[westernpenna]

I was looking for opinions on sponsorship. Do any of you want to be sponsored but are not? If you have a sponsor how did you obtain it? What are some negative and positive asspects of sponsorship? If there is anything else you would like to throw in thats cool to. I just need this information for a paper I am writing, any help will be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Jeremy

 

[McT]

I talked to Rich and Gary Houseman about sponship last weekend... Kinda showed me another side of it then just racing your guts out.

I'm sponsored by my bike shop and a grassroots deal with Specialized for XC racing. I'm more than likely going to stop racing for a while, and just ride street and Dj's, which is what i've been doing for the past year.

The only real reason i would have to get sponsored is to help promote mtb street/park/and DJ riding down here where there is very very little. I'm probably not *good* enough to get sponsored by any major companies yet, but I cant ever see myself not riding for the next 10 years, so If there comes a time when I need or think i should have one, i'll look into it.

Being sponsored is kinda like a job. If your looking into what I am, you might not have to race as often as you can, but go to as many events and ride and hangout. I'd probably go to a bunch of BMX events aswell as MTB ones to get the word spreading. Some companies now are just wanting more soul riders that go to jams and are just nice cool people to hang out with.

 

[manziman]

Clif bar will sponsor anyone as long as you take pics of yourself at the finish line of events wearing a clif bar jersey...

 

[McT]

Clif bar will sponsor anyone as long as you take pics of yourself at the finish line of events wearing a clif bar jersey...

Free clif bars?

 

[Carbon Fetish]

I am the sponsorship chair for UC Irvine Cycling and I am intern for Crank Brothers.

There are various levels of sponsorship. Pro and some semi pro riders get free swag, so if you are not one don't expect it. Most of us mortals just get “pro deal” pricing which is typically around wholesale pricing. The timing window to send sponsorship proposals for the next season is normally from September through December. Don’t send them before or after because they will end up in the trash. Include a racing resume with your letter of the past racing seasons.

 

[blue]

Yeah...Hence is the reason why you might be better off getting sponsored by your LBS with a deal where they give you ish at cost. Don't expect free crap unless you're semi or pro.

 

[DVNT]

I talked to Rich and Gary Houseman about sponship last weekend... Kinda showed me another side of it then just racing your guts out.

I'm sponsored by my bike shop and a grassroots deal with Specialized for XC racing. I'm more than likely going to stop racing for a while, and just ride street and Dj's, which is what i've been doing for the past year.

The only real reason i would have to get sponsored is to help promote mtb street/park/and DJ riding down here where there is very very little. I'm probably not *good* enough to get sponsored by any major companies yet, but I cant ever see myself not riding for the next 10 years, so If there comes a time when I need or think i should have one, i'll look into it.

Being sponsored is kinda like a job. If your looking into what I am, you might not have to race as often as you can, but go to as many events and ride and hangout. I'd probably go to a bunch of BMX events aswell as MTB ones to get the word spreading. Some companies now are just wanting more soul riders that go to jams and are just nice cool people to hang out with.

How did you get into the spesh grassroutes program? Did you have to go through your LBS and ask them to submit it for you? Just curious how that works.

 

[dh girlie]

I was looking for opinions on sponsorship. Do any of you want to be sponsored but are not? If you have a sponsor how did you obtain it? What are some negative and positive asspects of sponsorship? If there is anything else you would like to throw in thats cool to. I just need this information for a paper I am writing, any help will be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Jeremy

I just can't pass this one up...I'm sorry...but I just couldn't...

The most important thing to remember while being sponsored is...should you receive a hoody from your sponsor...do everything you can to find out if your sponsor actually sent it before calling and thanking them for it. You'll be very sorry if you don't.

 

[JRB]

I just can't pass this one up...I'm sorry...but I just couldn't...

The most important thing to remember while being sponsored is...should you receive a hoody from your sponsor...do everything you can to find out if your sponsor actually sent it before calling and thanking them for it. You'll be very sorry if you don't.

Man it pisses me off when I totally miss an oppurtunity. I would like to add. Once you are sponsored and you slip through the cracks and remain sponsored, follow Lisa's advice and you may be sponsored forever, even if you have stopped racing. It is rare that you are sponsored forever, so make sure you don't expose yourself by a stupid phone call.

 

[dh girlie]

Yeah...Hence is the reason why you might be better off getting sponsored by your LBS with a deal where they give you ish at cost. Don't expect free crap unless you're semi or pro.

Exactly...and if you don't like the pro deals they offer you...politely decline, and don't talk smack about it to ANYONE.

I helped out with grass roots sponsorship at Bell, and a group of girls that had no resumes, no previous racing under their belts, that were racing in beginner and sport class were asking for helmets. This was back in the mid 90's when Bellistic full faces were like 400 bucks. Anyway, I thought it was cool that there were a bunch of chicks wanting to race dh so I offered em half off on the bellistics, which technically, they were not eligible for it.

Anyway, I was doing my first race at the Nationals at Big Bear...and I'm on the lift with these girls and they are like are you sponosored by bell...and I was like yeah...and they were like they suck! They wanted 200 bucks for helmets! I was like ohhhhh you're the 'insert team name here'. I was like how the hell can you expect free helmets when you have no resumes and y'all're a bunch of beginners??? You're lucky you got that! bishes!

 

[DVNT]

I don't know what it's like anywhere else, but in the XC scene here you'll see people in the beginner / sport cat. with sponsors.
It just seems odd to me, everyone should pay their dues and work to the point where they get free / discounted swag. Unless I'm missing something like they are all sponsored roadies just starting XC racing for the 3rd year in a row.
Of course GAP is well known for it's sandbaggers, just don't bring it up on the SORBA forum....

 

[manziman]

Free clif bars?

I don't think so...