First off, PezCycling News has run the press release about Team Inferno. Now the snowball begins gathering momentum. Again, I am extremely happy about this deal and hope to be able to help this team achieve some great results this coming race season... as well as use them to develop more and better bikes.
Second thought on my mind these days is the apparent lack of vision in US cycling poilitics. I don't want to get in trouble for offering a dissenting voice, but I have no clue what USACycling is thinking these days. Don't get me wrong, I have an immense amount of respect for Gerard Bisceglia and have had a few great conversations with him, but the organization is completely missing the boat in developing US professional cycling, in my opinion. Changing the USPro event to a US-only race makes no sense, when the race is drawing top foreign riders and teams which draw more media attention that flows over onto the US teams. Then, rumors abound lately that the new Tour of California and the existing Tour of Georgia may get changed to a Pro Tour team race, excluding all but the one US team with that status- Discovery. How on earth this can help to further the cause of US racing is beyond me. If the rumors are true, this seems like a great way to further marginalize US cycling. Sure, the foreign media wil have more interest in the events, but we're trying to grow US racing aren't we? The US public will have much less interest in the race if Discovery is the sole US team in the events. I sincerely hope the rumors prove to be wrong.
Ok, back to the grind...
Tim
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
Can't stop, must keep going...
Still busy. Very busy. Just wanted to post a quick note of thanks for all of the feedback on the track bike stuff and for the support that has been coming in about the pro team sponsorship.
Clearly, I'm very excited about the team stuff and also about the development of the track stuff. The product line just keeps getting better and better and I'm very hopeful and optimistic you will like what comes of all of this development. It's an exciting time to be the Masi Brand Manager.
Anyway, gotta get back to the other work stuff. Thanks for all of the recent support and feedback.
Tim
Clearly, I'm very excited about the team stuff and also about the development of the track stuff. The product line just keeps getting better and better and I'm very hopeful and optimistic you will like what comes of all of this development. It's an exciting time to be the Masi Brand Manager.
Anyway, gotta get back to the other work stuff. Thanks for all of the recent support and feedback.
Tim
Friday, November 18, 2005
Rambling thoughts...
Just sitting here in the dark, reading bike stuff (of course) and thinking about bike stuff. I swear I'm not really one dimensional, I just look and sound that way.
It looks pretty bad for the San Francisco Gran Prix. If the situation with the race organizer and city council doesn't get fixed soon, they will apparently prevent the race from happening next year. That would really stink, since it is a great race.
Don't get me wrong, I think Greenville South Carolina is a wonderful city, but I just can't believe that the USPro road championship is being moved from Philadelphia. The race isn't going away, but it won't be where we get our National Champion anymore. The championship event has been changed to an all American event for 2006 and a new race has been created around that change. I'm very happy that a new race is being created, since it is good for the sport and the industry, but I admit a pang of sadness. I remember when Eric Heiden won the first edition of the race. I remember many epic images of battles taking place up the infamous Manayunk Wall. It's just hard to accept the change, but I am sure the new race will be a beauty anyway- even without the presence of foreign riders.
Thanks again for all of the feedback about the track bike question posed last week. I can't use and incorporate all of the feedback and suggestions, at least not all at once, but the feedback has been critical in the planning process. Thanks.
What a week... really, it's been a crazy few months. Last year wasn't quite like this and I hope that is because things are picking up and progress is being made. I hope. Next week looks a little bit easier, so I will hopefully have the chance to really make some progress and get back to "normal". There's always hope anyway.
The coming year looks to be filled with more travel for me. I hope to be on the road visiting retailers and attending consumer events a bit more. I will obviously announce my travel plans here and try to get out for a ride or two in your neck of the woods.
Off to bed now...
Tim
It looks pretty bad for the San Francisco Gran Prix. If the situation with the race organizer and city council doesn't get fixed soon, they will apparently prevent the race from happening next year. That would really stink, since it is a great race.
Don't get me wrong, I think Greenville South Carolina is a wonderful city, but I just can't believe that the USPro road championship is being moved from Philadelphia. The race isn't going away, but it won't be where we get our National Champion anymore. The championship event has been changed to an all American event for 2006 and a new race has been created around that change. I'm very happy that a new race is being created, since it is good for the sport and the industry, but I admit a pang of sadness. I remember when Eric Heiden won the first edition of the race. I remember many epic images of battles taking place up the infamous Manayunk Wall. It's just hard to accept the change, but I am sure the new race will be a beauty anyway- even without the presence of foreign riders.
Thanks again for all of the feedback about the track bike question posed last week. I can't use and incorporate all of the feedback and suggestions, at least not all at once, but the feedback has been critical in the planning process. Thanks.
What a week... really, it's been a crazy few months. Last year wasn't quite like this and I hope that is because things are picking up and progress is being made. I hope. Next week looks a little bit easier, so I will hopefully have the chance to really make some progress and get back to "normal". There's always hope anyway.
The coming year looks to be filled with more travel for me. I hope to be on the road visiting retailers and attending consumer events a bit more. I will obviously announce my travel plans here and try to get out for a ride or two in your neck of the woods.
Off to bed now...
Tim
No more meetings... please...
I am officially, as of today, meeting'ed out. No more please. Not for at least a week. I feel like a caged animal, unable to get out and move around. Don't get me wrong, I fled the meetings long enough to get a ride in the past two days, but was in meetings all day Tuesday and Wednesday for our National Marketing Summit. As well as on Monday, getting ready for the Summit... and almost every day the previous week before. NO MORE MEETINGS! (I'm sure I'll have a dozen next week... just in retaliation.)
The Summit was a very successful exercise though, just as it was last year. Many great ideas were discussed and I didn't win all of my battles, but I came away knowing why. It always amuses me to hear the differences between what the sales reps say and what the retailers say- and even what we think and what we get told. The good news is that we will be developing a fixed gear recumbent trike for next season. I'm glad that battle was won.
Obviously the big news of the week was the signing of the pro team. I will have more team news later as well, as the ink dries on a couple of other deals. Team Inferno is an incredible group of riders and I am way, way, way beyond happy about this deal. I stammered and stumbled during our Summit as I made the announcement about the team because I was just too excited. Honestly... I am that much of a bike-nerd. Masi has such a wonderfully rich history in racing, after all- Masi built frames for Eddy Merckx and somebody else's decals were on the tubes. Now, I won't pretend that I am welding custom frames for Inferno, but the racing connection will yield some great feedback for future development. That's good news for everybody. I'll be able to get feedback from them on the development of a TT frame and the racing track frame as well. The team director, Chad Thompson, is a great guy and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him to make this sponsorship happen. Chad stopped in the booth during the show in Vegas with another rider from the team (whose name I forgot- sorry) and both guys were very easy to talk with. Chad talked about the sponsorship proposal for a minute or two and then the three of us just talked about bikes and racing. It was really cool. Just think- these guys, if the UCI CT license works out, will be at races like Tour of Georgia, the new Tour of California, USPro and San Francisco. Damn! That gets me pretty excited.
I will have more cool news very soon. I promise. And since the bulk of my meetings are done for a while, I might be able to get back into a regular rhythm here again.
Tim
The Summit was a very successful exercise though, just as it was last year. Many great ideas were discussed and I didn't win all of my battles, but I came away knowing why. It always amuses me to hear the differences between what the sales reps say and what the retailers say- and even what we think and what we get told. The good news is that we will be developing a fixed gear recumbent trike for next season. I'm glad that battle was won.
Obviously the big news of the week was the signing of the pro team. I will have more team news later as well, as the ink dries on a couple of other deals. Team Inferno is an incredible group of riders and I am way, way, way beyond happy about this deal. I stammered and stumbled during our Summit as I made the announcement about the team because I was just too excited. Honestly... I am that much of a bike-nerd. Masi has such a wonderfully rich history in racing, after all- Masi built frames for Eddy Merckx and somebody else's decals were on the tubes. Now, I won't pretend that I am welding custom frames for Inferno, but the racing connection will yield some great feedback for future development. That's good news for everybody. I'll be able to get feedback from them on the development of a TT frame and the racing track frame as well. The team director, Chad Thompson, is a great guy and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him to make this sponsorship happen. Chad stopped in the booth during the show in Vegas with another rider from the team (whose name I forgot- sorry) and both guys were very easy to talk with. Chad talked about the sponsorship proposal for a minute or two and then the three of us just talked about bikes and racing. It was really cool. Just think- these guys, if the UCI CT license works out, will be at races like Tour of Georgia, the new Tour of California, USPro and San Francisco. Damn! That gets me pretty excited.
I will have more cool news very soon. I promise. And since the bulk of my meetings are done for a while, I might be able to get back into a regular rhythm here again.
Tim
Thursday, November 17, 2005
News Flash! (The wait is over...)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Tim Jackson, Masi Brand Manager
Masi Bicycles
tjackson@masibikes.com
Masi Bicycles signs sponsorship deal with Inferno Racing for 2006.
November 11, 2005- Vista, CA- Masi Bicycles and Inferno Racing ink sponsorship deal for the 2006 road racing season.
Masi Brand Manager Tim Jackson and Inferno Racing team manager Chad Thompson began a dialog that ultimately lead to team sponsorship during the bicycle industry tradeshow, Interbike, in Las Vegas in late September. “I was impressed by the professionalism of Chad and the team rider he had with him during the show when they stopped in the booth between visits with potential sponsors”, said Jackson. “We hit it off pretty quickly and the conversation turned from a sponsorship pitch from Chad to just talking about bikes and racing. That doesn’t happen often when you are talking with a Pro or Elite level team.”
Thompson had a similar version of the events as well, recollecting “we stopped in the booth while we were waiting to meet with another potential sponsor and ended up having a pretty fun conversation with Tim. In fact, while the bikes and their quality speak for themselves, representatives such as Mr. Jackson are very rare in this growing industry.”
Inferno, currently a Pro/Elite team, will be seeking one of the few UCI Continental Tour licenses issued to US domestic professional teams in 2006. All things look good for the team to be racing at all of the National Racing Calendar (NRC) events and potentially events like the Tour of Georgia, the new Tour of California and the USPRO Championships in Philadelphia, as well as all USCF Elite National Championship Events.
Masi will be providing the team with framesets for the season and hopes to be able to partner with the team to use their valuable feedback to further develop new and better bicycles for all Masi consumers.
“I really can’t quantify how excited I am about this deal”, offered Jackson. “This marks a big moment for the brand as we try to re-establish ourselves as one of the premiere road brands in the US. I am very optimistic about what the team can do and I look forward to reporting on some great racing.”
The Inferno Racing team website (www.infernoracing.org) is currently being updated with the final calendar, roster and sponsor information.
Masi bicycles have been ridden to victory by many champions for several decades and the brand looks to make a triumphant return to sponsoring professional/ elite level cycling teams.
Contact:
Tim Jackson, Masi Brand Manager
Masi Bicycles
tjackson@masibikes.com
Masi Bicycles signs sponsorship deal with Inferno Racing for 2006.
November 11, 2005- Vista, CA- Masi Bicycles and Inferno Racing ink sponsorship deal for the 2006 road racing season.
Masi Brand Manager Tim Jackson and Inferno Racing team manager Chad Thompson began a dialog that ultimately lead to team sponsorship during the bicycle industry tradeshow, Interbike, in Las Vegas in late September. “I was impressed by the professionalism of Chad and the team rider he had with him during the show when they stopped in the booth between visits with potential sponsors”, said Jackson. “We hit it off pretty quickly and the conversation turned from a sponsorship pitch from Chad to just talking about bikes and racing. That doesn’t happen often when you are talking with a Pro or Elite level team.”
Thompson had a similar version of the events as well, recollecting “we stopped in the booth while we were waiting to meet with another potential sponsor and ended up having a pretty fun conversation with Tim. In fact, while the bikes and their quality speak for themselves, representatives such as Mr. Jackson are very rare in this growing industry.”
Inferno, currently a Pro/Elite team, will be seeking one of the few UCI Continental Tour licenses issued to US domestic professional teams in 2006. All things look good for the team to be racing at all of the National Racing Calendar (NRC) events and potentially events like the Tour of Georgia, the new Tour of California and the USPRO Championships in Philadelphia, as well as all USCF Elite National Championship Events.
Masi will be providing the team with framesets for the season and hopes to be able to partner with the team to use their valuable feedback to further develop new and better bicycles for all Masi consumers.
“I really can’t quantify how excited I am about this deal”, offered Jackson. “This marks a big moment for the brand as we try to re-establish ourselves as one of the premiere road brands in the US. I am very optimistic about what the team can do and I look forward to reporting on some great racing.”
The Inferno Racing team website (www.infernoracing.org) is currently being updated with the final calendar, roster and sponsor information.
Masi bicycles have been ridden to victory by many champions for several decades and the brand looks to make a triumphant return to sponsoring professional/ elite level cycling teams.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
What have I done?
Lord, my inbox is practically overflowing with emails and blog posts about the track bike post from last night. Man, oh man...
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please keep'em coming though. Don't stop now.
Since I brought the whole thing up, I thought I would post a few pictures of the prototype frame I have been racing this year. I have posted these before, but I can not pinpoint when and where. SO rather than send you all on a goose-chase, I thought I'd put them all here for you. (Note; these are pictures of the proposed racing frame and not the frame that would potentially be used for the steel bike.)
This is the frame fresh out of the box. I requested that the frame be red, so it has the paint and decals from our entry-level road bike. It looks freakin' fast in this set up.
Check out the profile of the top tube. It has the same groove along the top and bottom of the top tube. This groove, I call it the "blood groove" like on a big hunting knife ("For slicing open the competition"- can you see the ads), helps to reduce the twisting of the head tube when you are sprinting... and it works, believe me.
Here's the complete bike on the night of it's maiden voyage. Ain't it purdy?
Another angle... you can't see how cool the stays are from this angle...
... but you get a better idea from this angle. See how the chainstays are square shaped? That is one very stiff back end.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please keep'em coming though. Don't stop now.
Since I brought the whole thing up, I thought I would post a few pictures of the prototype frame I have been racing this year. I have posted these before, but I can not pinpoint when and where. SO rather than send you all on a goose-chase, I thought I'd put them all here for you. (Note; these are pictures of the proposed racing frame and not the frame that would potentially be used for the steel bike.)
This is the frame fresh out of the box. I requested that the frame be red, so it has the paint and decals from our entry-level road bike. It looks freakin' fast in this set up.
Check out the profile of the top tube. It has the same groove along the top and bottom of the top tube. This groove, I call it the "blood groove" like on a big hunting knife ("For slicing open the competition"- can you see the ads), helps to reduce the twisting of the head tube when you are sprinting... and it works, believe me.
Here's the complete bike on the night of it's maiden voyage. Ain't it purdy?
Another angle... you can't see how cool the stays are from this angle...
... but you get a better idea from this angle. See how the chainstays are square shaped? That is one very stiff back end.So, once again, I humbly thank you for the overwhelming amount of responses I have gotten so far. I sincerely appreciate it and hope that they keep coming.
Tim
Friday, November 11, 2005
More bikes?
First off- you have no idea how much I get mocked for my blogging by my co-workers. Admittedly, it is because they are jealous. Most of them read the blog daily or nearly daily anyway. I know that by Monday I will be getting teased for my enthusiasm, but I'm thick-skinned enough to live with it...
We finished up the preliminary discussions on the next line of bikes today. Now I revise the initial preliminary line outline and then next week we throw it to the wolves during our Marketing Summit. Once the wolves get done picking the meat from the skeleton, I get to piece the scraps together and map out what will end up becoming a line of bikes. Now, it could happen that the line I came out of the meeting with today will be loved by the Summit attendees and will not require any further reworking... but I'm not foolish or arrogant enough to really believe that. However, I do feel pretty good about the direction we are heading in.
Next week will be a big one for me as I try to get the kind of feedback that will help to yield a stronger and better brand. The event last year was very successful and ultimately helped to create the current bikes that I am very proud of. I am hoping for more of the same this year.
Tim
We finished up the preliminary discussions on the next line of bikes today. Now I revise the initial preliminary line outline and then next week we throw it to the wolves during our Marketing Summit. Once the wolves get done picking the meat from the skeleton, I get to piece the scraps together and map out what will end up becoming a line of bikes. Now, it could happen that the line I came out of the meeting with today will be loved by the Summit attendees and will not require any further reworking... but I'm not foolish or arrogant enough to really believe that. However, I do feel pretty good about the direction we are heading in.
Next week will be a big one for me as I try to get the kind of feedback that will help to yield a stronger and better brand. The event last year was very successful and ultimately helped to create the current bikes that I am very proud of. I am hoping for more of the same this year.
Tim
Calling all trackies and fixie fanatics...
Here is your chance to prove a point. Here is your chance to have a direct impact on a bike brand. Trust me on this; you won't get an opportunity like this from another brand...
I need your help. If you like track bikes or fixed gear bikes, then drop me line and say so. I need your help to support adding a fixed gear bike and/ or a racing frame set. This is your chance...
If you would consider buying a Masi fixed gear or Masi track racing frame set, then post a comment here or simply send an email directly to me at tjackson@masibikes.com. There is no obligation to buy one, though I would certainly appreciate it if you did. I just need you to say you'd consider it if we offered the product. (Please no anonymous posts- I want to be able to reply to you and to prove that the posts are not all coming from me. Remember, this is going to my bosses so I can get my way- which is really your way.)
Tim
I need your help. If you like track bikes or fixed gear bikes, then drop me line and say so. I need your help to support adding a fixed gear bike and/ or a racing frame set. This is your chance...
If you would consider buying a Masi fixed gear or Masi track racing frame set, then post a comment here or simply send an email directly to me at tjackson@masibikes.com. There is no obligation to buy one, though I would certainly appreciate it if you did. I just need you to say you'd consider it if we offered the product. (Please no anonymous posts- I want to be able to reply to you and to prove that the posts are not all coming from me. Remember, this is going to my bosses so I can get my way- which is really your way.)
Tim
Yippee!
I don't exactly know where to start and I can't exactly say anything until the ink is totally dry...
BUT I got to extend an offer to a Pro team today! A Pro road team that will be at the major NRC events and is gunning to be at Tour of Georgia, Tour of California, San Francisco GP and USPro in Philly. Now, this isn't big news for some companies, but I'm not "some companies". For me, this is flat-out huge news! I can not tell you how excited I am about this and what I hope it means for the brand. It's a great group of guys and I am really looking forward to the coming year. Once the i's are all dotted and the "official" press release is written, I will be able to spill the full details. Wow!
On top of this great news, I also am in the process of trying to seal a deal with another team. The offer is there and I am just waiting for the reply. This particular team is a great group of riders as well and I think some great things could come from them too.
Please don't go thinking that I've suddenly come up with a huge budget to pull this all together. I have just gotten very lucky and have been able to get in touch with the right people at the right time. The stars aligned themselves in just such a way to facilitate this happening and I'm absolutely giddy. Like I said a few lines ago, this wouldn't be news to some other companies with deep pockets. Since I just barely even have pockets, this is huge.
More news to follow soon!
Tim
BUT I got to extend an offer to a Pro team today! A Pro road team that will be at the major NRC events and is gunning to be at Tour of Georgia, Tour of California, San Francisco GP and USPro in Philly. Now, this isn't big news for some companies, but I'm not "some companies". For me, this is flat-out huge news! I can not tell you how excited I am about this and what I hope it means for the brand. It's a great group of guys and I am really looking forward to the coming year. Once the i's are all dotted and the "official" press release is written, I will be able to spill the full details. Wow!
On top of this great news, I also am in the process of trying to seal a deal with another team. The offer is there and I am just waiting for the reply. This particular team is a great group of riders as well and I think some great things could come from them too.
Please don't go thinking that I've suddenly come up with a huge budget to pull this all together. I have just gotten very lucky and have been able to get in touch with the right people at the right time. The stars aligned themselves in just such a way to facilitate this happening and I'm absolutely giddy. Like I said a few lines ago, this wouldn't be news to some other companies with deep pockets. Since I just barely even have pockets, this is huge.
More news to follow soon!
Tim
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Gimme a B... Gimme a U... Gimme a S... Gimme a Y... Gimme a few minutes....
It's busy... really busy. Next week we have our yearly Marketing Summit. We bring a handful of our sales reps and then a handful of our retailers out to see us and discuss everything we do. We hear about the hits and misses and then we talk about how we can improve things and give them a sneak peak into our thinking for the upcoming line. The bills from Vegas aren't even paid yet and we're on to the next thing... it's a lengthy process that requires a lot of work and feedback from the folks out in the field. Needless to say, we have a lot of work ahead of us as we get prepared for this coming week. I've been putting the initial pegs in the holes and trying to pencil out the next series of bikes. No, I'm not leaking anything to you right now... well, except that I promise all the bikes will only have two wheels and none of them will be recumbents. There, now you know what's happening.
I had a great visit with my buddy Kendall from Ritchey yesterday. He had bags and bags of samples and we talked bikes and bike parts. Then we just talked. That's the best part of this goofy business; the people you get to know and befriend.
Roberto Heras? Tour of California? What do they have in common? The grim specter of doping. Heras is waiting for his B sample to be tested and hopefully clear him of the possibility of a doping suspension that would effectively end his career. The new Tour of California is sponsored by Amgen, who makes EPO. EPO, the very drug that has been at the center of so many drug controversies in sport, especially cycling. On the one hand, I think it was savvy of Amgen to try and give a positive spin on their image, related to cycling. On the other hand, what on earth were they and the organizers thinking? I am really torn over this because a race is going to happen, that might not otherwise. Still, it's kind of like letting Smith & Wesson sponsor the high school football team at Columbine. "We're sorry. Here's some money."
Ok, I have to go again. There are other things I was going to talk about, but I can't remember and I have way to much staring at me that is time sensitive. Gotta run...
Tim
I had a great visit with my buddy Kendall from Ritchey yesterday. He had bags and bags of samples and we talked bikes and bike parts. Then we just talked. That's the best part of this goofy business; the people you get to know and befriend.
Roberto Heras? Tour of California? What do they have in common? The grim specter of doping. Heras is waiting for his B sample to be tested and hopefully clear him of the possibility of a doping suspension that would effectively end his career. The new Tour of California is sponsored by Amgen, who makes EPO. EPO, the very drug that has been at the center of so many drug controversies in sport, especially cycling. On the one hand, I think it was savvy of Amgen to try and give a positive spin on their image, related to cycling. On the other hand, what on earth were they and the organizers thinking? I am really torn over this because a race is going to happen, that might not otherwise. Still, it's kind of like letting Smith & Wesson sponsor the high school football team at Columbine. "We're sorry. Here's some money."
Ok, I have to go again. There are other things I was going to talk about, but I can't remember and I have way to much staring at me that is time sensitive. Gotta run...
Tim
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