Bear Grips Pro ShopsCycling Club Fundraising Merch for Fondo and Charity Rides
- Building a custom shirt or hat into the fondo registration package adds $15 to $25 of revenue per rider.
- No minimum order means a 50-rider fondo and a 500-rider fondo both work without bulk ordering.
- Finisher hoodies sell separately as the second revenue line after the registration shirt.
The cycling club fondo is the biggest single revenue event of the year. A custom shirt or hat in the registration package adds $15 to $25 per rider in apparel revenue on top of the registration fee. A finisher hoodie sold separately at the post-ride party adds another $25 to $40 per buyer. With print on demand, the club orders nothing in advance and never sits on unsold sizes. Here is how clubs structure the merch side of a fundraising event.
Three apparel pieces every fondo runs
1. The registration shirt
Included in the registration fee. Every rider gets one. Standard cotton tee with the fondo logo on the front and the route or sponsor list on the back.
2. The finisher hoodie
Sold separately at the post-ride expo or through the shop link. Riders buy it as the keepsake of having completed the event. Higher emotional intent, higher markup.
3. The volunteer or staff tee
Different color (often safety yellow or orange) with VOLUNTEER or STAFF on the back. Helps day-of logistics and gives volunteers a take-home piece.
Building the shirt into registration
Two mechanics work for the registration shirt:
- Size at registration: riders pick their shirt size during signup. Club collects the data, places the bulk order through the shop admin, ships to each rider's home address.
- Shop link after registration: rider gets a shop link in the confirmation email and orders their own shirt at $0 cost (club has set markup at $0 for the registration-included variant).
Most clubs prefer the first option for fondos with a packet pickup at the event venue. Some clubs ship the shirts in advance so riders wear them on event day.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Pricing the fundraising apparel
| Item | VIP Base | Registration Add-On | Club Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration cotton tee | $19.88 | +$35 to fee | $15 |
| Finisher hoodie (separate) | $36.88 | $68 retail | $31 |
| Volunteer / staff tee | $19.88 | included in volunteer thank-you | $0 or $5 |
Build the shirt cost (around $35) into the registration fee, not as a separate line item. Most riders never notice it. The club earns the full $15 to $20 markup per rider.
Revenue math for a 200-rider fondo
- 200 registered riders × $15 shirt markup = $3,000.
- 80 finisher hoodies (40% pickup) × $30 markup = $2,400.
- 30 volunteer tees at $0 markup = $0 (treated as cost of doing the event).
- Total fondo merch revenue: $5,400.
The volunteer tees are technically a cost ($600 in production) but they pay for themselves in volunteer retention and event-day visibility.
Sponsor logos on fundraising apparel
Most fondos include sponsor logos on the back of the registration shirt. Sponsors pay $250 to $2,500 per tier for back-of-shirt visibility plus tabling rights at the event. The shirt becomes a year-round walking ad for the sponsors and a separate revenue line that can fund the event production.
Keep the sponsor list under 10 logos on the back. More than that and the design gets cluttered.
Build Fondo Apparel Into Your Event
No minimum, no inventory. Set up the registration shirt and the finisher hoodie before the next event date.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How does fondo apparel add to a cycling club's revenue?
A custom shirt in the registration package adds $15 to $20 per rider. A finisher hoodie sold separately adds $25 to $40 per buyer. A 200-rider fondo can clear $5,000+ in merch revenue alone.
Do we need to bulk-order the registration shirts?
No. Print on demand fulfills per rider with no minimum. A 50-rider fondo and a 500-rider fondo both work. Each rider gets their preferred size shipped to their home or distributed at packet pickup.
Should sponsors pay to be on the back of the fondo shirt?
Most fondos charge $250 to $2,500 per sponsor tier for back-of-shirt placement plus tabling rights. The shirt becomes a year-round walking ad and the sponsorship revenue funds event production.
Can we use the same shop for fondo merch and regular club merch?
Yes. The fondo merch lives as a separate product category in the same club shop. Members can buy fondo pieces and regular club gear in the same checkout.
