question: amateur sponsorship

Hey I'm just wondering for those amateur road racing(just as clubs) if a rider gets a sponsorship deal, how much do they normally get?

Its usually comesurate with what kind of media presence you offer. Return on investment is what makes the sponsorship world go 'round.

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I love the smell of pixels in the morning.

they only thing that you can expect from an amateur sponsorship deal is discounts. when i was racing in the 5-3 level that's pretty much all that you can expect. sometimes you will get reimbursed for races if you place well (top 10) but usually that's it. once you get into the 1/2 level then you can start thinking about money, but only if you're le creme de la creme. if you're on a nationally based team then ok, but usually unless you're getting coverage from the media forget fat checks. and don't even think about giving up your job bartending, cuz even a pro, for the first year makes around 10k, not livable unless you live with your parents. in other words keep working hard and be realistic. only ask for as much as you can give back.

Is it hard to get into a team in which you can learn and grow?
I agree most riders work for shops in my area and receive nice in shop discounts.

Brian

the place to learn and grow really isn't on a team. a team is set up for one reason and one reason only to win and make money. a club on the other hand has all the resources to teach you how to ride well. most people confuse the two because they see a bunch of riders in the same jersey, but different shorts/gloves/socks/bikes etc., riding along and think of usps or cofidis, or some other big name team. this is not so, a club is a bunch of guys who would have nothing to do with each other if it wasn't for cycling. in the clubs you can meet older riders, the best source of experience, and ask them for advise. so my advice to you is forget the team and think about a club, when you get to the 1/2 level maybe even 3's you can start thinking about a team, until then soak up as much as you can.