Velo Digest: Who Earns the Most in Pro Road Cycling, Reconsidering Fasted Training, WorldTour Team Bikes, & More

 @bman33: more road riders overall than MTB I guess....could say almost all mountain bikers have or had a road/gravel bike but I'm not sure that statement works the other way around.

 Top 10 Roadies make 10x what the top 10 dh make? Ouch. I'll pretend it's apples to oranges comparison...

 @robito: Tour de France is about 7500 minutes of riding, WC DH is about 5 minutes.

 @DirtBagTim: I tend to agree with this. WAY more time on screen for advertisers logo's. Also seems like a lot of blood money (i.e. UAE) behind the top riders and their primary team sponsors.

 @bman33: Road teams aren't selling road bikes though. They are selling themselves as a huge rolling billboard, visible to many of the general public, and promote showers, flooring, banking, supermarkets and the countries tourism as they roll through carefully planned towns and countryside followed by helicopters and motorbikes...

It's very different to MTB where you have industry title teams, with industry sponsors. Santa Cruz, Commencal Muc Off etc.
Such niche viewing, tucked away in the woods far from the general public and more targeted at selling kit to riders.

 Economics lesson: My wife was given tickets to the finals of a tennis tournament, when we looked up the price of the tickets we found out they were $7000 each!!! But ask a mountain biker to pay to watch their favorite mountain bike discipline.....

 @robito: it is - viewership of a grand tour vs dh is probably 10,000 fold, viewers = sponsorships = road salaries.

 @MisterChow: People here are losing there shit over paying a streaming service an extra $10 a month.

 @bman33: Likely just your anecdotal observations that there are more roadies than mountain bikers, consider that the Tour de France is the 2nd highest viewership for any broadcast sporting event in the world at over 3 billion viewers. That is second only to World Cup Soccer and consider the average "footballers" salary...

 @bman33: There are WILDLY more road bikers than mountain bikers in the world. Multiples more. Just because you haven't seen them, they are a significantly larger group, even here in the US where is is much less popular than in europe. We as mountain bikers tend to see more mountain bikers, naturally just given where we ride.

 @Hookem34: exactly this. Mountain bikers are sponsored by bike companies and the marketing is targeted towards people who buy mountain bikes. Roadies are sponsored by petrochemical companies and industrial giants and the marketing is targeted towards everyone.

There was a brief moment in mountain biking when big name sponsors (Subaru, Grundig, Timex, etc.) were involved and salaries were higher. But the sport wasn't really ready for that and didn't capitalize on it, so everything fell apart.

 @toast2266: I agree with you 100% on your points and I was around the industry back in the Subaru, Grundig days. My point is how Road is that much more popular in general. Few points on the 'rolling billboards' above are also valid. Same as F1 and NASCAR...all billboards. My point is I am baffled how MTB has not surpased Road.

 @bman33: I think it's important to remember too that average people in Europe actually really give a shit about road racing. This creates a lot of value in the big $$ sponsorship deals. Average people in the U.S. don't give a rat's ass about mountain biking (or road racing for that matter).

 @MisterChow: did you scalp them or go watch?

 @karpiel002: redbull rampage isn't even remotely close to TDF in terms of views. Granted, it's hard to compare a single day event with a weeks long event. But rampage replays get around 4 million views on YouTube. So let's say 10 million views across all platforms. Most estimates put total TDF viewership at around 3 billion. It's the second most watched sporting event behind the world cup (football/soccer).

When 3 billion people tune into mountain biking, it's safe to say that salaries will be higher.

 Yes, monkeys wrench...

 The salaries come from non cycling companies in road cycling. How many software companies do you see sponsoring MTB riders? Visma on the road. Plumbing fixture companies? Hansgrohe on the road side as well. I could keep going, but you get the idea.

Add in that road cyclist tend to be more affluent than MTB riders as well and you can see that sponsors value road cycling multiples higher than MTB.

 @karpiel002: If your statement was correct about Insta and Tiktok then the sponsors of the TDF, Giro, etc wouldn't all pay millions upon millions upon millions to sponsor roadie teams would they ? The simple fact is, roadie stuff is many many many times the value of MTB/DH/Enduro, which is why the sponsors flock there not only from cycling industries, but ALL walks of life. Now as a DH fan we may all hate this, we may even try and disagree with it, but it's simple economics, companies sponsor the sports that will give them the most exposure. The Tour de France is on TV for 6+ hours a day, live, every day for 3 weeks, it's in EVERY paper, it's in every magazine and it hits mainstream media.
MTBing hits, well a small niche.
Until MTB/DH sees this, embraces it and works on resolving it, it'll remain a niche sport.

I dislike writing the above as much as anyone dislikes reading it.... but sadly for us as fans of DH, it's the truth.

 @MisterChow: How much did you get when you sold them?

 @salespunk: road cyclist more affluent? Can you give us some data to back up this dubious claim and generalization? Road bikes are way less likely to break / last much longer and thus you can easily argue it is a cheaper sport than mtb-ing.

 @karpiel002: They don't need to. Tiktok and and Instagram cater to 13 year olds and adults who haven't grown up and have the attention span of a squirrel on crack. TV & news coverage has a MUCH wider reach. As has already been mentioned, TDF is a rolling bill board and it goes on for days. When the coverage is on, that's hours of advertising at a time, to an audience of billions. They can sell things that matter to way more people. Social media streaming caters to audiences with niche interests. Most people don't sit there and watch a sport they're not interested in. They seek out what they want to watch and get pumped with related content, which is great for the small companies involved in the sport they are interested in because the advertising is so targeted. Joe public doesn't give a shit about the latest purple anodised stem or battery powered derailleur. It's Tiktok and Instagram who benefit in the billions from selling that advertising space to many advertisers, not necessarily the advertiser or whoever/whatever sport is being streamed. It's an entirely different model.

Regarding that video, clue is in the video type it's a "short". I didn't notice any advertising on the rider. I just thought "I hope he doesn't die" the whole time. Followed by "wow" then I closed the tab.

MTB is seen as more of an extreme sport. A novel spectacle in the short term, but not particularly captivating. Mostly one person on track at a time. None of that elbow to elbow racing. A bit like rally vs F1. It's not something your average Joe would dream of trying. Most non-mountain bikers I've ever shown a DH/Enduro video to think its great for a minute or two but it's just a bunch of crazy kids throwing themselves off cliffs and hope for the best. (see your short video as a prime example) Not too dissimilar to attitudes towards skating/BMX/MX etc.

I don't think it showcases the dedication to elite athleticism and skills in a way that many not into the sport can appreciate.

Almost anyone can get themselves a road bike and the latest team jersey and go for a ride on a Sunday (or even just think they could).

 @karpiel002: sure, if you're including shorts and things like that, rampage footage gets way more than 10 million views. But if we're including those, then TDF gets way more than 3 billion views.

The TDF winner ends up on the front page of the New York Times. Lance Armstrong was (famously) on Oprah. Every major news network covers the TDF. Most of those outlets have never even heard of rampage, much less covered it. Trying to argue that rampage gets comparable coverage is kind of ridiculous.

 @DirtBagTim:
pfff

 @weeksy59: you do know theres no way to actually track value and customer conversion right? There's no affiliate link or anything. It's all perceived value by brands.

 @toast2266: again, you're talking about dying legacy media covering a legacy sport

 @wilsonians: you live in Boston, of course that's your observation

 @RadBartTaylor: 100% the Tour de France is the most-watched sports event of all time. More than the Superbowl, World Cup, and Olympics. I think we in North America forget how wildly popular cycling is in Europe. Cross is the most tuned into sport in Belgium as well which is wild for us to understand. Although not everyone watching are buying road bikes the money in sponsorships and ads alone is insane.

 @karpiel002: Its not an observation haha its actual fact that more people ride road bikes than ride mountain bikes. Its not my opinion. We as mountain bikers just tend to see and associate with other mountain bikers based on the things we ride.

 @nateb: It would be bad form to scalp the tickets since they were a gift. At the match, it was a little surreal to look around and think, "party of four, that's a month long vacation in Spain!"

 @karpiel002: I see you're in the business of making up things to argue against that I never said coupled with a silly ageist insult.

Nowhere did I say more money is spent on TV advertising than digital.

My point is that TDF coverage is huge, it's on TV which is ubiquitous. Its reach is massive. You don't have to seek it out. It will not only be shown in its own right, but on the news channels, additional commentary programs and documentaries, streaming services, magazines etc. It won't just be watched by die hard roadies looking for it on Instagram or Tiktok. Companies know this. Coverage is huge so (and here is my point) they pay to sponsor the teams (the rolling billboard) and the event itself (banners and adverts everywhere) knowing their brands will be exposed across all of these mediums. They're not just going to just focus on selling specific targeted items on Tiktok or Instagram because it isn't a niche event and they're not just trying to sell niche roadie things to a diehard roadie audience.

You talk about mountain biking being the largest sector in cycling but assuming that's true, it doesn't mean it's guaranteed to be a massively popular spectator sport.

You claim it's analogous to hiking. Here's an outdoor sport participation study. (Just in America) Look at page 42

outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2022-Outdoor-Participation-Trends-Report-1.pdf

Mountain biking - 8.6 Million

Hiking - 58 Million / walking for fitness 115 Million

Road biking - 42.7 Million

* shrugs *

 @Skaiwawker: Very interesting industry/activity breakdown. Thanks for posting.

 I've taken it for 50+ mile rides! The report on that is coming soon. I wouldn't say I felt just fine, but the bike was surprisingly good.

 " No chance of it getting stolen because you never lock it outside" is factually incorrect.

 The biggest advantage for most is probably that they can take it in trains etc without paying extra. It is a great combination.

 @mi-bike: Sadly true, many owners in London (Brompton's home market) do not ride theirs for fear of being targeted while riding by violent bike thieves

 I only drink them on long ass roadtrips

 You'll see them on the podium / after races sometimes with sports "drinks" / sponsors but it's typically water in the can. It's popular in motocross, guys on the podium with their Monster Energy drinks but it's canned water.....I'd say no they don't. The closest the generally come is Coke, very popular in pro peloton.

This is a very timely article, Chris Horner just put out a video very sim, probably due to this article?:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=98_Xf8MRmQQ

 @RadBartTaylor: good video, thanks for the link!

 And no, I don't think it's a stupid question at all - I mean that what they are suggesting with their marketing.....

 I know a sports scientist who was commission to do a study on the performance enhancing effects of RedBull. The fact that the results were not blasted all over their marketing tells you what they were.

 @RadBartTaylor: 13 years in and around Red Bull. Never encountered one fabled "water can".

 @adrennan: beef Jerky and redbull IS roadtrip fuel!

 @RadBartTaylor: this is not the Chris Horner I thought you meant but also I don’t think Christian puts out videos slagging off his title sponsor.

 @bikingnrugby: my point was he said he lived on McDonalds, Coke and Snickers and said eat eat eat on the bike...

 Not a rider but Jamie Vardy famously drank three Red Bulls and a Lucozade bottlefull of port before games.

 @RadBartTaylor: Of course you have, because it's a long standing rumor. But i'm telling you literally from the horse's mouth, that such a thing doesn't exist and hasn't ever existed.

 @davidrobinsonphoto: I can’t speak for redbull, but I used to work for monster and they definitely have water cans. I’ve drank many. Look for the og green logo can with a blue pull tab.

 @davidrobinsonphoto: I don't buy it - you telling me those F1 drivers drink Redbull before/after a race? No way. They may not have water on the small pop-top cans, but much in the way that Monsters has "Tour Water", Redbull has their water canisters for the pros.

apnews.com/article/f1-singapore-grand-prix-verstappen-sargeant-637a5f764c62ab8c8143f8b007ed394e

 @bikingnrugby: sorry - just looked up Christian Horner...F1 driver, didn't know who that was!

 @adrennan: truer words have never been spoken

 @RadBartTaylor: I wonder if it's against the rules to be on an iv drip while F1 racing?

 To hydrate you need water, salt and sugar. So Red Bull is not the best hydration drink but as it's very honest (it's just sugar and water) athletes do drink it.

 @HardtailHerold: it's more than sugar and water dude

 Tom Pidcock does. In his cafe ride with Matt Stephens he has a slice of cake and a Red Bull, poured into a glass no less, halfway through their ride together.

 Red Bull is a delicious and lightly carbonated vice. I do not drink it often but every once in a while it is a tasty treat.

 @RadBartTaylor: What does that have to do with cans?

 @davidrobinsonphoto: he's drinking out of one

 @handynzl: what kind of psychopath pours red bull in a glass?!?!

 @adrennan: a href="https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2022/heart-in-your-mouth-tom-pidcock-flies-past-rivals-at-terrifying-speeds-on-tour-de-france-descent_vid1711436/video.shtml">This/a> kind of psychopath. Consider the speed and consequences. He makes major time with line choice, staying off the brakes and fully trusting and using his tyres. I 100% believe if the money was there we would have seen him at EWS and/or WCDH events. He would have developed the necessary skill. As it is XC and cyclocross tie into his road career which like it or not pays the bills (and then some).

 @RadBartTaylor: If your research concluded that Christian Horner is an F1 driver you need to learn to do research better!

 I don't know where you live, but the driving exam doesn't include that skill everywhere. I wish it did.

 Maybe it varies between driving instructors but, I was taught to always be a doors width away from parked cars.... Cannot remember where I was taught that as a kid on a bike too. Yeah I know it's not practical in real world situation but, it's always on my mind when commuting

 @barp: The Netherlands. They apparently call it the "Dutch Reach" in the article.

 It's cool to have a name for it. I've also heard people call it the 'opposite hand trick' or the 'reach across' here in North America. If you didn't have a name for it, that's probably because you all don't need any type of marketing around it!

 @alvin-at-velo: Yeah, though somehow I've got the feeling that another big reason could be that nearly everyone who travels by car, also travels by bicycle a good bit of the time. Or at least have loads of people close to them (children or other family, colleagues etc) who do so having cyclists around is always in the back of your mind when traveling in cities or other places where cyclists can go. It also works the other way around. When I was traveling in the US (New England) a couple of years ago I was a approaching a crossing with traffic lights but also a sign indicating you're free to turn right. The run-in was already a mellow right hand bend so I couldn't see too far behind me whether a cyclist was approaching so I was slowing down a good lot more than the motorist in the pick-up truck behind me considered appropriate and started honking. Not sure how any cyclists should have safely traveled straight across that crossing but apparently motorists at least don't expect them to be there. So yeah, it is a mindset thing I guess. Be aware of what situation you are and what to look out for. In the context of the article, be aware of whose lane your entering. Whether you're traveling by car or whether you're leaving your car and stepping onto the lane where you should be expecting cyclists.

 @naptime: riding 3-4' away from parked cars is always practical in real world situations. My safety isn't worth making it easier for a car driver to pass when there's not enough room for them to squeeze between me and oncoming traffic.

 @GTscoob: in the UK it's law to pass a cyclist like they're another vehiecle. So, fully on the other side of the road like overtaking another car......
Guess how many motorists actually do that

 @vinay: the "dutch rudder" ?

 That image tricked me into clicking the article. Is this what they call "clickbait"? I was curious whether they somehow managed to built wireless tech into a classic design. Wasn't the case.

 What, other than fire, would you consider for burning "IT"?

 @vinay: Any form of rapid oxidation, where perhaps, through the use of platinum, palladium, or rhodium - you could split oxygen molecules that land on their surface into more-reactive single oxygen atoms, which can combine with fuel at a much lower temperature - thus burning without a flame.