Originally Posted by
mike868y
It's funny, maybe it is because I come from a motocross background, but I can't believe how much some local cyclists expect out of a team. When you get sponsored by a shop in MX, getting 20% off retail or 5-10% over cost and a good deal on a bike is basically all you get. I couldn't imagine wanting a free kit or free swag, it is all about who runs the shop and who you want to hang out with at the races.
The thought of getting a free kit or free stuff when I joined my team for next season never even crossed my mind.It just so happened that some of my favorite people to ride with were joining the team and the guy who started it invited me to the first team meeting.
It's not about the swag, its about the people and the atmosphere...
+1. I used to race go-karts back in the day. Less than 1% of the kids out there were sponsored, so pretty much, we got d*ck. If you could pull a sponsor, it was never an industry sponsor, and to get one in the industry, you had to have Fittipaldi or Andretti as your last name. Getting any percentage off of anything was unheard of.
Now I'm looking at free bikes, enough free clothes to last me a week and a half without washing and enough rubber for Vietnam to feel a pinch.