"PRO" Cycling Discussion

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

Moderators: robbosmans, Moderator Team

dereksmalls
Posts: 2305
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: New Zealand

by dereksmalls

Not strictly pro racing talk but Steve Hed has passed away http://www.bikerumor.com/2014/11/26/steve-hed-pioneer-of-the-aero-carbon-wheel-has-passed-away/

Oh and a 5th positive for Astana, new generation cleaner - my arse!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fedosseyev-is-fifth-doping-case-for-astana-organisation

pastronef
Posts: 1640
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:33 am
Location: Asti, ITALIA

by pastronef

KWalker wrote:Look at some of the sponsors as well. Coors sells beer when people watch football. No one went out and bought a Belkin router because they're such a big Gesink fan. I wouldn't buy a Nissan because Lance rode with their logo on his jersey.

Americans have consumerism nailed.


I bought a Garmin Edge, a Giro helmet, a Sram group and a Cervelo frame in 2011 because of the Garmin team.
I bought 2 pair of Bonts because I saw them being worn by pro racers and wanted to try and liked them
I did buy a Belkin router
I bought a Kask helmet

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



KWalker
Posts: 5722
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:30 pm
Location: Bay Area

by KWalker

Yes, but you're clearly different than a normal person watching cycling on TV as you post on a board dedicated to bike tech. I'm talking about the average person that might watch 1 or 2 Tour stages a year, or might hear that a race is near their town and go out and watch it. The casual fans. Its not absolute, but I don't think sponsors have even close to the ROI that those of other sports have. A 30 second SuperBowl commercial can cost more than the highest paid rider in cycling and generate more interest in a product for a big company.
Don't take me too seriously. The only person that doesn't hate Froome.
Gramz
Failed Custom Bike

User avatar
kbbpll
Posts: 494
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:56 am

by kbbpll

It will always be a professional sport that is supported only by people who have actually bike raced at least a little bit
When the USA Pro Challenge came through my area a couple years ago and probably around a hundred thousand people were out on the roads, I can guarantee that very few of them ever participated in a single race. I understand your sentiment, but it's a bit overstated.

@KWalker - my neighbor watches and tapes every TdF stage, every year. He doesn't even own a bike, let alone ride one. Perhaps he is an anomaly (I don't think so). Personally I think the ROI is probably pretty good relative to spectacles like the Super Bowl. If we want to anecdotally make that kind of comparison, I can't think of a single product that I purchased based on a Super Bowl ad.

User avatar
ave
Posts: 2136
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:15 pm
Location: Hungary

by ave

>A 30 second SuperBowl commercial can cost more than the highest paid rider in cycling and generate more interest in a product for a big company.
I think there are about 15 of these commercials in the WHOLE YEAR.

gravity
Posts: 657
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:01 am

by gravity

AG2R LaMondiale reported to have an exposure that is worth 10 times than the amount invested in the team. That's quite a bargain.

olebole
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:42 pm

by olebole

jim in pc wrote:
In short, run it like an american sport


FTFY

Herb5998
Posts: 327
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:24 am

by Herb5998

while there are some good takeaways from some American Professional Sports, the biggest one is the fact that that really there are only two elements that control the sport, the players (represented by a union/association) and the owners (whose interests are represented by the league office). There is a collective bargaining agreement that covers everything from player salary, conduct, media interaction, revenue sharing among teams and safety (does anyone think that Worldtour teams could ever be this organized?) While some of this is good, it also causes problem, in the end, there isn't a magic bullet solution.

In cycling there is the race organizer as well, so when you add that in, it creates multiple problems that prevent a streamlined approach to a schedule. Yes, things could be better, but getting all parties in the same room and forcing a solution/compromise is the big first step.

beswiss
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:02 pm

by beswiss

Patrick Lefevere (OPQS) also spoke about making the races more interesting to watch by using more onboard cameras and audio, both on the riders as in the cars. This is an idea I quite like. He was talking about the shouting etc in the sprint preparation.

On buying products because a brand (eg QuickStep or Belkin) sponsors a cycling team: these brands probably spend max 8m EUR per year for a few years but in markets such as Belgium, the Netherlands these names will ring a bell to many consumers for at least ten years. So stepping into a shop which sells routers or floors, there will always be people who think, that might be a decent brand because I know their name, or they were able to sponsor one of the big cycling teams.
C'dale SuperSix Evo Sram Red, Cube Agree GTC Race SL, Granville MTB XT

User avatar
Rick
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:30 pm

by Rick

I still select 7-11 over competing convenience stores just because I remember their cycling sponsorship.
If I needed a new router I would give a favorable look at Belkin. Etc
I think sponsorship does generate business, it is just that cycling does not generate much business.

I even tried to patronize radio Shack....but their products, prices, and service were just too consistently crappy to tolerate! :)

wingguy
Posts: 4318
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

beswiss wrote:Patrick Lefevere (OPQS) also spoke about making the races more interesting to watch by using more onboard cameras and audio, both on the riders as in the cars. This is an idea I quite like. He was talking about the shouting etc in the sprint preparation.


ASO (and other organisers) would be crazy if they weren't looking at live bike camera feeds as the next thing to incorporate into TV coverage. I'm sure there are some technical challenges but it would take viewer involvement to another level.

User avatar
micky
Posts: 5765
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:57 pm
Location: Vicenza
Contact:

by micky

Me no like it but supposed to be easier to spot.

Image

petepeterson
Posts: 1402
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 6:58 am
Location: 604

by petepeterson

Love the foot locker reference!

Not my favorite but at least it's something different.

dereksmalls
Posts: 2305
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: New Zealand

by dereksmalls


by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



User avatar
Tinea Pedis
Posts: 8615
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:08 am
Contact:

by Tinea Pedis

That new MTN kit is terrific.

But then, I am a Juventus fan so...

Locked