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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.

Single Speed World Championship (SSWC) 2007 - let the tomfoolery begin

Looks like planning for the Single Speed World Championship 2007 has begun. The Web site is finally available, although it is still just a shell with a message about more to come in the future (via Bikecentric).

What's interesting is that the Web site makes reference to it being the "one and only event website the organisers will be updating, so disregard any others you may have seen about the event." I thought that was odd, but sure enough there is another SSWC spoof Web site out there (visit only if you're popup blocker and anti-adware software is up to date). The spoof site's URL seems to follow the conventions of previous SSWC's in 2005 and 2006 so it would be easy to mistake for the real thing. It looks like the organizers may not have registered the domain ahead of time...here's hoping they planned ahead for '08 and beyond.

But then again, planning is not what this event is all about. The SSWC is much more of a grassroots event in celebration of bikes, beer, and fun. This year the event will be held in Scotland. So how was Scotland chosen over all other locations in the world? A secret ballot? A proposal by cities around the world presented to the single speed governing body?

Quite simply, the venue was chosen because the Scot's won a drinking game. According to British Trails:

At the 2006 World Singlespeed Championships in Stockholm, Sweden the decision for the host location of the 2007 SSWC was made over a drinking game. The right to host the event was apparently won in the bar by the Scottish contingent.

If you want to know more about how the winner of the SSWC race gets a tattoo instead of a trophy, or what Go-Karts had to do with the outcome of the race in 2005, or just generally want to know more about the history of the event, check out the SSWC entry in Wikipedia.

Photo from Chris Milliman.

Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong head-to-head in the Leadville 100?

Looks like UltraRob's got the inside line on a rumor that Floyd Landis may be racing in the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race this year. If true that would pit him directly against his once teammate, turned rival, quasi-supporter, Lance Armstrong.

Here's a quote from an e-mail sent by the moderator of a Yahoo Group that discusses the LT 100:

Hi Everyone. Ok, it has been confirmed. Merilee said that Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis will be doing the race in 2007. The excitement continues!

This would be quite an interesting development if it pans out. It makes sense if you think about it. Floyd got his start in cycling as a mountain biker and was quite good from all accounts. Now it looks like he is starting to believe that his career is over no matter how the doping allegations turn out. Why not turn to your roots and perhaps breathe a second-life into a career that will no doubt turn ugly on the road cycling pro-circuit given the circumstances?

I wonder if this was (look at me, I'm already talking like the rumor has been confirmed) an intentional move to battle an old time rival or planned by Lance and Floyd together as a publicity stunt?

Either way if the speculation proves true it's sure to be exciting.

I guess mountain biking is the new mountain biking.

Unfortunately, I can't find any photos of Floyd on a  mountain bike. The only ones I have seen were from Spokes Magazine, a mid-atlantic monthly that does not seem to have a Web site.

UPDATE December 20, 2006: A press release confirms this story as reported by BikingBis. Ultrarob still ponders how Landis will be eligible to race in this NORBA sanctioned event if he is under suspension. Interestingly, VeloNews reports that the event is not NORBA sanctioned, despite this quote from the Leadville Trail 100 website: "This is a NORBA sanctioned race. NORBA rules apply with some exceptions. Due to the extreme nature of this race, NORBA points are not awarded."

Oh...and I added the photo above after Solobreak discovered it on Jonathan S. McElvery's Web site. McElvery photographs cycling events and has quite the archive...check it out.

UPDATE #2 December 20, 2006: Only a few short hours after my first update. VeloNews corrected it's report. No correction was noted. Dirtpedaler picked up on this too.

Vote in the Bike Magazine Best of 2006 Reader Poll

I voted for my man JB for Male Athlete of the Year. He kicked ass in the cross-country world championships and was on his way toward an excellent showing at La Ruta before he crashed. Besides I wanted to show a little cross-country love toward awards that will likely be dominated by more of the gravity scene.

As for Woman Athlete of the Year, I recommend Marla Streb, though you'll have to add her as a "write-in." How can you not vote for the world's fastest comeback after having a baby at the age of 40? And yes, there were results.

I'll leave it to you for the other categories. ;-)

Go vote!

29er fanatics, rejoice

29er fans, check your calendar now and clear two days in June. Twentynineinches.com is organizing a two day festival for 29er fans that should be both informative and fun. The event will be held in Decorah, Iowa - the defacto 29er capitol of the world - June 23 and 24, 2007.

Tim Grahl (Crooked Cog, Twentynineinches) and Guitar Ted (Guitar Ted Productions, Twentynineinches) are hosting the event and are hard at work securing some big names in the 29er world to provide demo bikes and contribute to the festival. Salsa has confirmed it's participation and rumor has it that some other big names may also participate in the event, including Gary Fisher, Cannondale, and Raleigh.

Event details are still being worked out, but the organizers are soliciting suggestions. One thing's for sure, these guys know how to make something happen, so if you live in the mid-west or your looking for an outdoor family vacation in June this this may be just the thing.

President Bush gets a Cannondale

Alternate title: The big bike brand arms race

It would appear that George W. Bush is now the proud owner of a Cannondale Rush Carbon. So far as I can tell there are no photos of him with the bike just yet. Only this article from the Associated Press that I found via BikeBiz.

What's up with all the big bike companies hoisting special edition bikes on the prez? First the Trek Top Fuel and now the Cannondale Rush...what's next...a carbon Stumpy?

Maybe it's time the president get with the big wheel revolution? Chris Sugai, why don't you send over one of those beautiful Niner R.I.P. 9's and educate the man a bit? It seems no mountain bike gift will be returned. Actually, it would be pretty funny if all the manufacturer's started sending their bikes to the president as gifts all vying to become the official bike company of the United States. The president would be in a real conundrum then...how would he choose?

From everything I have read the president is no slouch when it comes to riding. When you look at the list of riding locations in Maryland one has to believe the trails are similar in scope to Greenbriar or Gambrill. I've not ridden the trail at Quantico, but from what I read of the trail in race reports last year, many have said it rides a lot like Fountainhead. Not bad, really.

Anyway, questions abound about the new presidential bike:

Will another shop have to maintain the new Cannondale (Revolution Cycles is a Trek dealer)? If so, who will get the honor? This would mean of course, that the Secret Service would have to secure yet another shop and clear all kinds of additional employees that touch the presidential bike. Unless Revolution Cycles continues to maintain the president's bikes...in which case there is the question of the Lefty? How will Revolution cope?

Will carbon fiber dominate the full suspension bike market?

There's an interesting article in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRaIN) about the possibility that carbon fiber could become the dominant choice of materials for full suspension mountain bikes. (Just noticed the article is old, despite it showing up in my feed reader for the first time). The article cites the fact that major manufacturers such as Giant, Scott, and Specialized are having success with their carbon fiber, full suspension frames and implies that the mountain bike market will follow the road market that has embraced carbon as the high-end material of choice by consumers.

If true, this may have a negative impact on smaller niche manufacturers that produce high-end aluminum full suspension bikes. Here's Santa Cruz's president Rob Roskopp on the likelihood of this happening in the near term:

Compare the cars road bikers drive and the type of car a full-suspension guy rides. Road riders put their $7,000 bike on top of shiny $50,000 cars. But the average full-suspension rider puts his $4,000 bike on top of a beat-up barely-hanging-together car that costs a fraction of what their bike costs. For them their bike is their life.

Gross generalizations aside, I'd have to agree that if the price of carbon fiber doesn't come down it will always remain a high-end niche product. I will say, however, that carbon fiber should be the material of the future. If you've ever ridden Cannondale's Rush Carbon or the Trek Top Fuel 98 and compared them to their aluminum cousins, the ride is much smoother.

Will Lance Armstrong turn to mountain biking next?

I know there are those that are Lance fans and those that are not among the cycling community. No matter where you fall on the Armstrong spectrum, I think it is hard to argue against the fact that he has a drive like few other athletes.

Just before his sub-three hour marathon run, Lance was interviewed by ESPN.com  (via Dirtpedaler)regarding his activity post retirement:

I didn't want to be the typical professional athlete, where the tendency is to get lazy and sedentary and not doing anything. Especially those first couple years. I didn't want that for my life. It's not good for my health and I don't want to be a 40-year-old 50 pounds over weight. Now, on Sunday, I'll be like every other 35-year-old guy in the field who has an hour a day to exercise, has kids to tend to, business to take care of and drinks a beer or two every night.

Now that the marathon is over, it looks like endurance mountain biking may be next for Lance. Here's Lance on what's next:

There are other events in cycling I'd like to do, like the Leadville 100, an extreme mountain bike race in some of the highest parts of Colorado. I don't think people have to worry -- I'll find something to keep myself motivated.

Lance was active in mountain biking before his prolific professional career. While no one believed Lance could win the marathon, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that he could top the podium in a 100 mile endurance mountain bike race...is it?

By the way, here's a link to an old Nike commercial with Lance mountain biking I posted a few months ago.

Jeremiah Bishop goes down at La Ruta

World class Virginia mountain biker, Jeremiah Bishop crashed during the second stage of the three stage La Ruta De Los Conquistadores in Costa Rica on Saturday. He was the overall leader at the time of the crash, five kilometers from the end of stage two. Despite the crash he continued on to a second place stage finish and was later taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery for a broken jaw.

Damn that's one tough cookie!

I've never met Jeremiah, but I have ridden with some guys that have. My impression from those that have met him is that he is one of those elite professionals that stays grounded and rides and cares about his local stomping grounds - frequently showing up for grass roots mountain bike races and events in the area.

Give Jeremiah a shout out on his blog.

Eurobike v. Interbike - can this be good?

The other day Eurobike announced that it will launch a new bicycle industry trade show in the United States. This new show will be held in Portland, Oregon in mid to late September according to the announcement. This puts it squarely in competition with Interbike, which is held in Las Vegas the last week in September each year.

Until recently I have always believed that Eurobike and Interbike were one in the same. I pictured one big traveling road show put on by the same company, sort of like the Ringling Brothers, Barnum, and Bailey Circus. I'm guessing most non-industry types have similar thoughts about the two shows, if they have even heard of them in the first place. But the two trade shows are owned and operated by different companies, which, until now, only competed tangentially on the world stage. Now the companies will be in direct competition with this shot across the bough from Eurobike.

Can this be good for the cycling industry?