I was checking out on the front page how some pros just signed with Planet X. I am not saying their bikes are bad, because I actually like the way they look. But…Why would you drop cervelo and go with Planet X? I am sure they are getting paid, but I would rather ride a cervelo and pay for it out of pocket (unless they could just keep the ride and not pay for it) instead of going to another bike. Unless obviously the ride quality is close, and the money was big.
what do you think?
If your company has been using staples for their office supplies forever and there’s no problem, but suddenly Office Depot can provide similar products for a much cheaper price…your finance department is going to say go with Office Depot, damn the stickiness of the tape.
Same concept only income…if Company X pays you more than Company Y - you can make a product work. Sure, X got the job done and looked cool and was more “socially preferred”, but if Y gets the job done too, is an up-and-comer, and pays more then you’d be crazy not to.
My $.02.
LOL! I have a Cervelo and a Planet X and …
The ride “quality” is the same … and should be - they probably come from the same carbon manufacturer!
At the PRO level, the bike is just a tool for the job (within reason, you won’t likely see any Shimano 105 parts that I seem to break often)
edit: I should preface this in that I was thinking mostly of roadies. There is a bit more difference in tri bikes (what is truly aero, time savings, etc.), but at the IM level, I don’t think Hellriegel will be slowed down much on his Planet X) 
Remember that at the pro level, especially the “entry” level pro level, these decisions are often more business oriented that product oriented. That said, the Planet X’s are darn nice bikes- they aren’t a second tier vendor.
I’m guessing that they don’t just get the free bike, but they also get paid. And (using cervelo as an example), one person may be able to ride a cevelo great and another may find a different brand better in terms of fit and comfort. Over 112 miles, being comfortable means a lot.
there is only one reason - because they get more money to ride the Planet X. Not sure what you’ve heard, but pro triathletes arent exactly raking in the dough… i doubt many of them have the level of financial comfort to turn down money because they’d rather ride a cervelo (and possibly have to pay for it out of pocket.)
Well, if you take race money earned and add it to sponsorship dollars you get any given athletes income from triathlon. Then consider the fact that at a race like IMAZ you have over 50(maybe 60) male pros participants vying for a prize purse paying 8 deep. All of a sudden taking a few dollars from anyone in the sport doesn’t sound so bad.
Not to mention, people who ride Planet X’s really seem to like them. And they haven’t held back a lot of athletes in the past.
I think it’s cool that Planet X got back into the pro ranks with some bikes. It seems they talked a lot about commitment to the sport in 07, got their bikes under some athletes, and then talked about developing an uber tri bike, without selling the frame mold rights. In the past year though, I have thought of them more as a discount supplier of the generics(along the lines of pedal force meets neuvation). For all we know they have a great new bike with Lynskey in the works for their athletes, or they are working on that new carbon tri bike again.
It is NOT about the bike. It’s about the money. Simple.
It is NOT about the bike. It’s about the money. Simple.
So THATS what Lance meant by his book title…
Why? To make sure the sheeple are paying attention.
i doubt many of them have the level of financial comfort to turn down money because they’d rather ride a cervelo
Actually, my wife just did that! 
It is not so simple to answer that question. In some cases the Pros got better offers, in other cases the Pros got shafted by their previous sponsors, and just the same in some other cases the sponsors got shafted by the athletes. In some cases the athletes don’t trust the product any more after a few incidents, in others they may just lust for something new just like us.
Plus there are endless other reasons.
Actually, my wife just did that! ** **
That’s because she’s got you slaving away to fill the coffers with all that hard-earned monopoly money! (or whatever you use up there
That’s because she’s got you slaving away to fill the coffers with all that hard-earned monopoly money!
She races Professionally( always top 5 or 10 at NAS IM’s and 6th at Lanzarote last year), but she works full time running her own Hair Design & Styling Business.
I stand corrected, sounds like you’ve got a keeper there! Cheers
“It’s not about the bike” L.A.
“Show me the money!” J.M.
“It’s not about the bike” L.A.
“Show me the money!” J.M.
It has to be about both. The athlete has to consider performance as well as income. If a sponsored athletes accepts a bike that causes his results decline, he is going to lose prize money and sponsorship. When you are out there in the public eye, you are only as good as your last race. Or as Mr Support Crew likes to say - “you are only as good as your next race”.
what do you think?
Oddly, I do not ride my Cervelo and prever my PlanetX…then again I cant tell one wine from another whine.
cervelo stickers sure are fast.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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