Time Pedals ad -- the (commercial) narrative has truly changed

[Big Doopie]

looking through a cycling mag today at newsstand. full page ad for time pedals.

picture on top of lemond holding the trophy for his third tdf.

in big letters next to him: "BETTER THAN DOPING".

so sweet.

 

[MarkvW]

looking through a cycling mag today at newsstand. full page ad for time pedals.

picture on top of lemond holding the trophy for his third tdf.

in big letters next to him: "BETTER THAN DOPING".

so sweet.

Yeah! Things are "better now!" Cycling's "turned the page!"

 

[Big Doopie]

Yeah! Things are "better now!" Cycling's "turned the page!"

Seriously?

Not my point at all. Get a grip, f$&kw&@!

 

[Berzin]

Any way you can post a photo of the ad? It would be interesting to see.

As for everyone else, if you must bicker amongst yourselves, do it via pm.

 

[Big Doopie]

Tried googling the ad when I got home - unsuccessfully. I'll be back there tomorrow. See if I can get it with my iPhone.

 

[D-Queued]

Tried googling the ad when I got home - unsuccessfully. I'll be back there tomorrow. See if I can get it with my iPhone.

I have a copy, but haven't gotten around to putting it online. Hopefully, given my poor performance, you beat me to it.

Dave.

 

[MarkvW]

This is a sign that Cycling is better now! That it's turned the page!

 

[Big Doopie]

This is a sign that Cycling is better now! That it's turned the page!

not necessarily. perhaps even the opposite.

i think it's fascinating that time pedals felt it needed to go back 23 years to find a symbol that would encourage people to buy their product.

not sure what it says about today. wasn't the point of this thread whatsoever, so i'm not sure why you are determined to try to derail it (after having already one post deleted).

it's just nice to see previously persona non grata (lemond) getting an ad campaign, and armstrong having been dropped by everyone.

a little more justice that the world can always use. that's all.

cheers.

 

[MarkvW]

The commercial narrative hasn't changed. Sponsors still sell winning and bike racers still dope to win. My comment is just my way of saying that I'm not seeing any change here.

I'm not trying to derail your thread.

 

[alitogata]

looking through a cycling mag today at newsstand. full page ad for time pedals.

picture on top of lemond holding the trophy for his third tdf.

in big letters next to him: "BETTER THAN DOPING".

so sweet.

I just don't see what is so sweet and why you think that the commercial narrative has changed.. I think it is all the same..
Do you mean that they mentioned doping? I think they couldn't do something different after all that happened.. On the other hand I find this ad a little bit tragic. Usually a pro rider advertises a product. Now they can't find a non doped one and they used Lemond.. I don't know ... I find this tragic for a ( any) sport.. Not having new faces with a good reputation to advertise your products.. Tragic..

 

[Weapons of @ss Destruction]

I think it's an excellent preemptive shot across the bow from the manufacturer side. There's been much talk about how sponsors are enabling doping, and how the majority of them only pull the plug on their athlete reps when it's already too late. This demonstrates to the teams and peloton that the gravy train may start to chug to a halt unless the sport cleans up its act.

 

[alitogata]

I think it's an excellent preemptive shot across the bow from the manufacturer side. There's been much talk about how sponsors are enabling doping, and how the majority of them only pull the plug on their athlete reps when it's already too late. This demonstrates to the teams and peloton that the gravy train may start to chug to a halt unless the sport cleans up its act.

Have the athletes that Time sponsored ever got caught doped of not? If they were caught an ad like this looks more like a disclaimer. If not it looks like provocation for other competitive companies. On both cases I find an ad like this shameful for the sport because by mentioning doping allows anyone to think that doping is the rule and no doping is the exception.. I'm not sure if I wrote properly what I want to say now, it is very early in the morning and I'm a little bit sleepy now.. but I hope you got my point.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Well, I have to say that I a) am a Lemond fan and b) am a fan of Time pedals for the road.

On the MTB, I switched over to the XTR pedals. Super happy with those.

 

[northstar]

What goes around comes around. Lemond used Time pedals in his 1989 TdF win. And now the company is using him in an ad campaign. It only took 24 years.

There’s a risk using a retired cyclist from the doping era as many cycling consumers today do not want to be reminded of the dirty past. Good for Time Sport for taking the risk. I haven’t seen the ad but the words ‘better than doping’ with a picture of Lemond is a strong statement for clean cycling IMO. It’s controversial as well but that’s what sells.
.

 

[Weapons of @ss Destruction]

I find an ad like this shameful for the sport because by mentioning doping allows anyone to think that doping is the rule and no doping is the exception.

I find your post shameful. It's your own little dose of omerta. You read the ad as saying that all riders dope. That's your interpretation, not what it says. I read it as saying that the last couple of decades have had major doping issues. Seem bang on to me.

 

[lightclimber]

Peloton Magazine, issue 19, Page 33.

Thank you Time for running this ad.

 

[D-Queued]

What goes around comes around. Lemond used Time pedals in his 1989 TdF win. And now the company is using him in an ad campaign. It only took 24 years.

There’s a risk using a retired cyclist from the doping era as many cycling consumers today do not want to be reminded of the dirty past. Good for Time Sport for taking the risk. I haven’t seen the ad but the words ‘better than doping’ with a picture of Lemond is a strong statement for clean cycling IMO. It’s controversial as well but that’s what sells.
.

It didn't take them 24 years.

LeMond introduced clipless pedals into the pro peloton.

He used Time pedals and originally used Time shoes as well. He then switched to Carnac shoes with Time pedals.

This is not the first time that he has been used to promote Time products.

Dave.

 

[RobbieCanuck]

... i think it's fascinating that time pedals felt it needed to go back 23 years to find a symbol that would encourage people to buy their product. not sure what it says about today.

What it says is pretty obvious. Manufacturers of cycling gear and their advertising agencies have a very clear understanding as to how destructive two decades of serial doping have had on the integrity of the sport.

Who wants to be associated with Trek or Nike after their abysmal judgment in selecting advertising role models.

The reality is Liestrong and the others, with the wilfull blindness of the UCI (McQuaid) have dragged the sport into the muck. This is why RadioShack is bailing. Others will do the same. Others advertisers who would otherwise advertise in the sport won't touch it.

Yet there is no movement to challenge McQuaid's Presidency. Garmin keeps hiring riders who have doped or were suspended for whereabouts violations. Other teams continue to hire past dopers. Other teams have DSs that doped. The clear message from the riders, the teams, the management and sponsors is they don't care about the integrity of the sport. They just stick their head in the sand hoping history will pass them by. Well it won't.

Cycling is down to its last bottle of oxygen.

 

[ultimobici]

It didn't take them 24 years.

LeMond introduced clipless pedals into the pro peloton.

He used Time pedals and originally used Time shoes as well. He then switched to Carnac shoes with Time pedals.

This is not the first time that he has been used to promote Time products.

Dave.

Not quite, that was Bernie!

 

[horsinabout]

Well, I have to say that I a) am a Lemond fan and b) am a fan of Time pedals for the road.

On the MTB, I switched over to the XTR pedals. Super happy with those.

Bingo! the PR brigade knew you were out there. They made the connection, to appeal to nostalgia, clean image rider with tried and tested product.

I hate all modern bicycle equipment, it is all made of plastic.....as a measure of how souless cycling has now become.

 

[GPdesAmeriques]

It didn't take them 24 years.

LeMond introduced clipless pedals into the pro peloton.

He used Time pedals and originally used Time shoes as well. He then switched to Carnac shoes with Time pedals.

This is not the first time that he has been used to promote Time products.

Dave.

If you look at the photos of LeMond from 1989 he is wearing Time shoes (and a toe strap!) but with the branding removed, so I imagine that sponsorship restrictions would have preventing him being used in ads then.

From what I remember, the "Look Who's Switched To Time" ads from the late 80s featured riders and teams who were sponsored for both the shoe and pedal (e.g. Delgado.)

 

[thehog]

If you look at the photos of LeMond from 1989 he is wearing Time shoes (and a toe strap!) but with the branding removed, so I imagine that sponsorship restrictions would have preventing him being used in ads then.

From what I remember, the "Look Who's Switched To Time" ads from the late 80s featured riders and teams who were sponsored for both the shoe and pedal (e.g. Delgado.)

The toe strap was around the shoe. In those days the shoes Velcro closure system was poor. It would bust open all the time when you got out of e saddle.

 

[ultimobici]

If you look at the photos of LeMond from 1989 he is wearing Time shoes (and a toe strap!) but with the branding removed, so I imagine that sponsorship restrictions would have preventing him being used in ads then.

From what I remember, the "Look Who's Switched To Time" ads from the late 80s featured riders and teams who were sponsored for both the shoe and pedal (e.g. Delgado.)

Hardly. Lemond was considered a has been in 89. His team thought they could stiff him for his salary, so I doubt anyone was queuing up to pay him endorsement money. As for his shoes being debranded, it's more likely due to the modifications he used to have done. I seem to remember him saying he was a 45 front with a 42 rear. Besides, debranding a Time shoe was pointless as they were instantly recognisable.

 

[Potomac]

So is this the first advert refers to PEDs?

 

[Big Doopie]

Peloton Magazine, issue 19, Page 33.

Thank you Time for running this ad.

thanks for posting the pic, lightclimber.

also thanks to those here for picking up on the discussion that was intended.

cheers.