Sponsorship of the Giro?

[thirdcrank]

Let's beat the drum:

As the UK's largest cycling and motoring retailer, Halfords is your one-stop shop for exclusive brands in bikes, cycling accessories and servicing. Halfords with over 100 years of experience in selling bikes, offer the latest road, mountain bikes, children’s and electric bikes including the latest Kona, Raleigh and Boardman Bicycles.

With over 400 Halfords stores across the UK, they are never too far to offer a helping hand with onsite mechanics and the right tools & spares for servicing your bike.
 
Their wide range of cycle clothing and wet weather gear ensure you’ll enjoy cycling whatever the weather and their cycle luggage range of panniers, handlebar bags and backpacks equips you for a long-distance ride or daily commute.

[Cyril Haearn]

Can I believe what I've just read? My membership subscription is being used to sponsor an event dominated by multi millionaire sportsmen and big business? This is just crazy - or maybe some fake news?

In the Giro a prize for the fastest descent was planned. It was abandoned as inappropriate. Nonetheless, to win races it helps if one cycles downhill at 90-100 kmh or more. Who dares wins. Is that the sort of thing we want to be connected with?

I do love the idea of sponsorship reminding people of their forgotten bikes at home. Might not sell many new bikes, just a few inner tubes

[AdamS]

It is little comfort that it is probably only public money being wasted.

Nice clarification. You've determined that the sponsorship will be wasted without first seeing what it will achieve.

How will they determine what this advert acheives?

With difficulty. There might be some kind of "where did you hear about us" survey. The likelihood of all the relevant information being released for CUK members to judge the advert's success is nil.
Gaz, my 'nice clarification' comment was sincere. Sorry if that is not the way it came across.

Is this the one to be shown in Eurosport?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fuvjm3y_63g

That seems rather long. Normally sponsors are given very short ad slots at the start and end of each break.

[Cyril Haearn]

Half the money spent on advertising is wasted

Trouble is, nobody knows which half

[gaz]

How will they determine what this advert acheives?

With difficulty. There might be some kind of "where did you hear about us" survey. The likelihood of all the relevant information being released for CUK members to judge the advert's success is nil.

+1. Even counting ticks in any "Eurosport Sponsorship mentioned BBR" box is fraught with difficulty if the aim of the sponsorship is to achieve ticks in the "Cyclist next door told me about BBR" box.

Cycling UK will be required to report back to the DfT on the "success" of the BBR as a whole and there will be an agreement between them on how such "success" is to be measured. This is the third year of such funding suggesting the DfT have been happy with the results thus far.

Gaz, my 'nice clarification' comment was sincere. Sorry if that is not the way it came across.

In which case I offer my apologies to you also.

[Flinders]

Is the Halfords of which we speak the one notorious for selling bikes that are not properly/safely set up?

[RickH]

The start of Giro coverage on Eurosport had a quite a bit of emphasis on "what's it all about" with a link to stuff on the website explaning various aspects of bike racing to those not familiar with it. So there seems to be an effort to try to draw in non-cyclists.

As many folk have a bike languishing in their shed or garage, to my mind, an advert suggesting getting your bike sorted & getting out on it doesn't seem a bad one in that context.

[thirdcrank]

... As many folk have a bike languishing in their shed or garage, to my mind, an advert suggesting getting your bike sorted & getting out on it doesn't seem a bad one in that context.

Whenever we have somebody new to the forum, asking about buying a bike, I've frequently suggested they beg or borrow one that's languishing at the back of a garage, so it's encouraging to think I my have a wider readership than I thought.

As a once very loyal customer of Marks and Sparks, I tend to chunter a lot about what they are doing wrong and occasionally common sense prevails, although I doubt they are listening to me. For one thing, I don't think I'd have directed their head-hunters in the direction of the bike trade.

[AdamS]

As many folk have a bike languishing in their shed or garage, to my mind, an advert suggesting getting your bike sorted & getting out on it doesn't seem a bad one in that context.

Yes, but the question is whether the mostly enthusiast audience of the Giro are the best people to advertise to. As linked above, even CyclingUK don't view the Giro's audience as people likely to need to be told to get their bike out and start riding. Their reasons are a bit unorthodox.

[mjr]

I've been watching the Giro highlights. Not seen any Cycling UK advert. I guess they've only sponsored the Sky Eurosport broadcast (live and early evening), not the Freeview Quest broadcast (10pm) that more people I know are watching.

Let's beat the drum:

As the UK's largest cycling and motoring retailer, Halfords [...]

Who needs to beat Half-odds? They got that nickname because of the inconsistent service (you've half odds at best of good service), high prices (making the "member discount" rather theoretical), fake stock levels shown on their website, buggy click-and-collect software, lack of community spirit...

They've also got a worse nickname variation on their name, used by people who feel they've had very bad service from them. A chap who works around the corner was given his bike back with the brake quick-releases open and was riding along the A road near their shop when he discovered (I know, I know, you should Air Brakes Chain Direction every time you ride... but you don't expect a mechanic to have left the brakes basically inoperative when handing it back to you)

It's disappointing to see CUK copy HSBCUKBC in advertising Half-odds to its members instead of supporting local independent cycle traders - you know, the ones who pay into the Bike Hub grant fund that pays for some of CUK's work!

[Si]

I just had coffee with the local CUK Community Cycling Officer...she was saying that she's about to go to Italy on holiday....ah, it all makes sense now...yet another one of these fiendish CUK conspiracies...

[gaz]

[youtube]5kVVzO-u-K4[/youtube]
Blink and you'll miss it .

[mjr]

Couldn't they afford a voiceover artist who can say Eurosport as one word?

[[XAP]Bob]

Half the money spent on advertising is wasted

Trouble is, nobody knows which half

And of the other half... half the money is wasted...



This is a recursive issue

[Cyril Haearn]

I did enjoy hearing Phil Liggett pronouncing Djamoladin Abdujaparov