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Tuesday Treats gives you a quality serving of independent bike retailing and a chance to WIN BIG in this week’s prize draw!
This week, we introduce: GRIT.CX
Twenty chances to win subscribers! Our sibling adventure, cyclocross and #dirtydropbargoodness magazine and website is now a perfectly formed one year old. Editor Jeff Lockwood with more…
What was the impetus behind grit.cx? Where did the idea come from?
We’re all fans of all sorts of cycling. Of course, the dirtier, the better. Cyclocross has always been of interest to us, and the thought of creating a magazine devoted to ‘cross, and other forms of off-road cycling on drop bar bikes, has always been in the back of our minds. Chipps had made several trips over to Belgium over the past several years to catch some of the major cyclocross races. This is in addition to his organization and promotion of cyclocross races in and around Todmorden.
Conversations continued to grow, and eventually moved beyond, “Hey, wouldn’t this be cool?” to more solid talks like, “What are we going to name it?” One thing lead to another, and soon enough we were making plans on who would do what. And here we are today.
Where did the name come from?
After much brainstorming, research, creative lubrication sessions and discussion, Beate Kubitz ultimately came up with the name ‘Grit’. After a bit more research, we learned that Grit Magazine, based in the United States, was dedicated to, “Rural American Know How.” Feeling that ‘grit’ better described our beloved sport, combined with the fact that we originally launched as a digital magazine and web site, we added the ‘.cx’ to avoid any possible confusion with the other magazine.
What’s the deal with the difference between the digital magazine version of grit.cx and the paper copies?
We’ve established that grit.cx was originally launched as a digital magazine. This meant it was to be absorbed on tablets such as iPads and smartphones. At the same time, we made sure to give equal editorial attention and coverage to the grit.cx website. Aside from a couple of minor hiccups with our digital magazine technology during our first season, we were happy with how things went.
All of us here are huge fans of the print medium, and we’ve got lots of experience with it. So we decided to add a printed magazine…on real paper…to our methods of content delivery for our second season! Readers will now have at least three ways to digest all of the #dirtydropbargoodness we will be producing this year!
Don’t you have a paper version of grit.cx available now?
That’s right…we have a nice, fat Print Annual that’s ready for your hands right now. The plan, all along, was to do a print compilation at the end of the first season. It’s a mix of all of the best bits of the digital magazine and web site, with a few exclusive stories and articles mixed in. Did we mention it’s available now (here)?
The grit.cx Print Annual is a beautiful, thick magazine of 132 pages of wonderful #dirtydropbargoodness. Awesome photography, engaging articles and good vibes all around. The paper is superb, and the vegetable ink is exquisite. This is definitely a publication you’ll keep on your coffee table or bar top for a long time.
And how about explaining #dirtydropbargoodness malarky…
All the kids are using #hashtags these days, and we wanted to be cool like them. But in reality… that tag really does efficiently explain what we’re all about. Cyclocross is a huge part of what we do, but any form of riding drop bar bikes off-road is inherently awesome. And we’ll cover it. Like the original tag line said: ‘Beyond the Barriers. Above the Gravel. Through the Mud.’ grit.cx is not a one act play.
Tell us about the grit.cx relationship with Singletrack.
Both magazines are owned by the huge international media conglomerate known as Go Far Enterprises Limited. Based in the bustling metropolis of Todmorden in the United Kingdom, both titles are housed in sprawling campus, inhabited by hundreds of employees… a bit like the lovechild of Google and Apple.
The grit.cx headquarters are in the United Kingdom, right?
Yes. I just mentioned that above. However…grit.cx is enjoys a rather decentralized staff. Magazine management does indeed sit in Todmorden, and that’s where lots of decisions get made. Yet Jeff, me, the editor, is an American that has made his home in the heart of Belgium for the last six years. Our art director, Jorji, you know her. She does her graphic design magic from the beautiful cycling island of Mallorca.
Our writers are a mixed lot, from all over the world. When you target a magazine at people in the United Kingdom, the United States and English-speaking folks in Europe, it’s important to have writers from all of those areas. And we do.
Speaking of writers from all of those areas… how can I contribute to the awesomeness of grit.cx?
Send an email to jeff@grit.cx with ideas, samples, galleries, etc. Do it right now.
We’re always looking for words and images!
Click here to win this week’s prize!
