MiniLance

I need some help I am making flyers to pass out at school to promote my start of my High School's own cycling team.
I need some ideas to put in the flyers to tell them about the team and what we will be doing and what to do to get them interested into it.
Any advice is helpful
Thanks

oneradtec

Have a screening of the movie 'The hard Road' by Jamie Paolinetti. That's a great introduction to cycling. Invite them over for a screening. Talk to those on the cross country team too.

MiniLance

I have been trying to think of a way to get the bikes to school.
Any Ideas?

Patriot

If you are handy, you can get one of those inexpensive hauler trailers (covered type), and finish it with racks inside and a small workbench/workshop. It would take some work, but it would be worth it I think, especially if you are on a major budget.

airsoft510

i would be interested in getting my highschool into cycling too, if you get any ideas PM me please

MiniLance

I am talking about day to day for daily practice we can't ride to school and most people don't drive.

AtlAllez

i did the same thing, well helped start a bikeing club and team, I put a sign of sheet in the high school commons and make an anouncement. First of all get your friends who like riding to back you then branch out to upper-classmen

MiniLance

But I am going to school tomorrow with idea and not many people cycle and I would like to interest people. What things can I say?

Elvish Legion

Don't mention prices Odds are, if people are like they are here, you won't get many as its to hard, demanding, etc.

AtlAllez

that its a great way to stay in shape , i was right in your backyard this weekend.. I did the ride for the roses, did you? Anyways, im sure there are some mountain bikers , mabey you can intrest them by a cool flyer, with a flashy nice roadbike on the cover, or a picture of Lance.. Your from texas right? Don't yall have Lance pride?

Racaryu

I, too, plan to start a cycling "team" at my highschool once marching band season is over (it would be impossible to do both at the same time). I know from experience that there is a good handful of kids at my school that are very active in road cycling, myself included of course. Just talking to them piques their interest- I can tell they would be very active in such a group. Luckily, my city (Gainesville, FL) has a huge cycling community and subsequently several bike routes that include BL roads and rails-to-trails trails. I plan to make it a sort of mututal meeting wherein the members meet and ride at the same time. By making participation based soley on individual volition, I avoid things like lawsuits, health forms, and all of that nonsense involved with high-school sports. I am fairly confident that I can collect a cohesive and supportive group of riders that could potentially grow to include many people. T-Shirts, fundraisers, participation in local benefit rides, and other sorts of good things are sure to follow.

Hope I helped in some way.

lmans66

Get with your PE teachers....what bugs me as an educator is how PE in High School is one of the last bastions of what was, still is....

Why not change HS PE to reflect a more "fit for life" routine rather then everyone playing flag football or basketball? Why not get grants for bikes, pedometers, that make PE not just a class that you "have" to take but one that you want to take for just like learning, health is for life, not just a class....?

Will your PE teachers support you?

MiniLance

My PE teacher is the football coach and hates cycling. Wanna beat him up with me? Lol!

ZappCatt

I think the first couple things to think of are:
1) What are your goals? Are you going to start as a club(social aspect) in the first couple fo years, or are you going to try to create a competitive team in the first year?
2) If you go for the team, you should lay out the costs/requirements as early as possible(jerseys/travel/how many races they need to enter, etc)
3) If you go for a team, a coach/training program/mentor will be instrumental in improvements. If you gets parents involved it will be easier for chaperones and bike transportation. If you are going social, having parents involved could be a bummer.

Good luck...


As for suggestions, maybe go to the USCF website and check out the websites for the registered teams. You will see what is expected of members of the different teams. College biking clubs also will often have websites that you could get some suggestions from.

skandal20

Show 'em your six pack.

rozwado1

For cycling, most people IMO find that it is lame (until they decide to get into it). Make a joke of it. Make up stupid flyers that people will find funny, to get people talking about them. Don't post any more info than necessary. "Cycling club" on a flyer would be cause for getting torn down by many. Appeal to as many markets as possible and get as many people to show as possible. These people do not know if they'll like it or not, and you're not sure if they'll get into it or not.

For the first meeting, do not go at it with a hard-ass attitude while wearing spandex and a helmet. You will get beaten up.

Go to your LBS and get them involved. Pitch an idea for sponsorship: maybe they give a small discount to members if you pitch their shop at events, etc. Get a couple of the college-aged LBS guys to show up at the meeting to talk about cycling. High schoolers would think more of what they say compared to what an old LBS owner would say. Most non-cyclists think that every road biker is a hardcore Lance-type, so it's your duty to educate them that normal people do it too.

Mainly, prepare well in advance. Have an action plan before you move so people don't think it's a joke of a club from the start.

puddin' legs

Posters with Paris Roubaix picts...hardman stuff...and of course a Lynn Gagiolli racing pict. Talk to your local shop/club and see what you can do in conjunction with them. Lot's of folks will be interested in jr. development programs, and the local club can be a good source of high quality used bikes that can help mitigate the costs. Ditto on showing film in the background, and if you have any well known local racers, invite them to come and talk to the group as well. Just ask even if you think they'll say no. The world will cut an enthusiastic hard working 15 year old a lot of slack and often go out of their way to help you get started. Oh yeah, see if you can get the LBS to donate some gift certificates and raffle them off at your meeting.

SDRider

Maybe you could organize a cycling club at your school? Get a teacher involved or other member of the faculty? The chemistry teacher at my high school was running the cycling club at my school. He was a cyclist and that really helped with my interest in the sport at that age. We did rides on the weekends and during the week as well. There weren't many people in the club but I enjoyed it.

The Speaker Guy

Two words: Sheryl Crow

CastIron

Speaking of the MILF action: tell them there's warm apple pie at the end of every ride.

chrisvu05

put this on your flyers....atleast you'll get people looking at them

AndrewP

Cover all aspects of cycling - road, mountain, BMX, stunts, mechanics, competition and fun. Canvas all staff including janitors, not just PE, for possible support and ideas. For bike transportation you will first have to find good training locations, then what possibilities there are for scrounging storage space nearby. See if you can get also get support from other local organisations (Police, athletic clubs, Kiwanis etc). Good luck.

craign04

oh thats just wrong on so many levels

Elvish Legion

I don't see why they have to travel to train, they could just start at the school and ride from there, so there is a lot of choices at your averge high school for the team bikes to be stored

Bobmo

Just start it off as an informal club that appeals to all aspects, then once you have a solid group, enligthen them about you ambitions for a team, then do what rozwado said.