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Wanted: 6 Highland Fling riders who want to get Lean and Fast.
Hi there - we are NobMob's newest affiliate - a new MTB team. This is the first public release of info about this team, with a website and official launch to follow in the coming weeks.
A New Team Concept
Clean Racing is a new MTB team, and a new concept. We’re on the lookout for up and coming elite riders to support, but we’re also opening the team up to all other riders. It's different, because the team is funded through product purchases made by the team members. So it’s a “crowd-sourcing” -funded MTB team.
Why?
For a few years now I've had a pipe dream to start an MTB team, to help young/ up and coming elite riders. I really wanted to put something back into the sport that's given me so much. I looked at sponsoring a team through my own business, then approached a nutrition company about sponsorship. This idea grew out of conversations with the nutrition company, and now we're ready to launch.
How does it work?
You can join as an elite or non-elite member. As a non-elite member, you just need a desire to go faster on your bike by reducing your weight, and improving your energy, training and nutrition.
What you’ll get
Structured training and good nutrition, along with professional advice, will make you faster. So here’s what you’ll get as a Clean Racing team member:
Now:
• A structured training plan, tailored to your fitness level and goals
• Nutrition and supplements – very high quality products, and lots of them
• Regular support by phone and face-to-face meetings to make sure you achieve your goals
• You’ll be part of a community of riders with the same focus – to get leaner and faster
After the official launch, you'll also be entitled to:
• Training days with the elite team members
• Info nights with guest speakers (like elite riders, sport nutritionists, coaches)
• A chance to feature in a documentary-style, short promotional video – but only if you consent.
Your coach
Your structured training plan and support will come from James Lamb, our head coach and mentor. James is a very fit guy. He’s an elite rider, past 24-solo nationals age champion, Croc Trophy 2010 finisher and the senior cycling coach at Cycle Studio in Balgowlah Heights. He’s also a personal trainer, and is in the final stages of a degree in sports coaching. James is also coaching the upcoming Wild Horizons Fling Training weekend.
Founding members
We're looking for at least 6 founding members to help us launch the team. With the Fling less than 3 months away, riders wanting to improve their times in this race would be ideal. But if you’re not racing the Fling that’s OK – let us know your goals and we’ll see how we can help.
Our system basically guarantees you'll lose weight in the first 4 weeks, so it would be great if some of our founding members are people who need to shed a few excess kgs - ideally between 3kgs & 15kgs.
The Cost
You get membership to the team by making minimum monthly product purchases:
• $145 per week for the first 4 weeks
• $45 per week from week 5 onwards
If your goal is weight loss, then you'll probably find your membership is basically free, since a lot of the product you'll be receiving is meal replacements. And you'll need to give up alcohol and coffee for the first 4 weeks (stay with me here, I know it sounds scary). A $10 lunch each day, 2 coffees, and a beer each night in savings will pretty much cover the $145 per week in the first 4 weeks.
What's really unique about this team is that 100% of your membership fee goes toward product purchases - supplements, protein drinks etc. (this is where the "crowd sourcing" idea kicks in). You're never locked into membership either - at any time you can just stop purchasing product and your membership automatically goes on hold. If you decide to make purchases in the future your membership automatically restarts when you hit the minimum spend.
Your Success
Our training and nutrition system is very structured, and only works if you're committed to sticking to it. So we need founding members who are 100% committed to following the program. But we’re here to help you - as well as all the nutrition products, you’ll be getting a lot of attention and advice that most athletes pay a lot of money for, including support from some very knowledgeable people. For example, one of our advisors is a sports nutritionist who's clients include Jana Pitman. We want you to achieve spectacular results so that we can use your success to attract more riders and grow the team.
The Guarantee - Money Back
We guarantee you’ll lose weight and get faster. You’ll need to pay the first 4 weeks up front (by credit card), but if you're not seeing improvement you're happy with within 30 days we'll give you a 100% refund. In fact even if you are seeing improvement, but decide you don't want to continue, we'll give you a 100% refund, no questions asked. The program will only work if you're 100% motivated and committed to it.
Free membership
There is also a way you can get your membership for free (free products and membership) by referring other riders to the team.
Info night
If you're interested, we're holding an info night in North Ryde on Monday September 1 at 7pm. James and I will be there, and we'll run through our plans for the team, show you the products, explain the training plans etc. No obligation and no pressure - we know this is not for everyone.
Will this work?
I have been testing the nutrition system myself, and am now 80 days into the program. The results for me have been well beyond what I expected. But more about that at the info night.
Whether you decide to join or not, it's a great opportunity to catch up with a few fellow Fling riders (I'm doing my 10th Fling this year) and talk about mountain biking in general. And if you don't want to be one of our founding members, you'll still have the opportunity to join in the coming weeks when we officially launch.
If this opportunity is not for you but for someone that you know, feel free to pass the message on to them.
If you'd like to register for the info night or ask any questions please PM me.
Cheers,
JP
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I'm not booked in for the fling but this sounds interesting.
Hey Andrew,
You're welcome to come to the info night next Monday evening - we're launching the team by putting together a group with a common goal to go through the process together, but we can certainly accommodate non-flingers as well. I just need to stagger the sign-ups so that we don't overload James (coach) - he's a very busy man!
Cheers,
JP
Where about in north ryde?
At my office in Delhi Road Ross - I'll PM the address to you.
Cheers.
What kind of time commitment is there each week to training??
Jason
Hey Jason,
Your training plan will be tailored for you - so you tell us what time you have available for training, and James will write a plan to suit. The idea is to add structure to your training, not volume, so that you are using your time the most effective way. It's also important that we keep it fun!
Cheers,
JP
Sounds interesting . How does the team area come into play?
B
Hi Bails,
Like most teams we will recruit elite riders (with a focus on “up and coming” riders) who will be sponsored by our team. With most teams the sponsorship comes in the form of free kit and (some) cash from the sponsors. With our team, the sponsorship will come in the form of cash and nutrition products. The cash will come from nutrition product purchases made by the team members. It’s a more sustainable model than traditional team structures, where it’s hard for the sponsor to measure the benefit they’re getting.
The other key difference with our team is that as a non-elite team member, you get access to training events and you can race in our team colours (racing kit coming soon…). So the non-elite members get to be part of the team and develop their own fitness and skills. The elite riders will “give back” to the team by assisting with training days and events.
Cheers,
JP
Is James across the different requirements for older athletes (eg supermasters)?
... obviously not. There seems to be some requirement to abstain from alcohol and coffee for a few weeks......
Sounds cool...
Is there a lower age limit? If possible, I may get my 17 year old son Ben into this - he's a keen and very capable & quick rider...he's done the Fling trails and some local advanced rider training with a renowned trainer at a Bundanoon camp....
Please let me know.
Cheers,
Hans (phone in the profile)
Ohhh man....I'm not into these 100km races....but love the team 24 hr concept.
I could really use a plan.... motivation to stay off the alchol & cancer sticks.
I'm having a serious soul search here.
@ Hawkeye - yes, James has worked with riders of all ages over the last 10 years. I am 47 so probably a similar age to you.
@ Hans - 17 is fine, but being under 18 Ben will need to sign up under you.
@ Stan - interestingly I have been drinking a lot less alcohol since going on the program, but not really missing it. I tend to have one or two quality Belgian beers now and then instead of a couple of lagers each night. I used to be a pretty big drinker up until a couple of years ago. The initial 30 days "cleanses" your system and your tastes change.
Cheers,
JP
I've just bought a couple of power meters with a view to working with a coach.
On the nutritional side, I prefer to avoid milk product due to the impacts on lungs and sinus. Is this likely to be an issue with some of the meal replacements (eg protein shakes)?
I love using a power meter
Hawkeye - the protein shakes are an integral part of the program, and the protein is milk based. That said, I used to avoid milk due to digestive issues but I'm fine with these shakes.
for me most milk product is a no go. Worse, so is caffeine (common in weight loss product as an appetite suppressant)
.
For my post ride recovery drinks I use a (not cheap) rice based vegan protein product that comes from the US. (I'm not vegan.)
If we can work around these issues with some substitutes you have a good chance of getting me on board.
Why would they be integral to the programme?
@ Hawkeye - I'm sure it's possible to work around. I will have a product expert there on Monday night so we can ask her what the options are - she has no doubt come across this in the past.
@ Matt - good question. Our concept is based on a combination of nutrition and training to get faster, and weight loss is a key part of it. The nutrition system starts with a 30-day cleanse - so lots of supplements in addition to healthy food. Then after 30 days you choose how you want to continue - what supplements you want to continue with. What's really different about our team is the way we fund it - you gain membership to the team by purchasing products, and the product purchases fund the team. I'll explain it in detail on Monday night.
Cheers.
Thanks for the quick response.
Working on the presumption that the other supplements supplied by the nutritional company will be an integral part of the programme, are you able to provide their name (PM will be fine). I'd be keen to do some research on them and in particular the studies that they have published.
@ Hawkeye. Some info on the AIS website re protein: http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factshee...
It might help you in finding sources other than dairy.
No problem Matt, the supplements are from Isagenix - www.teamisagenix.com.
WOW!!!
Theres some very "interesting" info out there on the interweb about Isagenix.
Are you a distributor / have any affiliation (other than the MTB team)?
Hey Matt,
Yes, there are a lot of opinions. To be expected I guess, since Isagenix is growing rapidly in a very competitive market. I first came across it 2 years ago, so it took me a while to decide to try it. But I've been extremely happy with the results I've achieved so far.
Anyone who buys Isagenix products can also distribute/ sell them, although only about 10% do. I have never sold any. But the network distribution structure lends itself perfectly to funding and growing our team, which is where the whole idea came from.
As for affiliation - Isagenix has been a client of mine for a couple of years - I have a video production company, and we've shot and edited some videos for them.
Cheers.
Isagenix. Hmmm.
This result came up in a simple Google search, among others. It draws attention to basic maths fails, together with failure to establish premises that are relied upon in the conclusion. Add to this the fact it is funded by the company and other conflicts of interest, these fatally compromise the credibility of the so-called peer reviewed study.
http://ancestral-nutrition.com/an-unbiased-revie...
Isagenix is a multilevel marketing company like Amway. This doesn't smell right on several levels, and where my health is concerned I'm done taking risks.
Seen too many of these MLM schemes, and not one of them has met the claims made when I've taken a closer look under the hood. They're only any good if you get on the train early and get others underneath you in the pyramid.
At least now we know more about what's actually driving this offer. Thanks for answering the questions jp but it would have been preferable to disclose this up front.
The penny just dropped on the hook line used in the thread title.
Its a cute variation on those signs you used to see nailed up on street light poles selling diet schemes. "Wanted: 6 people to (lose weight/do something else) fast!"
Nice work jp.
I wonder if I'm the only one feeling stupid about now.
Hey Hawkeye,
To be honest, my initial response to Isagenix two years ago was similar to yours. The fact that it was sold through multi-level marketing put me off, and the way it was marketed (very American) didn't sit well with me. It took 2 years for me to be convinced to try it. For me, the results have been well beyond what I expected - I am significantly faster, with no change in my training routine.
But you're absolutely right to look at this with a critical eye Hawkeye - when we go on a nutrition program like Isagenix (or any other program) we are putting a lot of faith in the company, and their efficacy. To some extent it's a leap of faith, but we should all do our own homework before we commit to anything like this. I certainly did.
I also saw some negative articles online that put me off, but when I read reviews by people who have actually tried the system, they were overwhelmingly very positive. Many professional athletes - people like Jana Pitmann - swear by Isagenix. In fact Jana will only work with Nutritionists who include Isagenix in their programs.
Multi-level marketing is not for everyone, and I personally have no intention of trying to make a business out of selling products to my friends and colleagues. But the idea of using the MLM structure to fund a team just seemed to make sense. So I'm committed to giving this concept a go. Like any new venture it's costing me money - web hosting, marketing (including being a NobMob affiliate) etc. I know there will be detractors along the way, but that's OK - if I can help fund the career of even one aspiring young rider, it will have been worthwhile.
For those who decide to join the team I think we have a very strong offering. I paid $330 last year to go on a training weekend. FTP training charges up to $440 a month for training programs and phone support. Clean Racing members will be entitled to a similar level of coaching and support included with their product purchases. We have James Lamb on board as our head coach - and he is in my opinion one of our country's leading experts on cycling fitness. So I think our offer is better value than anything else in the market right now - but I'm happy to be challenged on that.
Should I have disclosed the affiliation with Isagenix sooner? Maybe, but like I said, the "American" style marketing they use doesn't sit that well with me, and we are offering a lot more than just their products. Clean Racing is not about "hard sell" - it's about presenting the information and letting people decide for themselves.
Bundling training and coaching services with product, through an existing MLM structure is a new concept, and I don't believe it has been tried before, at least in the Australian cycling community. That's why the money back guarantee was an important aspect for me - people can try it without risk. If we don't deliver results, they can get a refund. But I'm quietly confident we won't need to be giving refunds.
I certainly welcome any questions or criticism - I'm very keen to get this right and make it a success. I look forward to lots more feedback on Monday night.
Cheers.
JP
Yep, there are a couple of videos of her preaching to the faithful.
I've personally known quite a few pro athletes, including a couple of the top 16 in the ASP world pro surfing tour. What products they use and endorse tends to be dictated by who pays them.
Although, I do know of a few instances when the equipment supplied by their sponsor was not up to scratch, and they simply put their sponsor's stickers over a decal-free board shaped by somebody else.
Once again your thoughts here are very similar to my initial reaction Hawkeye - I was very cynical about the videos, and critical of them.
When I started working for Isagenix as a video producer I asked if they would be interested in sponsoring up and coming MTB riders. They said they have a company policy of not sponsoring any athletes- apparently all the athletes buy their own products. Many of them (like Jana) go on to build their own business distributing and selling Isagenix as a way of funding their own careers. I met a young guy called Neil Berry who is an Aussie Marathon runner working towards Olympic selection. He originally tried Isagenix, on advice from a health care professional, as a way to overcome major digestive issues, and for a long time he just paid for and used the products. After some time he decided to start distributing/ selling Isagenix, and was eventually able to quit his job at the Apple Store, free up more training time and fund his own career. So he makes a good income from Isagenix and he's not reliant on any sponsors now. He's also a really genuine young bloke, and it was following my meeting with him that I finally decided to try the program for myself. It also got me wondering how I can help young MTBers fund their own careers, rather than be reliant on sponsors coming and going each year. Which brings me to where I am today, launching Clean Racing.
... for making my point.
Of course she insists on her nutritionists work with Isagenix products.
Well I can't speak for Jana, but I have put a lot of thought, and time, into researching sponsorship options.
Most athletes pick up a sponsor, and are paid to say good things about the products. Like you said above, and you make a very good point Hawkeye... they might not actually like or use the product, but they endorse it because they need the money. Chances are they'll be endorsing a competing product one day, but we accept that athletes need the money and do what they need to do. The best case scenario is they pick up a sponsor that really helps them with their career - like Dan and Bec being picked up by Trek - one minute they're sleeping in the back of a car, next minute Dan is number 3 in the world. But those opportnitites are few and far between for Aussie athletes. So what do the rest of them do? Well a few, like Jana, find a product they're willing to back and take the initiative to fund their own careers. Isagenix is only one example... there are plenty of others.
But back to Clean Racing: when I decided to start a team, and saw Isagenix as a way of funding it, I had to try it for myself first. No way I'm going to encourage others to use a product I don't believe in. And those values will continue as we grow the team. For example, James Lamb is not being paid to coach our founding team memebers - he insists on remaining independent for now, so that he can observe and document the results and then decide whether to continue with us long term. Like me, he will only endorse a program he believes in. He is familiar with Isagenix, and knows other athletes who use it, but hasn't tried it himself yet.
Hawkeye I appreciate you taking the time to raise the issues you've raised here - on the eve of our launch, you've helped me understand what people's concerns might be. This is a new ventrure, I've put a lot of thought, time and planning (and some money) into it. I want every team member to feel like they are getting value, and most importantly results from this, so that it will succeed, grow, and we can help some young athletes reach their potential.
Just a reminder that our info night is on Monday night at 7pm in North Ryde, where James Lamb will talk about training plans, and I will answer questions and explain more about the team. Even if you decide not to join our team, you're likely to pick up some good training and nutrition tips.
We will also have the nutrition products there so that you can see them and ask questions about them.
If you're coming and you haven't already let me know, please PM me so that I can confirm numbers.
Cheers,
JP
This looks like a really interesting concept, and something that I might have been interested in. To be honest, the issue holding me back is the tie up with the nutrition company. I think if it had been with a brand I know better (Endura for example) which doesn't utilise the MLM approach, i'd be on-board.
Good luck for the team though - hopefully it yields great results for the participants!
I appreciate your feedback and I fully understand. The MLM structure put me off at first too, but after researching our options it turns out this structure actually makes the whole concept possible. Companies like Endura (great products, which I still use) aren't set up for this.
We have a few people coming tonight, one has joined our team already, so we'll be working hard to make sure they get great results.
And of course reporting back in the coming weeks...
Cheers.
JP
How did this go?
Hey Brian,
I thought it was a good start - a small but enthusiastic group turned up, and a couple more who couldn't come have expressed interest. Our first team member is about to get started, and I think 1 or 2 more will follow shortly. That's all we need to begin with. James Lamb and I will give them plenty of attention and make sure they get solid results. The proof will be in the pudding - if we can help a few riders get faster, and they enjoy the process and think it's good value, the team will grow.
Cheers,
JP
Sounds good. If they are honest with how much time they have to train, get a plan and stick to it they will improve for sure.
Good point Brian - James will provide a plan that works, but only if you put the time in.
Also keen to see how this goes - glad to hear it's kicked off well!
Thanks Jubas - I'll post updates as we go.