What happens to pro team bikes after the end of the season?
12-10-08, 10:08 AM
#1
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What happens to pro team bikes after the end of the season?
What do the top pro teams do with the bikes at the end of the season? Give them to the riders? Return them to the sponsor? Resell them? Does anyone know?
12-10-08, 10:16 AM
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They are usually sold.
Sometimes they are taken back and given to dealers, sometimes they are given to charities and sold to raise funds. In Europe, they are sold through bike shops connected to the team.
The sponsor rarely takes them back to resell directly, as they have already written-off the frame, or a large portion of it, for taxes.
Sometimes they are taken back and given to dealers, sometimes they are given to charities and sold to raise funds. In Europe, they are sold through bike shops connected to the team.
The sponsor rarely takes them back to resell directly, as they have already written-off the frame, or a large portion of it, for taxes.
12-10-08, 10:25 AM
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I've seen some bikes sold by the teams at events such as the bike swap we had in SF a couple weeks ago, and I've seen some team riders selling their bikes on Craigslist. I think it varies from team to team as to who owns the bike (rider or team) at the end of the season. Could be that the rider can buy it real cheap from the team and turn around and sell it for more.
A friend of mine who works for Specialized has one of Levi's old bikes from his Gerolsteiner days.
A friend of mine who works for Specialized has one of Levi's old bikes from his Gerolsteiner days.
12-10-08, 10:37 AM
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It depends on the team. More often than not, the rider gets to keep his "Training" bike. I use training lightly because often they will race on it at local stuff or when its more convenient to take their training bike to the race than the race bike on the truck.
The other race bikes are often sold, auctioned or given away to sponsors to tote around to tradeshows or put in a glass case/wall at the headquarters.
The other race bikes are often sold, auctioned or given away to sponsors to tote around to tradeshows or put in a glass case/wall at the headquarters.
12-10-08, 11:25 AM
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I believe Bob Roll said he would sell his bike at the end of the season to have some money to get back home.
12-10-08, 11:28 AM
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I bought an ex Jelly Belly Orbea from the team manager in a swap meet.
12-10-08, 11:29 AM
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I saw an ad on losangeles craigslist for an 80's olympic custom made track bike. Seller's name "nvails1".
My friend on the Cannondale team years ago used to sell his old ones for rent money.
My friend on the Cannondale team years ago used to sell his old ones for rent money.
12-10-08, 11:33 AM
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They are usually sold.
Sometimes they are taken back and given to dealers, sometimes they are given to charities and sold to raise funds. In Europe, they are sold through bike shops connected to the team.
The sponsor rarely takes them back to resell directly, as they have already written-off the frame, or a large portion of it, for taxes.
Sometimes they are taken back and given to dealers, sometimes they are given to charities and sold to raise funds. In Europe, they are sold through bike shops connected to the team.
The sponsor rarely takes them back to resell directly, as they have already written-off the frame, or a large portion of it, for taxes.
12-10-08, 11:57 AM
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It depends on the team and the riders. I know that, for example, the Bissell teams keeps the Pinarellos they use. Except at least one rider (possibly more) had it in his contract that he got to keep the bike. On smaller teams the rider often gets to keep the bike since they are otherwise not paid very well.
12-10-08, 12:04 PM
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Anybody ever buy anything from Toyota United? I saw the pricelist floating around here on BF but there weren't any bargains by any stretch of the imagination.
12-10-08, 07:45 PM
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Blake Caldwell had his Felt on RBR about a month ago.
12-10-08, 08:31 PM
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12-10-08, 09:12 PM
#17
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I bought one of Healthnet's Cannondales super cheap from a friend on the team.
I bought Scott Fortner's Saturn-issue Trek in 1994. It came with a 55t chainring.
There's a guy in Detroit who still rides one of Frankie's old Motorola Merckx frames.
Just go right up to a rider that's your sized and tell him you're interested in buying the bike at the end of the season. You'll likely get a sweet deal on a well-maintained bike.
12-10-08, 09:19 PM
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[QUOTE=EventServices;8001064]
Just go right up to a rider that's your sized and tell him you're interested in buying the bike at the end of the season. You'll likely get a sweet deal on a well-maintained bike.[/QUOTE]
Not if the bike belonged to a rider who happens to be related to me by marriage, is in the middle of a two year deal with BMC and has ridden for Discovery and Toyota-United in the past. His training bikes always leave a lot to be desired. This coming from someone who doesn't take the best care of his own bikes.
BTW Event, I noticed Ma Records gave you a shout out on his blog.
Just go right up to a rider that's your sized and tell him you're interested in buying the bike at the end of the season. You'll likely get a sweet deal on a well-maintained bike.[/QUOTE]
Not if the bike belonged to a rider who happens to be related to me by marriage, is in the middle of a two year deal with BMC and has ridden for Discovery and Toyota-United in the past. His training bikes always leave a lot to be desired. This coming from someone who doesn't take the best care of his own bikes.
BTW Event, I noticed Ma Records gave you a shout out on his blog.
Last edited by redal; 12-10-08 at 09:42 PM.
12-10-08, 09:22 PM
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That seems consistent with what I said that the Bissell team keeps the bikes rather than the riders if the team manager was selling them. I know a rider on the current team that gets to keep his (as I said, he had it written into his contract), while another rider I know that will be on next year's team won't get to keep his. But he did say that other teams he has been on, such as his current team Successful Living, have let him keep the bikes.
12-11-08, 10:25 AM
#21
You Know!? For Kids!
On the last day of the racing season, at exactly midnight, as the last of the 12 bell rings is echoing faintly in the air, all the team bikes turn back into pumpkins.
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12-11-08, 01:34 PM
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12-11-08, 01:43 PM
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We used to keep our bikes.
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