Wondering Out Loud: Who is the most famous pro mountain biker?
Posted: December 27th, 2007 by PinchieWhat do pro cyclists do after the sun sets on their racing days? Well, some — like Brian Lopes or Tinker Juarez — continue to race against the sun. But others develop bike brands like, say, Eddie Merckx, Greg Lemond, or John Tomac. This article at Bicycle Retail News has some nice insights into what it takes to succeed as a cyclist-turned-entrpreneur.
But I was struck by this interesting point made by Hans “All the Way” Rey:
Rey, 41, said he’s not very interested in starting his own brand, and would only consider it if things really fell into place. “As we all know, it takes many other factors than a name to have a successful brand,” Rey said. “Mountain biking is a sport that doesn’t have as big, popular and mainstream names as Tony Hawk or Mat Hoffman.”
Rey may be right– after all, running a business requires, y’know, actually running a business. But he did provoke this thought: If Hans Rey doesn’t own the biggest name in mountain biking, who does? (It helps that he has all those freestyling skills that appeal to the Dave Mirra groupies.) I think Rey underestimates his brand recognition.
Photo courtesy of HansRey.com
January 1st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Hans is his own brand. He doesn’t need to sell products because he can make a lot more money getting sponsorships, something he’s very good at. Hans is also a very good businessman in the sense that he has changed his “product” to reflect the changing times in the sport. He’s successfully morphed from superstar MTB “No Way ” trials rider to stoner hippie MTB dude (as in the groundbreaking TREAD videos) to his current role as international adventure rider who goes to incredible places to ride and spread bike culture.
I’m not sure that Hans underestimates his impact, its just that he’s a real, humble guy who the same on and off the bike.
That said, I think Ned Overend is the biggest name in the sport and he’s done quite well for himself by staying with Specialized all these years. At 50, he’s still racing and winning is almost every genre of bike racing. Away from the Big Red S his Boure’ clothing line is top-notch (custom thermal bib knickers? They got ‘em) .