So you want to be a MERIDA sponsored athlete?

Are you keen to take your biking career to the next level? Wicked! We’ve created a guide for you to follow if you’re keen to kickstart your pro career.

Step One

Build a good relationship with your local MERIDA dealer

If you already have a history with your local bike shop then that’s great! See how else you can support them, maybe by attending any events they’re hosting or recommending them to anyone you know who might be on the market for a new bike. If you don’t already have a relationship with your local MERIDA dealer that’s okay – it’s not too hard to build one. It might sound obvious but if you’re looking for a new bike then have a look at purchasing one through them. Otherwise look at purchasing any extra parts and accessories through them and taking your bike to them for maintenance when needed. Attend as many of their events as you can, follow them on social media and, of course, if you need a bit of a bike fix then head on into their store for a visit and say hi.

Step Two

Create a riding resume

Have you competed in races and competitions? Add that in. Have you volunteered at biking events? Add that in, even if you’re a mountain biker and have volunteered at triathlons or vice versa. Have you been involved in and helped out the local biking community? Add that in. Everyone progresses through their biking career at a different pace so if in making your resume you realise you’re lacking in any area then that’s okay, find out how you can fix that and add it in. Now’s also a good time to reflect on your short-term and long-term goals as a rider, what you aim to get out of a sponsorship and how your sponsorship could benefit your local bike shop. Compile all of this into a simple proposal and ta-da, there’s your riding resume!

Step Three

Make contact with the owner of your local bike shop

The most important thing here is to always keep it professional. Make sure that your riding resume has been proofread to perfection and take it into the owner of your local bike shop. Give them a chance to read it and if they’re keen then congratulations! If not then that’s okay too, ask if they have any feedback for you. Nobody builds a career overnight so see if they have any suggestions on where you can improve. It’s always a good idea to push yourself to be more involved in your local biking community and to perform better in races and competitions, plus you can always apply again in the future. There might also be factors that are out of your control such as the store already having all of their sponsored athletes for that year. If that is the case try to get in contact with these athletes and support them however you can. They might have some advice too and there’s no such thing as having too many connections in the biking industry. Good luck!

Our Athletes

In need of some inspiration? Check out the stories of our very own Holly Harris, Izzy Flint and Tasman Nankervis.

Read more about Holly Harris here.

Read more about Izzy Flint here.

Read more about Tasman Nankervis here.