Red Truck has announced the launch of its new sports marketplace at redtruck.com designed to connect athletes, fans, brands and causes through the exchange of professional quality gear and the sharing of stories, while helping to benefit good causes.
As outlined by Michael Bergmann, President of the Red Truck Group, Red Truck enables athletes and brands to monetize their excess gear and to donate a portion of the proceeds to the cause of their choice. In return, both Red Truck and the selected cause ‘become champions for the athletes and brands, working to tell their stories and promote their accomplishments’. The result is positioned as ‘a reliable community that creates positive social change by reflecting on the deeper human stories within our celebration of sport’.
Prior to launching Red Truck, Michael Bergmann spent 30 years collaborating with athletes on product development and pushing forward global sustainability efforts at Nike. Red Truck was built from Bergmann’s dream to rescue high-quality items from dusty garages, create new value for both athletes and causes, and find loving new owners. The company’s mission has been embraced by the bicycling community – and Bergmann is actively engaging with athletes and brands in a variety of sports, such as golf, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, and fishing.
Through an online marketplace, Red Truck website visitors view specs, features and photos of each bicycle, read inspiring stories about how the gear was used by an athlete to train, win races or championships, and discover what charitable organization receives a portion of the sale (a minimum of 5%). The bicycle is then registered to the new owner through Bike Index and shipped to its new home by BikeFlights. Bergmann noted that Red Truck is dedicated to providing a superior customer experience, and has named former Elite Cyclist Steve Remy as its Athlete Garage Manager.
Bergmann pointed to early partnerships with CAF, Monster Media Racing, and Masi Bicycles that ‘demonstrate the ease in which Red Truck is able to connect different players and create partnerships that benefit everyone involved.’
“Red Truck is creating an ecosystem that is driven initially by our trusted online marketplace that elevates athletes as their own brands, creating a connection to tell their stories and sell their premium lightly used gear,” Michael Bergmann said. “The proceeds of those sales will benefit a cause and/or help the athlete in the pursuit of excellence. We see Red Truck as creating positive social change through sport by leveraging gear that is underutilized, providing access to high quality product to those aspiring to be like their heroes and helping foundations along the way.”
Red Truck has announced a number of athletes have become brand ambassadors and will have bicycles and gear for sale, including women’s professional cyclists Lily Williams (Supermint Pro Cycling); Lauren Hall (United Healthcare), Amber Pierce (Team Cannondale) along with former pros Mike Olheiser, Inga Thompson, Phil Tintsman, Katherine Bertine and Chris DeMarchi.
Red Truck is also working with partners Monster Media Racing, with 11 chapters and over 400 cyclists worldwide, which is offering team bicycles and gear for sale; as well as Masi Bicycles, BH Bikes USA, Del Sol and Mercury Wheels. Charitable organizations benefiting from Red Truck sales include the Inga Thompson Foundation, Tunica Humane Society, Homestretch Foundation, Sam Day Foundation, Trips for Kids, Children’s Cancer Association, Bikes for Kids, Michael J. Fox Foundation, One More Wave, United Healthcare Children’s Foundation, and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).
“We applaud how Red Truck is providing a platform for all athletes to tell their stories, connect with communities through their existing social media and raise awareness for inclusion in sports at all levels,” said Nancy Reynolds, Senior Director of Business Development for CAF. “We see this as a mutually beneficial relationship that will help us raise awareness and funds through a new community of athletes that also believe in providing opportunity and inclusion in sports to make the world a better place.”
“I wanted to use Red Truck, because of the increased exposure to sell my gear; and what a great cause to support Challenged athletes,” said Mike Olheiser, whose Red Truck page is located online.
“Aside from emphasizing a deeper human element to sport (e.g. athlete stories and associations with worthy causes), Red Truck is also looking to create a deeper connection with the gear itself through tracing the provenance of each item sold (e.g. this bike won a National Championship) and was purchased by another athlete who then realized her dream of turning pro,” said Red Truck ambassador Amber Pierce.
Red Truck will be cultivating fans, ambassadors, gear and causes with attendance at the upcoming Canyon Belgium Waffle Ride, on April 15 in north San Diego County, and Sea Otter Classic, April 19-22 in Monterey, California.
