MikeIsOrganic

so me and a buddy have a trip planned from portland to oakland and we were talking to a friend of ours who's toured quite a bit as well and he was mentioning that it'd be worth looking into getting sponsered to pay for some of the equiptment and things of that nature. anyone know much about getting sponsered for touring?

roadfix

Here's a related thread:

https://69.16.211.161/showthread.php?t=55722

Machka 

Portland Oregon to Oakland California? 625 miles? And you want sponsorship for a little ride like that? Hundreds of people riding clear across the US, and across other countries, for months at a time without sponsorship.

What do you have to make yourself stand out from the crowd?

Will the proceeds of the ride go toward a charitable organization? Will you be doing PR in the towns you go through for the company(ies) who are sponsoring you? Do you have excellent journalistic skills and a series of articles lined up for the local newspaper describing the trip (where you will also be mentioning the company(ies) who are sponsoring you)? What do you have to offer a company who might potentially sponsor you?

You can give it a try ... and definitely let us know if it works ... but unless you've really got something to attract the company's attention, don't hold your breath on getting much more than a waterbottle.

BTW - here's another thread you might find interesting: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...hlight=charity

Chris L

From what I understand about the many threads on the topic both here and on other fora, I'd say you'll find it difficult. Most companies probably get a lot of people asking them for sponsorship for this, that and the other, so you'll need to do something different to get their attention. They might also want some input into other aspects of the tour like where you'll be at what time and which route you'll take in order to maximise their exposure.

Personally I'd rather just ride the tour without the sponsorship. Yes, you'll have to pay for your equipment and whatever else, but you'll still have the freedom to make your own decisions.

nm+

My LBS gave me 2 free water bottles and 10% off stuff for the Northern Tier (granted that was gloves, pump, and bike shorts), but that was more cause I spend a lotta money there.
I wouldn't expect anymore your your trip.

Machka 

My LBS also gave me 10% off my panniers, some energy bars and drinks, and a few other little things before I went to Australia for my tour ...... but that was because I bought my bicycle from them, and they had that deal for anyone who bought a bicycle from them.

Sometimes LBSs will "sponsor" whole clubs by giving them a few promotional items or a discount in the store. If the OP was a member of a club, and the whole club was doing the ride ... it might be worth checking to see if an LBS might be interested in doing something like that.

NoReg

It's really not all that different, I imagine, from anything else a person might persue for 10 days, kinda hard to make a business out of it. But over a longer period, a dedicated person might well make a go of it.

banthevan

I've just come back to England after my first ever bike tour, a solo self-supported 3-week ride from Seattle to San Francisco along the coast. I should have been sponsored by:-

Dairy Queen
Gatorade
Powerbar
local breweries & brewpubs

since I used their products when possible

nm+

Should be cliffbars

Machka 

Nottinghamshire ... I've been there and I've a good friend (a cyclist) who lives in Leicestershire.