How about a CC cycling mag?

[LordoftheTeapot]

I could... Hmm perhaps not! Or I might be able.... No! What about if I... Arrg the thought! Then again what if I did.... ooops!


* Heads for the Tea? fred... *

 

[Haitch]

...we would rapidly build up a stock of articles on e.g. equipment and routes and so it would be possible to fill out quite a few editions in advance [...] kit for reviews.

I think you might have to approach the content a teensy bit differently than all the other bike magazines that are packed with stock articles on equipment, routes and kit reviews.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I'm not suggesting that it shoud solely consist of that but pointing out that that part of it will be no problem to do.

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm with Hairy Jock. There's Citycycling. There's Velovision. There's the Cyclenation newsletters. There's the LCC mag. And there's Cycle. They're all, in their different ways, damn good, and it strikes me, looking at the effort that goes in to them, they are products of love rather than business ventures.

I know a little about the finances of Cycle, and, if you're planning to make this a print venture my advice is....forget it. Your starting point is advertising, and Cycle has a twenty page head start - and, let it be said, a damn good editor, the best technical page there is and a legal advice column that is paid for, not to mention a guaranteed readership of 40,000.

And, to be brutally honest, there isn't the talent here to make it a goer. Sorry.

 

[yello]

...but that aside, what did the Romans ever do for us?

 

[dellzeqq]

...but that aside, what did the Romans ever do for us?

I know I sound like a grumpy old soul, but it does all sound a bit 'gee, Mr. Ziegfeld, let's put on a show!' Writing for your own amusement, or to keep in touch with friends is one thing - writing in such an entertaining way that people come back for more with cash in their hand is another. But...if somebody proves me wrong, then I'll be as happy as Larry (whoever he is).

 

[Auntie Helen]

To be honest, I didn't think particularly it would be a mag for money - especially if we're talking PDF rather than print. I thought it was more a chance for something to be put together that appeals to the CycleChatters, that's a little more refined (edited) than your average post, and that gives people a chance to think a little harder about what they want to say and how they want to say it. But I think I'm in the minority on this and that others had more of an idea of something to sell to others out there which, as Dellzeqq has said, might be quite tricky.

 

[barq]

Well, it maybe wouldn't do any harm for anyone who feels they have something to write (as an article as opposed to a post), to think about it now, maybe do a draft, to be ready. Um, is that treading on the blog's toes? (Does a blog have toes?)

I wouldn't have thought so (don't know what others think). Articles get posted onto the blog in an ad hoc way and it is stylistically different to an edited magazine.

However, I wonder if they could be mutually beneficial? I don't mean nicking articles from one to support the other, but the blog could link to specific magazine articles to improve its visibility on the internet and provide a space for extra material (e.g. video) that wouldn't appear in the magazine.

Of course the big issue with a magazine is getting regular content. The first issue isn't the problem, it is the second and third.

 

[Noodley]

....it does all sound a bit 'gee, Mr. Ziegfeld, let's put on a show!'...

I think that is a better idea

Can I play a lead part? I'll even wax my legs if I need to.

 

[dellzeqq]

well, that's it exactly. We've not met but put the case Noodley that you are the aspiring Cyd Charisse and that I am the Director. I might have to say to you - 'listen, Noodley, you're a great gal and all, and you've got a great pair of gams, but you just don't cut it with the high kicks. Sorry, babe, but you're strictly chorus line'.

And that's where the trouble starts. When I had stuff published it was subbed in to shape in a big way. Who is going to do the subbing and the editing? And how is said subbing and editing to be received?

 

[rich p]

.

And that's where the trouble starts. When I had stuff published it was subbed in to shape in a big way. Who is going to do the subbing and the editing? And how is said subbing and editing to be received?

I don't know but that paragraph needs tightening up

 

[bonj2]

Are we talking printed magazine or PDF?

PDF first, then expand it out into a glossy if it makes enough money.

And Bonj could do the mudguard section...

We could have an 'Ask Bonj' section. ;-)

"Dear Bonj,

When I got my bike out of the shed, I realised the mudguard had fallen off. My husband won't let me ride without it as I'll get a dirty back, but you said I don't need it. Husband threatens to divorce me if I don't refit mudguard. What should I do?"

could do that, but all the questions wouldn't have to be about mudguards 'cos that's an in joke and other people in the outside world wouldn't get it.

A suggestion is to ask everyone to give a critical review of their own bike (maybe kit etc as well later), preferably based on a points/10 system for all the various features of 'a bike' - equipment, comfort, task suitability etc.

Using a 'standard template' could give some useful info - particularily for beginners. With the wide variety of bikes being ridden on CC, it could be quite a resource "by real cyclists"

that wouldn't work for me then, I haven't got any off the peg bikes...
people with custom builds could all just do reviews of individual components

 

[Andy in Sig]

Ref write ups of tours: I'm taking a delivery of a hand held digital voice recorder in the next day or two and it occurred to me that in addition to doing a written description of a route, it would be possible to record directions i.e. the points at which you have to turn etc. and post them as an MP3 file for anybody to download for their ipod so that they would have an extra navigation check whilst doing the route.

 

[bonj2]

Ref write ups of tours: I'm taking a delivery of a hand held digital voice recorder in the next day or two and it occurred to me that in addition to doing a written description of a route, it would be possible to record directions i.e. the points at which you have to turn etc. and post them as an MP3 file for anybody to download for their ipod so that they would have an extra navigation check whilst doing the route.

that would only be any good if they were going at exactly the same speed as you...

 

[Andy in Sig]

Now think about this ... the commentary only applies at places where you have to make a decision: go right or left or under a tunnel or something. So when people come to a place like that, they switch on their mp3 player, or if they're being more clever they listen to the next checkpoint in advance. The only other thing is that the descriptions of the points have to be clear enough so that no-one could mistake one for another.