Go Clipless

Naked bike rider gives advice on cycling couture

Gotta love the irony! Jake from the Sydney Body Art Ride has a great post about why you shouldn't feel like you have to dress up in cycling clothes to go cycling. Why not just wear what you've already got on...it's much cooler, right? Check out his post...tons of great photos of cyclists in all kinds of gear.

Oh...and no. She's not the naked cyclist...just one of the photo's I stole from Jake's site. ;-)

How would you design cycling apparel for women?

Linda Morgi is frustrated with all of the pink and baby blue found in women's cycling apparel today. Linda on Specialized's womens cycling gloves:

But yikes, come on, I don’t want to look like a baby room! Baby blue and pastel pink - and that’s all the colors they come in (and this is not even a choice… if you want short gloves it’s pink, long gloves it’s baby blue)…

So I'm sitting here pretending that I'm a product manager (wait a minute, I am a product manager - just not in the cycling industry) for Specialized and I'm totally perplexed. I hear Linda's frustration. There's no doubt that this incident would appear to highlight an overly simplistic view of the women's cycling market. But just what is a cycling product manager to do?

These days, women have it all. They get to be pretty and tough and wear mens clothes and they're even beginning to turn the term slut into a badge of honor. Now, it would seem that I am saying that with a hint of disdain. Trust me, I'm not. I was raised by women (wow, I said that like I meant to say "I was raised by a pack of wolves"). But, given all of the personas (not sure that's the right word) women can take on these days, how would one design a line of clothing, equipment, or bikes that would not seem to alienate some significant portion of the market?

If the clothes are conservatively designed, there are women that will want them to be sexier. If the colors are too dark, they may be seen as too masculine. If the choices are the same as for men, they will not be seen as special. A conundrum to be sure.

So what would you do? Play cycling product manager for a day. What's your strategy to approach this market, whether you are male or female?

Update: Both Smithers and Phil have something to say about this topic...check them out. (Hey, Smithers stop stealing all my comments...haha...just kidding...love to see the conversation expand.)

My sado-masochistic relationship with bike magazines

Updated: Ok...I'm back from my business trip so I can try to recreate this post that my moblogging software bungled. Here's hoping I have the same creativity in me:

One of my good friends in college had a saying that he used every time someone did something that he didn't like. Once when I forgot to pick him up to go to a party, the next day he was pretty upset and said, "G, right now I love you, but I hate you." (You'll see how this fits in a minute).

I've been traveling a lot on business already this year and I've noticed that the WH Smith's and Hudson News' of the world have removed all of their bike magazines in favor of skiing and snowboarding magazines.

Now these stores are not exactly bastions of fine magazine reading, but you can usually find Bicycling and sometimes you may even hit the daily double and get Bike Magazine as well. But, recently I have had no luck. As I sit here waiting for my connecting flight in Charlotte I am just dying for some bike infotainment. So I decided to give it another shot.

Wait, what's that I see. Could it be a Bicycling Magazine? I began pawing at it with my Croissan-wich stained fingers.

Ahhhhh...now that's better. It's the April edition, never mind that it's still February, and it was put to press in January. Right now, I'll take anything bike related that I can get my hands on.

Oh would you look at that? It's the annual buyer's guide. This should provide plenty of fodder...err...content in the days to come.

I know I've dissed you before, but right now I couldn't be happier. I love you Bicycling.

Oh...and for those that prefer the original post (actually the moblogged translation of the original post) I've left it down below for your pleasure. Some might argue that it is the better version.

2nd update: Apparently these characters are reeking havoc with the feed...so I am removing them.

You wear a helmet? Gimme a break.

John Stossel's got a segment on 20/20 tonight (you can preview it here) about the unintended consequences of helmet use.

There are really two issues here.

1. Is a bike rider any safer when they wear a helmet?
2. Does society benefit when helmets are mandated?

Let's take a look at the argument behind point number one:

While there is little doubt that your head is much better protected when you are in an accident, it turns out that you may be more likely to get in an accident due to your helmet use. For two reasons, 1) cars tend to pass you more closely when you are wearing a helmet vs. when you go without, and 2) you tend to feel more invincible and therefore take more risks. The main problem I have with these arguments is that I have yet to see any data that shows these behaviors in fact do lead to more accidents - only that one would assume that they do. Then again I haven't poured over the reports from whence they've come either.

I may be the only lunatic that thinks this way, but it reminds me of an argument I have with myself regarding the safety of multi-engine jet planes (hey, I'm a frequent traveler - what can I say). Anyway, it's about whether it is safer to fly in a two engine plane vs. one with four engines. On the one hand, when riding in a four engine plane, if one of the engines should fail there are three others to get you to safety. On the other hand, you are more likely to have a problem with one of the engines than you are with a two engine plane.

Regarding issue number two:

Apparently the data shows that as we mandate the use of helmets participation in cycling goes down. As a result, the unintended consequence is more out of shape people that end up having heart attacks and die early. To me as a layman, this is a no brainer. I believe that not only are there fewer cyclists over time when helmet use is mandatory, but of those that do still cycle, they likely do so at a reduced rate. The hassle factor. I'm very much in the "take personal responsibility" camp here on this one.

So what's the bottom line here? I know that I always wear a helmet when I do serious cycling. I always make my kids wear helmets no matter what. But, I don't wear a helmet when I tool around the neighborhood or when I ride to the community pool (yes, I'm a hypocrite, I know). I can understand the hassle factor.

(Via C.I.C.L.E.)

Is bike racing the new NASCAR?

I think we live in Bizzaro World. The cycling pro race circuit is rocked with doping scandals and the most popular man in the sport has retired, yet pro cycling is more popular in the U.S. than ever before.

According to this article by Sal Ruibal in the USA Today, a record 60,000 U.S. race licenses were obtained last year and 1.3 million people will line the streets to watch the Tour of California (ToC) this week.

In fact The Tour (as opposed to Le Tour) is so popular that it may one day be on par with the grand tours in France, Spain, and Italy. At least if Phillip Anschutz (owner of the ToC) gets his way.

Guess what? Anschutz is the man responsible for bringing David Beckham across the pond to join Major League Soccer. This gives me great hope to learn this as I have been quite impressed with the MLS's strategic plan for growth. It's no wonder the Tour of California has been so successful with a guy like this that knows that you have to make an investment early if you want something to last.

That not withstanding, Anschutz is not solely responsible for cycling's renaissance in the U.S. But, I can't say I know what is. Could it be that it's just that Americans have a warped appetite for negative news and bad news is better than no news? Help me out here.

Ice bike racing and five more ways to have fun riding your bike in the winter

I didn't ride this weekend. I was busy and it was too damn cold.

Scratch that. I could have made time for riding, but I was too damn cold. But now I'm feeling guilty.

Mike (a reader and former co-worker) e-mailed this article in the New York Times to me about Ice Bike Racing. My first reaction was that Ice Bike Racers are just a bunch of loons with too much time on their hands. You'd have to be crazy to get out there on the ice in Minnesota, Alaska, Ontario, etc...

Then I thought about it a little. Some of my most memorable times on a bike came in the winter. I can recall this quest that I embarked upon several years ago, this tomfoolery after a blizzard hit the area, and several other occasions I didn't write about.

I think the thing about winter riding is that you cannot expect the same things out of it that you get from riding in nice weather. Instead you have to go with the flow. Improvise a little.

I started this piece by saying that I felt guilty. It's not because I need to try to stay in shape (that's true, I do), but rather it's because I missed being on my bike - and no, being on the trainer in the basement is not the same thing.

So what I think I'm going to do is do like the Ice Bikers. Improvise a little and come up with a new way to think about cycling in the winter. It's just not that fun doing the same thing that I do in warm weather when it's cold. So if you're like me and need some inspiration to get your fat ass off the couch or maybe in your case your fit ass off the trainer here are some ideas:

• Go on a quest. If your regular riding buddies aren't up for it find some new ones through your local mountain bike club. The quest should be something that will take the entire day and push your limits. Ride the full length of an incredibly long or difficult trail, for example.
• Ride in the snow. This will make you feel like a kid again. Don't worry about the cycling gear. Put on some snow pants, boots, and winter coat and just get out there. It doesn't always have to be about the exercise.
• Go night riding. Yes, it's colder at night and hard to see, but it changes your perspective and makes old trails seem new. Plus, you warm up faster since you have to concentrate doubly hard.
• Challenge a friend or neighbor to ride to Starbucks. Bundle up in your parka and wool hat, throw some cute mittens (ladies only, please) on if you must, but wouldn't it be a more memorable cup of coffee than if you simply drove.
• Make an event out of riding. Ride to a museum or other point of interest. These guys invented the Tuesday Night Swill ride, bringing bikes and beer into a weekly occasion. So what if the hair in your nose freezes up all dry-ice, Snow Miser style.

Do cyclists in Minnesota, Alaska, and Canada sit around spinning in their basements to stay fit in the winter. Noooo....they get out there and make the most of it. "Why not clear the ice and put some spikes on the tires and race roller derby style like a bunch of loons?," they say.

And the experience is worth writing about.

Photo by T.C. Worley for The New York Times.

Bicycling Magzine ad revenue soars, while circulation is flat - what gives?

Well, well, well, no sooner did I allude to the demise of the magazine industry, when Bicycling Magazine spoils the fun and reports a 40% growth in ad revenues for 2006.

How can this be? Is this just a case of blogger gone wild with his own preconceived ideas on an industry for which he only pretends to be a part. So I did a little digging. Turns out that between 2004 - 2005 the magazine industry as a whole was flat with virtually no appreciable growth in circulation. In fact, Bicycling's circulation was down during this period by just over one percent. with circulation of 406,000 (according to statistics compiled by the Magazine Publishers of America).

Now granted I do not yet have the circulation data for 2006 to compare against the ad revenue information, but I highly doubt that Bicycling saw a forty percent growth in circulation.

This is great news for Bicycling as their sales people did an excellent job and I'm sure most of that new revenue went straight to the bottom line. However, I have to wonder why bike industry marketers continue to buy ads in the print medium at ever growing rates, when the online medium continues to produce exponential growth?

Are marketing budgets going up that much? I kind of doubt it. So why do bike industry marketers continue to place ads in the traditional media? Because it's easy. But, it's time for these smart marketers (and I do believe that) to make a shift. Shift your resources from off-line to on-line marketing. Get yourself a blog, buy some Google ads, partner with some bloggers, and participate in the conversation. I guarantee you'll see results in short order. Need proof. Just look at the success of Tim Jackson from Masi as your case study.

The rewards are greater than the risks.

Know any good designers? Mountain Bike Action Magazine needs you...

I noticed this thread in the MTBR.com forums bashing Mountain Bike Action (MBA) Magazine and figured I'd pile it on too. Why not take your medicine in one dose, right? Well, actually I meant to post this a while back when I wrote about cycling logos, but I got distracted and the MTBR thread reminded me...so here it goes...

A few weeks ago I wrote about 8 great cycling logos after being inspired by an article in an issue of MBA. In that very same article, however, MBA analyzed it's own logo. They admitted that they don't like it. In fact, here's what they said:

The MBA wrecking crew doesn't like its logo. It's old. Like 20 years old. It is frozen in time, and that time happens to be the eighties. Change it? Update it? No way. With about half a zillion magazines on the newsstand...there is no way we are going to mess with a logo familiar to millions of riders.

Huh? You know your logo is hideous and yet you choose to do nothing about it. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

So let's break this down. MBA's logo is:

1. Ugly
2. Outdated (think leg warmers and pegged jeans)
3. Not well liked

They cite as a reason not to change the "millions of riders" familiar with the logo. First of all, this is quite an exaggeration -  the largest cycling mag in the U.S. has just a hair over 400,000 readers a year, and I'm certain MBA does not have that kind of reach. Nonetheless, I get their point, they believe they have brand equity that manifests itself in the logo.

Ok, now couple that ugly logo with their disastrous Web site and amateurish print layout and you've got one train-wreck of a magazine.

You can't tell me, MBA, that you are realizing significant growth in your circulation (I can't seem to find your circulation figures anywhere). I'd venture to guess that your circulation is sliding along with most every other print publication out there.

Therefore it is time to be bold and go where many others have gone before you. It would not be the first time that an established player in an industry refreshed its design and emerged stronger than before. (In fact, take a look at the Brand New blog if you need some case studies and inspiration.)

I haven't even broached the subject of content or Web strategy, but I've ranted enough for now. I'll leave that to subsequent posts on the subject. Don't worry though, you're not the only one...this is an equal opportunity blog.

8 great cycling logos

A few months ago Mountain Bike Action magazine (Nov, 2006) did an article about memorable cycling logos. As a marketing person I really liked this idea and have been meaning to do my own post on cycling logos ever since.

Of course this is a total copy of MBA's idea, but at least it will be interactive. Also, I didn't agree with all of the choices they made for memorable logos, however, some of this is admittedly subjective. So I went hunting around the Web to find some cool or memorable logos to start a conversation with you. Nothing deep here, just some good old fashioned fun and well, maybe I'll throw a little of my marketing speak at you, but we'll see.

Before we get started, I have just got to say that it ain't easy pulling logos from companies sites. They've got them baked into flash animations, embedded in layered .gif images, and/or in formats that just do not do them justice. I say that because I need you to know that this post took me way more time to construct then it looks. Why do I need you to know that? No good reason. Just that I'm here on the road traveling and am a bit cranky right now...but I'll get over it.

Ok...so here we go:

Open letter to Floyd Landis re: scaring Lance

Dear Floyd,

Now you've gone and done it. Why did you have to go and choose to race in the very same mountain bike race as Lance Armstrong? Don't you have an original bone in your body?

I realize you have a competitive streak in you and a bone to pick with Lance, but really, how small of you. There are so many other races you could have chosen that would have accomplished the same goal. Actually, what was your goal again? Oh, that's right. You wanted to kick Lance's ass. I applaud that, but you had to know that he wasn't going to race against you. What would he have to gain? Lance wanted the story to be Lance conquering the Leadville Trail 100, not the battle between Floyd and Lance.

You had to be the spoiler didn't you?  All I can say is that if you are not suspended than you better ride in this race. You owe it to the fans and to the promoters.

And before you get all huffy at me, yes, I did write a letter to Lance as well. So there. You're even.

Sincerely,
Go Clipless

(photo stolen from BikingBis)