For the pros that post on ST I have to say that I find Jordan Rapp by far and away the best. He is always really clewed in on his sponsor’s products and is quick to outline their benefits. He also mentions the competitors and their benefits as well. Getting to the point, I wonder do his sponsors appreciate the work he does for them? How many other pros go out of their way to such an extent to promote their sponsors? Sure you now & again getting someone chimming in with “this is the best/fastest/most comfortable bike I have ever had”, but pros who are very technical & really know their stuff. Fair play to him, he pulls his weight!
By the way I don`t know the guy, have never met him and have nothing to do with him or any of his sponsors.
I agree with the gist of your post and credit where credit’s due, but as far as “going out of his way” and “pulling his weight”, you do realise he works for (or has worked for) Slowtwitch.com, right? IOW, it’s his job…
I think (but could be wrong) that he works for Slowtwitch in terms of building and maintaining the website, I am not sure that Slowman pays him by his post count.
Either way, I will say, he is one of the few pros whose equipment/clothing/nutrition choices I pay attention to. I know he has an engineering background and seems to look at things through such a lens. I would be very suprised if we ever saw Jordan on a VeloVie/Planet X/Louis Garneau open mold type frame. Same thing with his clothing and nutrition choices. I think some pros would race in a 3 piece suit if Jos. A Bank gave them a large enough sponsorship check, I don’t think Jordan would do that.
Plus, it seems to fit into his whole philosophy of what a pro should be and what they should do. Represent the products well and offer some return on investment. In the threads about prize purses and how much pros make, Jordan has been adamant about the fact that pros shouldn’t expect to earn more if they can prove that they are worth it (whether that be through swim clinics, guided pre-rides of the course, whatever). I don’t know, but I would guess his advocacy and knowledge is something sponsors appreciate, he is not just a guy wearing their logo, but offers some sort of benefit in terms of spreading knowledge of the products. So it’s not, “Pay me $X because I’ll ride your bike” but maybe “Pay me $X+1 because I believe in your product, will speak to my belief in the product and additionally, I’ll also ride it in races.”
I think (but could be wrong) that he works for Slowtwitch in terms of building and maintaining the website, I am not sure that Slowman pays him by his post count.
To the OP, thanks for the kind words. Generally, I think they do and that I do likewise. It’s still a work in progress though. For two years, I race for the Timex Team, which basically locked down almost 100% of sponsors. So last year (2008) was the first year I was a “free agent.” So I’m still finding the companies that I want to work with and that want to work with me. As with all business relationships, there are ups and downs. And of course, I’m still learning how to navigate the waters of what it means to be a sponsored athlete.
Just to clarify, I don’t get paid to post by any means. Dan could pretty much care less either way. Although occasionally I am sure he wishes I would post less, like when he has something he needs done. My official role at Slowtwitch (what it says on my business cards) is CTO - Chief Technology Officer. Basically, I am responsible for the guts of this site. So making sure that everyone here is able to login and post, for example, is much more my responsibility than what exactly it is that people are posting about. The only area related to Slowtwitch as a company where I feel I have an obligation to post is with regards to FIST, as I co-instruct those courses with Dan. So I do feel that being a resource on here with respect to FIST is a part of my job. Hope that makes sense.
Based on what the OP mentioned. Do you have a bike sponsor? I dont see one and would be interesting to know if you dont, why not? I doubt you have not been approached by some but it is not what you are looking for? With you results specially on the bike and your knowledge of technology, fitting, etc I would think this will be the one you will get done first along with wheels which I assume is Zipp.
Based on what the OP mentioned. Do you have a bike sponsor? I dont see one and would be interesting to know if you dont, why not? I doubt you have not been approached by some but it is not what you are looking for? With you results specially on the bike and your knowledge of technology, fitting, etc I would think this will be the one you will get done first along with wheels which I assume is Zipp.
Peace
No, I do not have a bike sponsor this year. After last year, I was unable to reach an agreement that was a satisfactory for both myself and for Felt, as so as sometimes unfortunately happens in business dealings, I decided to walk away. That’s just business. Sometimes you can work something out, and sometimes you can’t. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity for signing contracts is relatively short. Most deals are signed somewhere between the beginning of September and the end of October. I was past this point, and so I was sort of out of luck to find a new company to work with for 2009, mostly because of how picky I am about what I will ride, what I want, etc. So right now, I’m trying to find a bike sponsor for next year, and I’m hoping I can find a company that will give me a long term contract that makes sense for both parties. Switching bikes is a royal pain, since it can be a lot of work to get your position exactly the same and exactly right on a new bike. So that’s why I thought it made the most sense to continue to ride a bike - my Felt DA - where I had my position established and to really invest the time into finding the right company for the future, rather than taking the first offer that came along. It’s a great time to be looking at bikes with all of the very cool new bikes that have just come out. So now I just need to find a good bike company that wants me to ride their stuff.
I don’t know that it should be any secret that I am looking to find a company that will provide me with more than just bikes, in the same way that I’m looking for a company that I can provide more than just race results to. I think I have a good background with what I do with the FIST workshops and my background as an engineer. As much as it can/could be a good thing, it is also a challenge. I want both to give more and to, uhm, “take” more as it were than perhaps what is typical in the industry. But I’m optimistic that there is a company that wants something similar.
