For nearly as long as the activity has existed, biking has been a male-dominated industry. On all fronts ? R&D, engineering, testing, graphics and marketing ? the percentage of women actually involved in the product development process has been minimal at best.

Three years ago, in the spirit of Title IX ? the landmark 1972 legislation that gave women equality in college athletics ? K2's Ski division introduced a women's-specific ski collection that was driven from concept to execution by a carefully selected group of women skiers.

Now it is K2 Bike's turn to make this same commitment to women bikers. To make sure that the T:Nine bike line is authentic, K2 has recruited a team of 5 women bikers, each representing a key demographic within women's biking. Called the Alliance Team, these women are responsible for providing direction in all areas of bike development as well as determining the marketing direction for the T:Nine collection.