community center, created as a meeting place for cycling enthusiasts. Throughout the year they organize or host various events, workshops, and special rides. The cycling community in Slovakia grows year after year. Small clubs are emerging in many Slovak regions, coming to Bratislava to become part of a larger cycling community. They couldn't ask for a better place to build community than the airy spaces of Pradiareň.
Lenka and Peto, thank you for building the cycling community in Slovakia!
"We don't want to claim it's our community. We're open to all groups, whether larger or smaller, and we're happy when they use our Hub. That's exactly the idea behind opening it in Pradiareň – so different people can meet there, but mainly so they can enjoy cycling together." – former professional cyclist, Peto from Isadore.
