July 31, 2020
Cycling Promo Shifts Into Gear
As Americans explore “safe sports,” cycling is taking the lead.
This time last year, Overnight Table Covers (asi/38196) would only receive calls for cycling-related products about once or twice a month. But in July, a surge of quote requests for sublimated cycling jerseys took them by surprise. After a quick search on Google Trends, the change began to make sense.
“The whole concept of ‘safe sports’ has been developing,” says owner Rodolfo Gonzalez, “and really nothing [is safer than] cycling – you’re as far as you can be from other people.”
The company, based in San Diego, CA, sells hundreds of sublimated products, typically used for sports teams, promotions and events. As COVID-19 has changed people’s exercising and transportation habits, however, Overnight Table Covers has adapted by selling sublimated biking jerseys.
A traditionally expensive product, Overnight Table Covers supplies sublimated biking jerseys at a price that surprises many distributors, says owner Rodolfo Gonzalez.
Weekend cycling clubs, a need for exercise and avoidance of public transportation has brought people out of their homes and sat them down between two wheels. While major bike races have been canceled to avoid spread of the coronavirus, some local races are still occurring, with sponsors looking to promote their brands on bike jerseys and apparel.
Dan Jellinek, executive vice president of The Magnet Group (asi/68507) in Alpharetta, GA, has also witnessed a move toward requests for “safe exercise” related promotional products. Bike lights, lights that wrap around a biker’s arm, Bluetooth earbuds, sport towels and sport bottles have all sold well in the last couple of months. Even Jellinek and his wife have taken to going on walks at lunchtime, carrying sport bottles with them and returning home to a sport towel to pat their faces dry.
The Magnet Group offers several biking and sport accessories, including lights for those who exercise after dark.
In the warm summer months with no gyms or fitness classes to attend, people are being forced to take their exercise outside. But even when personal fitness centers open again, Jellinek suspects there will be more biking enthusiasts, as some people will have discovered partiality for the sport. “Hopefully, when things get back to normal that trend will continue,” says Jellinek, “because it does create well-being for all of us whether it’s health [or] the way you look. You’ll get results and you’ll want to keep those results.”
Not all suppliers are seeing evidence of the newfound cycling trend. Motto Inc. (asi/72657) in Appleton, WI, hasn’t seen a change in biking product sales this year, since most cycling events have been canceled this year. In the past, Motto’s cycling-related products have been used to promote active lifestyles, commuting to and from work, bike trails and food or beverage brands that sponsor rides and teams in cycling races. Motto’s bike lights and helmets have also been used to promote cycling safety at events for young people.
Motto Inc. provides supplies for cycling, a safe sport for all ages.
At retail, however, the trend is in full force, with bicycles selling out across the country. “It’s really shocking how [the trend is] behaving,” Gonzalez says. “I think it’s going to stay with us for a while.”