Contracts, money, and commitments.

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Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

Because Felt keeps the roster relatively small, and you gotta find dollars somewhere...

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Wouldn’t more PRO athletes using them increase their sales? I’m assuming after RYF performance on Saturday they will increase sales on certain markets....

Same with canyon and frodeno / Lange.

A smart triathlete doesn't buy a bike because of a pro athlete. You buy the bike you like, that has the features you want, and in the color you love.

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Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

Agree but the best way to reach people and new markets is not an ad on a magazine or a website but using KOL and sport reference athletes to show the product and the performance of it.

Then the athlete can decide. My initial question was why after so many great performances not more pros are using them and being signed but felt. That’s it

It may increase sales, but does it increase profitability?

Let's say for instance that sponsoring another 4 pros costs you $150,000 in sponsorship dollars. Then you also have to factor in the actual cost of the number of frames that you're essentially giving away, plus whatever bonuses are written into the contract. To make that up, it's not simply $150,000 in sales, it's then more like $275,000 in sales to break even (markup, etc.) But that's not even right, as that order probably cost more to bring in from China/Taiwan/wherever you manufacture from, etc.

The cost analysis is way more complex than "does it increase sales."

Felt, even after the purchase, is still punching upward. So they are careful with their sponsorship dollars - and for good reason. They make damn good bikes that fit pretty well and will sell regardless of what professional athlete is riding them. And they solved for the one issue that the IA series has had (rear brake) with the new disc brake bikes.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

It is even more complicated than that with future growth potential. Say you dont sponsor any athletes - your bike brand is probably seen less and less over the years and dies out slowly. You sponsor one athlete, and they win and everyone sees the bike...some buy it..some dont...well those bought bikes are now seen in races and more people buy them..some dont. Sponsor another athlete - and suddenly you have top level exposure again. So 10+ years down the road - the sales and growth are going to be much different than if you didn't sponsor a certain athlete, only a few athletes, or none at all.

You're overstating the value proposition, IMO. Brand exposure via athlete victories is pretty limited, and winds up saturating an audience that already cares about your product.

You know where you really make impressions that matter? At your retailer.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

By retailer you mean LBS? Ok, agree.

But then, how did Canyon achieved their positioning if they don’t have an external retailer besides their own website?

Do you think the success Canyon has is solely due to the web? Or does having Frodeno and now Lange as “users” an important factor?

Just trying to understand a bit more how these brands are growing in a market that has been (and still is) dominated by Cervelo’s, Trek’s, etc., with so different strategies and points of sales.

Thx for the answer though

Canyon reached where it is today primarily by being a marketplace disruption in terms of distribution channel in Europe. They've then transitioned that reputation into the United States distro, despite having limited inventory and by being late to the market with customization available (Quintana Roo and Diamondback beat them to market here). I think the reputation of the ease of transaction, being able to customize the build, and the cost (below traditional market-value) were what led to their growth. It has very little to do, IMO, with Frodeno and Lange outside of the echo chamber that is the Slowtwitch Forum.

QR's growth in terms of sales over the last few years has had a lot to do with the introduction of a new product line that fits more athletes than they previously did, their arrangement with USA Triathlon paying dividends, and outstanding customer transaction process for sales in a new distribution channel.

Meanwhile, at retail, stores that are doing well are doing a good job of telling their own stories of fit philosophy and service, while also being the primary stewards of the brand that they sell. Have a bad experience at the store? It's likely to color not only your opinion of the store, but the brands that they carry as well.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Felt is very selective about who they offer contracts to. They have many other Pro cyclists to sponsor across all ranges of cycling besides just triathletes. Triathlon is only a small portion of their business and the triathlon bike market is small. If they felt (no pun) there was more upside to having more sponsored triathletes they would. None of the top tier athletes are buying their own bikes, but I know of several pros who dont have bike sponsorship that own Felt IAs because its a great bike.

The success of canyon is due to their DTC approach. Objectively it’s a great value. Cervélo is an will continue to slip.

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USAT Level II- Ironman U Certified Coach

that is the answer so let's expand on it. since the Felts of the world only pay so many racers, and since there are only so many Felts, is there an opening for a pro to go NASCAR?

finagle a Felt frame. pay for it if you have to.
take said frame to a paint shop where it is given a new NASCAR-like paint job. Tony the Tiger. Mtn Dew. whatever.
open the sponsor base.

its far fetched but Felt probably isn't paying that much either.

Felt was sold last year to Rossignol, they most likely cut back expenses significantly in order to present the best balance sheet when looking for buyers. I think it will be interesting to see where they go going forward. They are a much smaller company than most of the other bike players but manage to carry a wide ranging line of bikes (almost to many in my opinion). I think the new IA had some great updates and if they can keep their prices down they will do very well as long as they keep them in stock and have a quality dealer network.

I'd imagine that sponsoring a World Tour team, like Movistar makes a difference. Sponsoring triathletes, on the other hand, likely represents a much smaller benefit to exposure and sales.

...That, and making cool bikes at competitive price.

I have noticed at a couple races the same thing - lower level pros but there were 3 or 4 guys on them. Seems like a great bike.

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DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

I wouldn't necessarily say so. I think Canyon's success has started with their popular range of road bikes and mountain bikes and a well known reputation through sponsoring two successful World Tour teams. Movistar with world champ Valverde rides the Ultimate and Katusha with guys like Tony Martin and Marcel Kittel ride the Aeroad. It leads to the brand already being considered strong and time trial bikes are just an extension of it. And the price is good too.

I would be curious to cross the Kona bike count with demographics/geographical origin.

I haven't seen, on a relative scale, that many Canyon here in the states. Maybe it is the distribution delay, but my hunch is the majority is from Germany/Benelux and credited to Frodeno and Lange and of course the origin of bike.

Wouldn't be surprised to see scales tipped to US for Trek SC.

Felt with Ryf could be a great marketing test case for EU uplift.

In the case of EU and Felt sales, you'd need to first ballpark your projected sales increase on a YoY basis assuming that you had no sponsorship agreement in place, and then a projected sales increase on the YoY basis assuming the sponsorship. Then you also need to look at other internal and external forces that would potentially dilute that impact - impressions generated outside of the sponsorship, other events like Eurobike or Interbike that may influence a purchasing decision, retail network expansion or retraction...

My inkling is that increases are more likely to be attributable to favorable marketplace considerations and the fact that the product itself is superior to others in a many number of ways rather than looking at sponsorship.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Considering the paint job of Ryf´s bike I don´t think it will increase any sales.
Especially by knowing that everytime there is picture posted of her bike and her logo a good graphic designer dies.
Sad but true :)

Haha... yeah, her logo is basic, but there must be meaning/reason behind it being that way. Most mortals will not notice that detail. The overall bike looked good.

I agree with the marketing sentiments, and bike choice is multifactorial, but I will add my own spin as it has yet to be said this thread: performance/design is another consideration of bike choice.

The IA is optimized more for high yaw angles. Compare this to cervelo which is optomized for low yaw angles. Most riders have one bike for the season, sponsorship aside. We know that in most races, low yaw angle is king. Kona is an exception, and the IA and new shiv were optomized for the conditions (with 2018 ironically having near zero wind). So most people choosing bikes for the season... based on data will chose the bike that fits their needs... low yaw efficieny. Thus the high number of cervelos At kona.

I did not to a count, but to me, the IA is more prominent in the womens field vs mens. The design favors riders with less total power, as effective yaw angles will be higher. Smarter choice for many.

That being said, i also believe in the “peak aero” theory. If a cervelo is faster than the ia at low yaw (and i suspect it is, marginally), the difference is less than the difference in rider fitness/strategy, but it all helps.

I agree and I believe that Ryf could proof her outstanding bike riding skills on any bike by any brand.
TMO it is not the athlete who is deciding for a specific brand and then the athlete go to this specific brand and ask for a sponsorship. It is all about marketing and if Cervelo would offer a better deal more pro´s would go there. Felt probably would love to have more sponsored athletes but weather they are lacking money or the athletes have still a running contract with a different company.
It has not much to do with the performance of the bike...

I'm guessing you're not a woman, because the woman in my house likes Ryf's logo and the painjob of her bike.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I hold the same opinion of the graphic design on Ryf's bike. Whatever they were after, it didn't translate in the final presentation.