Northern California - Woodside High Cycling Club

Some fellow students and I have started a cycling club at our high school. It basically supports the bicycle culture of the school, while giving a club feel to the community. I had some questions if anyone knows any answers. What are the steps to gain sponsors as a club. What are some of the best custom team jersey makers. Does anyone have any good experiences with custom jerseys or sponsorships?
thanks
-Mac

Cheap, fast and easy to work with. Varying opinions on quality and fit though.
http://www.champ-sys.com

I think it would be pretty cool if you get a bunch of local businesses to support a high school cycling team. Roberts market and the bakery across the street must make a ton of money off of cyclists buying snacks. You just need to make the rounds and ask for donations. Maybe in return, you could give them some "We support Woodside Cycling" posters to hang in their windows.

cool idea

Some fellow students and I have started a cycling club at our high school. It basically supports the bicycle culture of the school, while giving a club feel to the community. I had some questions if anyone knows any answers. What are the steps to gain sponsors as a club. What are some of the best custom team jersey makers. Does anyone have any good experiences with custom jerseys or sponsorships?
thanks
-Mac

You need to ask yourself what YOU can do for your sponsor? Will you be racing? How often will your group be riding and where? Basically, how will you be advertising for them? And what kind of return can they expect from sponsoring you?

And if you plan to go to bike related shows, races, etc., tell them that you're willing to hand out fliers and coupons to their establishment and basically pimp yourself out for them.

Also, remember, sponsorship doesn't always mean handing you cash. They can offer goods and services or discounts in lieu of cash, which can be just as good.

Try and step into a sponsors shoes and see what you'd want from giving money to a bike club. Also, putting a portfolio together with the above info and possible jersey designs with the sponsor logo on it would be a nice touch. But be sure to tailor it to each specific sponsor. Don't make a generic one for everyone. You want to show that you took the time and effort to put this together for "their" company. Also, try to price out the amount of the sponsorship you are looking for and include the cost of jerseys and what exactly you will be doing with the sponorship dollars. Also, keep a good accounting record of the money going in and out once you get a sponsor so they know you aren't just using it for junk not essential to the team. (ie - buying a DA crank instead of using it to pay for entry fees into the local races)

Basically it's a resume and job interview so be professional and emphasize what your team can do for them, NOT the other way around!

And be sure to get ready for rejection and don't take it personally if you do get turned down.

And, hey, if you get rejected, don't be afraid to ask them why so you can learn to make your presentation better the next time. (ie - learn from your mistakes)

One last thing... use spell-check! I noticed a bunch of grammatical errors in my post already so don't make that mistake. You want to appear intelligent and organized as well.

I'm sure there is a ton of stuff I'm missing but hopefully this will put you on the right track.

Good luck!

Cheap, fast and easy to work with. Varying opinions on quality and fit though.
http://www.champ-sys.com

Their Jerseys are ok comfort wise. Not sure about durability as I just got mine. Bibs are crappy. They are too short, and some of the teams around here not too happy with quality.

Hey, MAC! Good for you. Are you planning a road cycling club, a mtn bike club, or a little of both? Either way, I would point you to the NorCal HS Mtn Bike League Website -- http://www.norcalmtb.org/. This is an organized league with 100s of students from all over northern ca & nevada and a fun race series in the winter/spring. Even if you don't plan to start a mtn bike team, there are lots of helpful resources on the norcal website that you might find useful for training, sponsorship, etc.

I founded/coached a high school team (in addition to Velo Girls) and would be happy to advise you as you get set up. Just send me an email to Lorri@velogirls.com

http://www.bikeatac.com/semicustom/semi-custom.html

Seen some of their work, doesn't look bad. Not sure on price or lead time.

Hey, MAC! Good for you. Are you planning a road cycling club, a mtn bike club, or a little of both? Either way, I would point you to the NorCal HS Mtn Bike League Website -- http://www.norcalmtb.org/. This is an organized league with 100s of students from all over northern ca & nevada and a fun race series in the winter/spring. Even if you don't plan to start a mtn bike team, there are lots of helpful resources on the norcal website that you might find useful for training, sponsorship, etc.

I founded/coached a high school team (in addition to Velo Girls) and would be happy to advise you as you get set up. Just send me an email to Lorri@velogirls.com

It's good to see a local semi-celebrity posting here. :):beer: