Happy New Year!
We’re currently in the process of working out what we’re doing throughout 2010. Route guide destinations, bike test themes, feature ideas, interview candidates, group tests, travel articles. This involves taking a step back and looking back on this year and trying to work out which features worked and which didn’t. It also involves a degree of fortune-telling about what stuff will be of interest to mountain bikers in 2010.
Another ingredient to add to the mix this time is The Internet.
Obviously we’ve been Internetting since our inception – it’s how Singletrack was conceived – but things are clearly changing in the way people get their biking info and inspiration. Basically people are looking to the internet first. And their expectations are higher than ever. Giving out free content is no longer satisfactory – it has to be good quality free content.
We’ve already started adding “online extras” to accompany our magazine – principally in the form of videos. We’ve also started to do reviews purely online. A combination of online-only content and online content that goes alongside the magazine seems to be working okay and making sense.
So we’re currently working out what stuff will work as well or (preferably) better online than in a paper magazine.
But we’re still firm believers in real paper magazines. They offer something that stuff displayed on computer screens (currently) does not. This is not a criticism of computer screen resolutions or bandwidth issues or anything techy. It’s more a realisation that people do not use the internet like they use paper magazines. The experience is extremely different. They are very different mediums.
Creating a magazine in a traditional way and then sticking on the internet is not The Future. That’s like videoing someone reading a book out loud rather than making a movie of the book. Just like magazines are purely their own format/medium, online content needs to specifically done in an online way from inception to execution.
Magazines aren’t dead. But they need to be concentrating on the things that magazines do best and leaving the other stuff to be done online (where there is so much potential to be exploited).
Anyway, back to business… is everyone okay with “Performance 29ers” being a bike test theme?
Posted on: October 20, 2009 by Ben_Haworth
Performance 29ers will do, but please please please don’t give away how much faster 29ers are than those ones with the titchy wheels. That’s meant to be a secret.
Depends if you like your trails to have corners in them now and again
and an inside leg measurement longer than 40″
I’m surprised at Ben’s narrow-mindedness on this topic ;0)
Wanna borrow my bike Ben?
Performance 29ers, yes please. Would be nice to perhaps compare the latest versions with ones from a couple of years ago to see if those percieved performance issues, (like Benji hinted on) have been improved on at all.
And, have you go any plans to re-run the bike vs. fell runner article? you did suggest it with a more fell runner friendly course, but perhaps get a proper fast rider, (like the bloke who won the Brownbacks race on Sunday) to go against him?
performance 29ers yes please
Is this the same as “non beardy 29ers”?
I’m sure I have said this elsewhere before but please don’t let the mag format ever die… What will I read on the toilet? It has alway been a place of inspiration
Ed-O – yes
Stanny – don’t worry
videoing someone reading a book out loud – don’t knock it, Jackanory in my formative years has made me what I am now.
Keep One Ton W/ends going – they’ve been great!
A realistic budget which everyone can afford a few weekends a year; they are a great foil for the travel to the alps etc that whilst also good to read about, are very much a “rare” novelty to most, most of the time. Better yet, the variety – Bivvying, building, bunkrooms – has been a good way to get thinking away from the normal routine.
I want to see a couple of the lads ragging a Nicolai Helius tandem in the alps. That’s video worthy content…
One ton weekends HAVE been really good – keep ‘em going please.
How about the same person testing out a few skills courses – decent detailed comparisons, which ones would suit which type of rider etc.
Organising a race/series – what with the Brownbacks series, BBB and HTN, seems like the time could be right for a series on the implications of trying to get something moving in your own area.
Long Term test of Aldi/Decathlon etc cheap biking gear – buy cheap, buy twice OR save a packet?
Feature on erosion – how badly have some of the most popular bike routes been affected? Name and shame photos of people riding the the worst affected areas.
How are we perceived by others?
Ramblers Association, Trail Riders Fellowship etc etc.
I’d read those……
would like to see a small bike test where well known ‘control’ bikes are weighed down with lead on the frame and heavier wheels to increase their weight by a few pounds. the riders would be unaware of the amount of weight being added and would attempt to describe how riding dynamics change. then weights transferred to camelbacks /wingnut things and the riding experience compared. ie – what effects the ride more, bike weight or rider weight? simplistic but could be interesting.
and another Dave Yates frame building article please
I like the long term cheap gear idea above by Rusty Spanner