Originally Posted by
hmbatrail
I can only speak for how I've handled it up to this point. I have sponsored a cross team for six seasons. Team size for any given year is around 5-7 racers. All of the racers are given complete bikes up front and they are free to ride and race them all the time. But, the bikes are mine. If you leave the team, if you relocate, if things don't work out, etc the bike comes back to me. I always make sure up front EVERY question and expectation is sorted because it is a difficult bell to un-ring later on. The vetting process of potential racers is not taken lightly.
I also make sure racers on my bikes are at all the races and are there all day. No one is allowed to swoop in an hour before their race and then are back on the road an hour later. Racers are there all day from first race to last race. The presence of the team has yielded far more interest and attention than the actual bikes. But sponsoring a cross team has sold me more bikes than any other marketing/advertising venture I have done to date.
So my advice: If you want to build the team bikes then go for it. But make 100% sure you are comfortable with who the people are riding your bike. If they aren't ambassadors to the sport and your brand then it is wasted money.
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