Just Riding Along

Lance Armstrong as Discovery's superhero

Looks like The Discovery Channel has found a creative way to leverage Lance's heroic status.  They've produced three new animated videos that connect some of their own characters (like the Crocodile Hunter and those chopper guys) to the Discovery team.

The quirky little videos portray Lance and his teammates as a team of superheros with the slogan, "We Can Do Anything."

This is a smart viral marketing move for The Discovery Channel, as I'm sure these will spread like wildfire through the web.  I like how they've waited long enough after the Tour media frenzy to help avoid Lance burnout and I think the public is ready to accept Lance into his new role as The Ambassador of Cycling.

[hat tip to Adrants]

The sad truth about the Lance Effect

For anyone in the bike industry with grand visions of Americans taking up cycling in droves and becoming real enthusiasts, read this sobering article that tells the sad-but-true-truth about the Lance Effect.

It starts out like this:

"I was so inspired by Lance Armstrong's seventh consecutive Tour de France victory that I decided to take up cycling.

7:30 a.m. -- Bravely enter garage in search of ancient Schwinn bicycle that I had not ridden in at least 20 years.

7:40 a.m. -- Locate something that looks like a bicycle behind 20 tons of Christmas decorations, unused lawn tools, spider-web-encrusted paint cans and several half-filled bags of fertilizer that long ago turned to concrete.

8:05 a.m. -- Extract bicycle from pile, a task that leaves me so winded that I have to adjourn to the couch for a short, restorative nap...

Continue reading article...

Lance in a NY Times op-ed

Noted author and columnist for the NY Times, Thomas Friedman, wishes America's leaders were more like Lance.  I couldn't agree with him more.

"What I find most impressive about Armstrong, besides his sheer willpower to triumph over cancer, is the strategic focus he brings to his work, from his prerace training regimen to the meticulous way he and his cycling team plot out every leg of the race. It is a sight to behold. I have been thinking about them lately because their abilities to meld strength and strategy - to thoughtfully plan ahead and to sacrifice today for a big gain tomorrow - seem to be such fading virtues in American life."

The AP on Trek and the "Lance Factor"

Ryan Foley of the Associated Press [not Forbes, as reported elsewhere] wrote a story that gives a behind the scenes look at Trek Bicycle Corp. and their association with Lance Armstrong.  Because Trek is both privately held and the biggest player in the bike biz, it's always interesting to read their press clipppings. 

The article gives Trek credit for sticking with Lance through his ordeal.  When they asked Zap about it he seemed to be getting ready for Interbike in Vegas with this quote:

"It was like putting a penny in a slot and winning a million bucks."

The story also pointed out that much of Trek's success in high-end road bikes can be attributed to aging baby-boomers and their growing interest in cycling, a topic I touched on recently.

The final quote went to the curator of the Wisconsin Historical Museum in Madison.  A museum curator?  What would he know?  I thought the same thing, but it turns out his museum is currently running an exhibition called "WisconsInnovation" that has a whole section devoted to Trek.  I guess in the state that accounts for nearly 20% of the entire U.S. bicycle industry even museum curators know about the bike business.

Charity rides reach tipping point

Most of us have seen it happening for a long time.  But now since the NY Times has written an article on charity rides, I think it's safe to say this phenomenon has reached a tipping point.  Seems like everyone is doing something to raise money for someone.

My next door neighbor trained religiously with her Team in Training crew and had a great time at her first triathlon. The result?  Not only is she in great shape but she's fallen head over heels in love with cycling (and Lance Armstrong).  This weekend I'm helping her decide on a new bike (something all carbon, for around $2,000).

The real irony is that these organizations are doing a much better job at getting Americans on bikes than the bike industry ever has.  I think we should be thankful that these charity organizations are doing so much marketing and recruiting for our sport.  Dealers should stay abreast about charity rides in their area and plan their marketing, promotions and product selection around them. 

This charity riding trend might fizzle out, but once we've hooked people on riding bikes, they'll be enthusiasts for life.

Best analysis I've seen on life after Lance

There have been a ton of articles recently about what will happen to the bike industry after Lance stops racing.  In my opinion, the best analysis yet comes from blogger Richard Masoner.  He's put together a good sampling of links and quotes from industry insiders that gives a good assessment of the issue.

A Lance backlash?

I previously posted that perhaps all the Lance-mania is getting a bit out of control.  Don't get me wrong, Lance has been a boon for the bike industry and will be for many more years.  I'm just as happy as anyone that he's driving sales and awareness for cycling into the stratosphere in America.

It just seems to me like Brand Lance is getting too much exposure and is at the risk of inflicting the masses with marketing fatigue.  He's literally popping up everywhere, all at once.

Neal Pollack writes in Slate.com that even his gym has been ruined by Lance.  Here's an excerpt:

"As I left the gym the other night, I noticed yet another maxim, splayed across 20 feet of door space: "I don't have bad days. I have good days and great days."

Well bully for you, Lance, I thought. But some of us really do have bad days, and we like it that way. In fact, my day just got a little bit worse. Here's my $63 a month. Now let me schvitz in peace."

I know Lance can do no wrong in the eyes of the bike industry (and the world for that matter) but I'm really just bringing this up for our own good.  It's in all the marketing textbooks; when you hype something (or someone) too much (like Krispy Kreme donuts, Britney Spears, blogs) people will start to turn away, regardless of the product's merits. 

I just hope we don't see a Lance backlash in the media and in public opinion.  If he does a Christmas Album, it's all over.