On his quest to help athletes promote their own brand, Red Truck founder Michael Bergmann decided to build a platform where athletes could not only tell their stories and connect with fans, but also rescue high-quality items from piling up in dusty garages. As most pro athletes have access to new gear year after year, Bergmann decided to create a marketplace where this lightly used gear could go to an appreciative new home, while donating to a good cause in the process.
Red Truck is initially partnering with Monster Media Racing, which has 20 chapters and over 400 cyclists on their team around the world. As the team is sponsored by MASI, they have the opportunity to purchase new team bikes every year. Last year’s bikes will be sold through Red Truck, with at least 5% of every sale going to the Challenged Athletes Foundation and other foundations that the company has partnered with.
Over on the Red Truck website, you can view specs, features and photos of the bikes for sale (they have more than MASI at the moment), read inspiring stories about how the gear was used by that specific athlete to train, win races or championships, and discover what charitable organization receives a portion of the sale (a minimum of five percent).
For example, you can get a custom carbon Unovelo TT bike that Kathryn Bertine raced on in the World Championships and Tour of the Gila for $2,400. Once purchased, the bike is then registered to you through Bike Index and shipped to your home by Bike Flights (included in the price).
Red Truck is starting with cycling but they are speaking to groups across all kinds of sports including triathlon, surf, ski, golf, sport fishing and even music, hoping to eventually bring them onto the platform.