BKXC

Is that the guy with the monotone voice? His voice alone is enough to make me skip.

Socialblade.com is an interesting site to get a very rough idea of what these YouTubers are earning. You can also see how their viewing figures fluctuate over the years.

Maybe it’s not their fault they don’t know how to make good content, or that they come across as smug, or that they have to put out increasing volumes of dull, pointless videos as they try to try to chase revenue.

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Sam Pilgrim

Chav

3 pages in and no mention of Sam Pilgrim tearing up parks and footy pitches on his electric motorbike?

Briefly watched his stuff until I realised it was mainly going to be riding the same flight of steps in Colchester.

The TV industry spends a fortune trying to come up with new and interesting content, and often fails miserably, can’t see why youtubers should have a magic idea-pit.

I got bored with BKXC because he seemed to think that visiting states with complete Covid lockdowns was OK for his ‘dull rides everywhere’ feature.

Yeah this really annoyed me too. I thought he was fine before that but then he put out a video back at the height of the first pandemic, maybe may/june time where he just complained that he was fed up with being locked down so he was just going to ignore it. Peak entitled American attitude that. And yeah, there really isn’t much to the US riding outside the more well known places. Like his current stuff at the moment is evangelising Arkansas and praising the Walton family for being so philanthropic, I mean come on! There’s no point commenting on his videos and criticising them either because he’s mentioned before he just deletes negative comments. They’re just full of blind praise for him.

Scott Laughland is really good, polished, informative content with value.

You mean the man with absolutely zero personality? I can’t get through any of his videos because he’s just so wooden and boring.

I really don’t get the bitching. If you watch TV you don’t watch every program on a channel, you don’t have to watch every episode on GMBNs channel. Some of its good some, very promotional or aimed at ne people. Its a wide audience and they are a business.

I really don’t get the bitching

You must be new here.

Never understood PTP and how he managed to blag a ride on Scott, didn’t set the world alight with his riding or wrenching.

TBF to him, his channel really isn’t about the sort of riding that Remi or Joann do, it’s about being a punter. Given that all his other sponsors stayed with him, and he picked up a new bike sponsors pretty fast, Brands are clearly seeing value in what he produces.

I think half the problem is the way youtubes algorithm works now. It seems that I used to watch some mountain bike videos, and I would get similar suggestions, so more variety. Now I just seem to get videos recommended from the channels that I subscribe to and no fresh content suggestions. So the repetitive nature of those few channels is really starting to grate.

Socialblade.com is an interesting site

Thanks for the link, you’re right, it is interesting, BKXC seems to earning about what I thought (given numbers of supporters).

If that site is accurate for GMBN (estimated yearly earnings £250k) then they must be getting a significant proportion of their revenue from product placement and merch.

I have always been reluctant to criticise GMBN on here, because I figured that one or more of the presenters might be forum members. But the fact is, not a minute of GMBN has ever appealed to me.

I think it’s a cultural thing, but there something about the tone they strike – something that comes too close to the MBUK image – that I can’t stand. And the whole emphasis on jumping and enduro – as others have noted – doesn’t help.

I originally came to MTB from road racing, and was able to see the sport as being like that, only with knobbly tyres on dirt trails. I remember a broadcast many years ago of some 24-hour event in Banff (or somewhere) that really caught my attention and convinced me that off-road could be okay, and inspired my first mountain bike purchase. But GMBN doesn’t seem to cover any such riding. Everything is too ‘rad’. Like watching ‘Surf’s Up’ on two wheels.

Whereas GCN is quite watchable, even if 90% of it is just stating the obvious.

I think this is because of the difference in culture between the two worlds. I know this is an entirely subjective statement, but pretty much the entire GCN crew (with the exception, perhaps, of James) comes across as a bit more… well… intelligent, while the history of road racing seems to have a more sophisticated culture (and so with more content to explore).

Anyway, just a thought, because I’m sure that those of you with far more knowledge of MTB history and culture than I have can show me how my ideas are flawed.

If that site is accurate for GMBN (estimated yearly earnings £250k) then they must be getting a significant proportion of their revenue from product placement and merch.

This is why so many channels are sponsored, because YouTube alone does not pay well at all.

Thanks for the link, you’re right, it is interesting, BKXC seems to earning about what I thought

I think it’s likely him and most of the other YouTube POV type channels make most of their money through Patreon.

@muggomagic yes I think you’re right, I looked a while back at Brian Kennedy’s Patreon rates vs others, and he offers his content much more cheaply than other’s do (about $3.00 a month vs an average of about $10.00) and I wondered whether that had effected his income. I think he earns double what some others do.

@SaxonRider, I think a lot of that has to do with demographic doesn’t it? I’d imagine they’ve done their homework and the channels probably reflect their audiences. [joke] GCN is more for home counties ex-golfers, GMBN is for teenaged wanna-be DH and EWS stars. [/joke]

personally I see elements of both channels that are aimed for different audiences, and GMBN isn’t all jumping and shouting, there’s plenty of stuff on their of interest to XC and just the sorts of trail riding that most folk do. It’s not all MAXGNARRRR…

Scott Laughland is really good, polished, informative content with value

polar opposite – find him irritating.

It’s difficult when content creators are at the mercy of the Youtube algorithm. It doesn’t care about how good the content is, its only purpose is to keep you engaged and watching more videos on youtube. When you rely on viewership as your only means of income it’s pretty hard for a business to deliberately handicap themselves by fighting against the format that is known to work. At least that by knowning GMBN’s formula it’s pretty easy to skip filler videos based on title alone and I don’t really mind if it allows them to afford to produce other quality content.

Personally I would like them to have more presenters to give a bit more variety, GCN has twice as many even when you include Martyn who rarely rides. I wish they did more epic rides, bikepacking, competitive mtb, showcasing trail centres and general messing about with other mtb personalities. I don’t doubt that all that content has a lower cost/reward benefit than clickbait stuff so it’s a tricky balance.

I like the epic rides vids GMBN do. But that’s about it. But I doubt I’m their target audience anyway.

I used to enjoy watching some of the BKXC videos, but I agree with some of the posts above. He got dull and self important during the 50 state thing. Besides, he lives in California. There’s lots of good riding in CA.

I signed up for GCN+ and it suits my viewing more lately. I like to watch the impressive riding from Yoann Barelli etc, but I find I’m increasingly just watching bike renovation videos. Getting old now!

And the whole emphasis on jumping and enduro – as others have noted – doesn’t help.

This is the exact style of riding I’m into but it still doesn’t make GMBN any more watchable. I tried a couple recently whilst they were at Dyfi and it was painful. Bunch of old guys trying to be “cool”, I find it very cringe and unnatural.
I can’t really figure out who the demographic is because it’s surely not kids? Is it dumbed down and hyped up to appeal to people who like the idea of riding but rarely actually leave the sofa?

I think the behind the scenes and feature type videos work best. Really enjoy things like The Privateer and Live To Ride series.

I tried a couple recently whilst they were at Dyfi and it was painful. Bunch of old guys trying to be “cool”, I find it very cringe and unnatural.

I get where you’re coming from and I’m older than them, and even less cool.

Not sure whether it’s the personalities, the scripting or what – but the general tone is of them talking down to the audience in a slightly disengaged, stilted way.

The best content I remember seeing on there was when they roped Olly Wilkins and Brendan Fairclough in – people who are roughly the same age but genuinely enthusiastic and funny.

But then again, they might have all the joy crushed out of them if they were on the GMBN content treadmill full-time.

I can’t really figure out who the demographic is because it’s surely not kids? Is it dumbed down and hyped up to appeal to people who like the idea of riding but rarely actually leave the sofa?

I will admit I have thought this too. I think its 20s and 30s people with a good job, no kids who got into riding relatively recently / as an adult. i.e they did’t spend their early 20s or teenage years riding skateparks, dirt jumps and downhill but wish they did.

STWers need a Countryfile for mountain bikes.

STWers need a Countryfile for mountain bikes.

ITV4 did The Cycle Show for a while after the 2012 bike boom, and it was pretty much a Countryfile for bikes.

It was pretty good actually.

Not sure whether it’s the personalities, the scripting or what – but the general tone is of them talking down to the audience in a slightly disengaged, stilted way.

As a complete non-roadie, the fact I find GCN a lot more engaging and entertaining than GMBN probably points that there is something about the personalities and presentation which is missing.

@sharkattack

You must be new here.

This reply never fails to make giggle like a little school girl! 😂

great channel, Doddy tech tips are very informative!! especially enjoyed the one about how to lube my chain, or the one about how to put air in my tyres…

I think half the problem is the way youtubes algorithm works now. It seems that I used to watch some mountain bike videos, and I would get similar suggestions, so more variety. Now I just seem to get videos recommended from the channels that I subscribe to and no fresh content suggestions. So the repetitive nature of those few channels is really starting to grate.

God does the algorithm suck, I only subscribe to a handful of bike channels and 99% of the vids I watch a bike related, you’d think my home tab would be suggesting other bike but no, I once watched a dog rescue video and boom the entire home tab was animal rescue vids for days!

I think its 20s and 30s people with a good job, no kids who got into riding relatively recently / as an adult. i.e they did’t spend their early 20s or teenage years riding skateparks, dirt jumps and downhill but wish they did.

Well thats pretty much me. I don’t feel like I’m the target for most videos. I like the tech – which I’ll watch when I need to/search for it, not when its released, and liked the coverage of events where the presenters did the event – like Andes Pacifico, Urban DH, etc.

That Rich Payner made the HKT podcast unbearable – he’s had hte same effect on GMBN!

great channel, Doddy tech tips are very informative!! especially enjoyed the one about how to lube my chain, or the one about how to put air in my tyres…

What about this one where you can spend 16 minutes watching a man washing his bike?

haha what about the one where he spends 10 minutes doing the bare minimum zero faff post ride pre load into the car bike wash!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Saa3YM0tho0

about the one where he spends 10 minutes doing the bare minimum zero faff post ride pre load into the car bike wash!!

Wipe the down tube with your shoe and give it a solid couple of bounces on the floor? What’s in the other 9:45?

@alpin thanks for the socialblade link. I don’t know how accurate the numbers are but it may explain a bit about why Paul Davids is a smiling happy guy.

Paul Davids

Who?

PAUL DAVIDS!

PAUL DAVIDS!

Who is that,then?

No idea, sorry.

Another one who liked a bit of GMBN nonsense for a while. It does seem to have gone downhill since Henry left the tech channel and Rich joined the main one. I’m not blaming either of them, could just be timings coinciding with other changes, but it does seem to be around that time they changed the direction of the channels.

Rich is fine but losing Henry was major for me.
I think the best ones were back in Marc and Neil times.. but Blake is actually pretty good IMHO

Doddy is just shit though. He speaks with authority on stuff that’s just wrong instead of being like Neil or Henry and saying he doesn’t know and pretty much every (paid) review by Doddy is basically the reach on an XL.

14-18 year olds in this case, as I said in my post. The ones that have grown up with it, and it’s ‘features’, as a main source of broadcast media.

I guess basically the youngest age of an XL Canyon or NP ??

POAH

polar opposite – find him irritating.

So do I but otherwise his vids are reasonably good for me… but then I use Shimano ???

I get where you’re coming from and I’m older than them, and even less cool.

Not sure whether it’s the personalities, the scripting or what – but the general tone is of them talking down to the audience in a slightly disengaged, stilted way.

The best content I remember seeing on there was when they roped Olly Wilkins and Brendan Fairclough in – people who are roughly the same age but genuinely enthusiastic and funny.

But then again, they might have all the joy crushed out of them if they were on the GMBN content treadmill full-time.

LOL … I’m WAY older than them … (or Warner for that matter)
I think it’s mostly the treadmill TBH… and the same “formula”… I can never work out if Blake is taking the piss though when he’s enthusiastic.

but then I use Shimano

lol – ride a scott do you as well