Cycling brand sponsorship
Meet racers where they decide what to ride.
For marketers at bike, component, apparel, nutrition and tech brands: what a bike race can do for a cycling brand, and where the Berkeley Omnium's road race and criterium fit.
- Racers who started in 2026
- 400+
- States they came from
- 11
- Road race podium places
- 48
- Criterium races on Sunday
- 12
Objectives first
How can a cycling brand sponsor a bike race?
Start from what you want, not from a package. Most cycling brands want one of six things from a race, and each happens in a different place on race weekend.
Product trial leads to racer interaction, visibility, moments on the podium, content and, over time, credibility with the people who ride. How to evaluate a sponsorship turns each into something you can measure.
Product trial
Get the product into racers' hands on the day they use it: fuel and hydration in the feed zone, sunscreen on the podium, a tool or tube in a goodie bag.
Racer interaction
Talk to racers when they're thinking about equipment, before the start and after the finish, not while they scroll past an ad.
Brand visibility
Show up where people look: the start and finish, the podium, a criterium course where racers pass the same spot every 0.61-mile lap.
Podiums and primes
Put your name on a moment: 48 road race podium places, and prize sprints during the criterium.
Content
Seventy editions of a road race and a downtown criterium make good photos, video and stories, for your channels and ours.
Community credibility
Racers notice who supports their races. Backing a volunteer-run event that funds youth cycling says something a banner can't.
Why cycling
An audience that uses what you make.
Bike racers aren't a crowd walking past a banner. They train all year, care about their equipment, and talk to each other about what works. We don't publish demographic or income figures we can't source; what we can tell you is what racing involves.
It's an equipment sport
Bikes, wheels, tires, helmets, shoes, clothing, computers, lights, tools, nutrition. Racers replace and upgrade all of it.
Racers train all year
Race day is one day; the products get used on every training ride, and racers talk about what works.
Clubs and teams spread the word
Racers ride with clubs and teams. A product that works for one rider gets talked about on the next group ride.
Racers travel to race
In 2026, racers came to Berkeley from 11 states. Race weekends mean travel, food, lodging and gear.
Racing is where products get tested
Hard efforts, long days and bad weather are when riders find out what they trust.
Where it fits
Two races, two kinds of sponsor moment.
The Berkeley Omnium is a road race on Saturday and a criterium on Sunday. They suit different products and objectives, and a brand can back one or both.
| Topic | Berkeley Hills Road Race | Berkeley Streets Criterium |
|---|---|---|
| The race | A road race on an 18.76-mile loop over the Three Bears climbs near Orinda, raced since 1957. | A criterium: timed races on a closed 0.61-mile loop in downtown Berkeley, beside Ohlone Park. |
| When | Day 1, Saturday | Day 2, Sunday |
| Length | 16 to 90 miles, by field (16 fields) | 30 to 60 minutes per race, 12 races from 7:30 a.m. |
| Spectators | Friends, families and teammates at the start, the finish and along the climbs. | Free to watch from the sidewalks, with racers passing the same spot every lap. |
| Sponsor moments | The feed zone, the climbs, the one-of-a-kind finish-line podium. | Primes, the announcer, the podium and the kids race. |
| Strong fit for | Nutrition, hydration, endurance gear, heritage and content brands. | Visibility, sampling, family audiences and businesses near downtown. |
Sponsor the road race →Sponsor the criterium →Sponsor a prime →
2026 Cycling brands at Berkeley
What cycling brands actually did.
- Voler: Official 2026 Berkeley Omnium jersey sponsor.
- Trek: Hosted the 2026 Kids Clinic at the Berkeley Streets Criterium.
- Stay True Cycles: Returns as Feeding Zone Water Bottle Sponsor for the 70th Berkeley Hills Road Race.
- Hummingbird Fuels: Officially fuels the 2026 Berkeley Omnium.
- Team Zealios: Providing limited-supply sunscreen for podium giveaways.
- Tempo Endurance Coaching & Fitting: Founder John Cheetham gives back to junior racers and podium winners.
- English Endurance: Discounted training plans from former pro cyclist Nate English.
- DaraSport PT: Offering exclusive discounts for Berkeley Omnium racers.
Listed for their 2026 roles; this doesn't imply a commitment to future editions.
Cycling brand sponsorship
Questions from cycling brands
How can a cycling brand sponsor a bike race?
Start with what you want to achieve, such as product trial, racer interaction, visibility, content or community credibility, then match it to the race: product for podiums and the feed zone, a prime or race sponsorship for visibility, racer offers for trial. At the Berkeley Omnium, each partnership is agreed with the organizing committee.
Which cycling brands supported the Berkeley Omnium in 2026?
Voler, Trek, Stay True Cycles, Hummingbird Fuels, Team Zealios, Tempo Endurance Coaching & Fitting, English Endurance, DaraSport PT, among others. Voler was the official jersey sponsor, Trek hosted the kids clinic and Stay True Cycles sponsored the feed-zone bottles.
Can a cycling brand sponsor only one race?
Yes. A race sponsorship attaches your brand to either the Berkeley Hills Road Race on Saturday or the Berkeley Streets Criterium on Sunday.
Can we sample products or run a demo?
Product sampling and rider engagement are open for discussion. Space depends on each venue and its permits, so every activation is agreed with the organizing committee before race weekend.
Can we give products instead of cash?
Yes. Most cycling-brand partners in 2026 contributed products, prizes, services or racer discounts rather than cash.
Product sponsorship →Who races the Berkeley Omnium?
More than 400 racers started the 2026 races, from 11 states, in fields from Novice to Pro/1/2, plus masters, women's, collegiate and junior fields.
Let's talk
Tell us what you want racers to experience.
Share your product, what you'd like to achieve and which race fits. We'll suggest where it could show up on race weekend and agree the details together.