Posts
68
Joined
8/15/2009
Location
Denver, CO
US
FCTRY
2/23/2011 1:09am
2/23/2011 1:09am
Edited Date/Time
8/18/2014 11:26am
Just stopped over on Decline's site and I noticed they had a survey going about what people would like to see more of in the magazine. I voted, saw the results and I was encouraged by what I saw. The two leading topics were tied, and those were Racing/event coverage and trailriding/freeride, beating out a bunch of topics that were gear and bike related. The reason this is encouraging to me is that I have become completely burned out on much of the mountain bike media world. To go on most of the popular forums or read many of the popular publications, you would think that no one even rides bikes but rather everyone simply builds them, looks at them, and upgrades them as funds become available. After that they go argue about which crankset is the best on the internet. I understand to some extent, there was a time when I could dork out endlessly about some new bike part, but it seems to be completely out of hand.
I am curious as to how this came about and the way I see it there are two possibilities. One is that Mountain Bikers are more interested in their equipment than they are their sport, which paints a grim picture of us as a group. The other is that the competition between struggling manufacturers as well as between struggling media outlets has resulted in complete marketing overload. Common sense tells me it is more likely the latter. Don't get me wrong, I want bike companies to make money, there is no doubt that prosperity in the industry is good for the riders. But I think instead of the constant onslaught of product marketing, the sport and therefore the industry as a whole could be better served by promoting an image that gets people excited about riding or excited about being a fan of the sport. When more people want to ride, the product marketing will be easier and more effective. I just think there is a better way, of course I was wrong once, and my analysis of what is going on could be totally off base. Despite my bitching, I do see light at the end of the tunnel, the primary source of that light being this site and the huge amount of riding and racing content it features. Keep it up.
I am curious as to how this came about and the way I see it there are two possibilities. One is that Mountain Bikers are more interested in their equipment than they are their sport, which paints a grim picture of us as a group. The other is that the competition between struggling manufacturers as well as between struggling media outlets has resulted in complete marketing overload. Common sense tells me it is more likely the latter. Don't get me wrong, I want bike companies to make money, there is no doubt that prosperity in the industry is good for the riders. But I think instead of the constant onslaught of product marketing, the sport and therefore the industry as a whole could be better served by promoting an image that gets people excited about riding or excited about being a fan of the sport. When more people want to ride, the product marketing will be easier and more effective. I just think there is a better way, of course I was wrong once, and my analysis of what is going on could be totally off base. Despite my bitching, I do see light at the end of the tunnel, the primary source of that light being this site and the huge amount of riding and racing content it features. Keep it up.
But seriously- I think he's right. There's enough 17 Helmet Shoot-out! and 93 Pumps Reviewed- Which is The Best For You? type garbage out there and I think we all know just where to find it.
The less I tinker with my bike, the more I realize it's pretty damn good and the more fun I have with it. I get excited about new parts but that is fleeting at best. A good ride on my trusty bike leaves a lasting impression.
Even stuff that promotes the "go be by yourself in the middle of the wilderness" still promotes community so long as it reminds you that you're not the only one that loves to do that- other people are out there doing the same thing right now.
So instead, it's fun to talk about bikes and parts and damping. I love this sport because it combines all the things I love...nature, speed, adrenaline, tinkering, tech, toys. And since media can't really deliver nature, speed, or adrenaline, it might as well deliver the rest...
-Aaron
1. Great photography (along with nice art/design)
2. Latest news, including races, rider updates, etc.
3. In depth race coverage and articles on the people, companies, venues, technology in our sport
4. Interviews are always good
5. Product reviews
As for the original question:
I think Vital's formula is very cool - for proof, I visit the site daily, and always check out multiple features. I love the racing insights, love the video selections (including ride stoke videos by members, not necessarily just the latest pro stuff), it's awesome to be treated to top photo work by guys like Sven (KICKASS!!!), love the slide shows with the audio/voiceovers...and yes, I do click on features on new bikes/gear/whatever...that is also part of it. Remember, new gear is not just about the bling - product innovation gives you a real advantage out on the trail! (deep down, I'm just a gearwhore, but somewhat in denial... :-) ).
It would be nice to see the forum here grow bigger, it is an important part of our online experience for some of us. There's plenty of forums out there though, that is not the main draw of this site.
As for the broader media (beyond the internet), a good glossy mag is always nice. Gives a physical experience that you can't get from a website (and you can read it on a plane!). Favorite mag by far is Dirt - lots of high quality content (pics), good subjective writing that makes no excuses for what it is and does not just rehash ad copy from the biggest advertisers that month. Love the style, and the "look and feel" of the paper (their website sure leaves much to be desired though...). But I do pick up the more gear-oriented mags as well from time to time (I fly a lot!).
yeah, i agree. i see stuff online (both tech/product related or riding related) and it makes me want to ride. also, most people are at work or on a computer all day long, so getting geeked out is easy to do and fun...especially when it makes you jones to get out on the trail!
i'm stoked at the growth of our forum and community. that stuff just takes time, there's no way around it, and i feel like things are coming along great here! thanks to everyone who chimes in!
Oh and I hope JRA will become a frequent format like 17 Qs. It really has the potential to make full use of the variety in our sport. What about conducting an Interview while racing downhill? Or while riding some epic singletrack? I mean backyards and goats are nice, but you can always step it up a notch.
Throw up a video and it gets a few comments. Throw up a new bike part and watch it go pages deep with idiots arguing pointless crap that has zero to do with actual riding.
So I'd love to say go with a stress on content with regards to riding over bike parts, and technology but the truth is, it's the color coordination and the latest earrings (bike parts) that generate way more interest.
That said, this about the only place I ever even look for riding content any more. So for the love of god, keep doing what you're doing with the actual riding content here.
I could write a thesis on how the real blame lies with the governing bodies and certain promoters of our sport and their complete neglect/ mismanagement of it, but that horse has been beaten to a bloody pulp by now. But seriously, they all but sucked the life out of downhill, lets hope the second wind is on the way...
seeing new products doesnt make me want to ride. yeah i would love to have a bunch of stuff out there but i dont see a new crankset being offered and think "damn i want to get out and ride". i know coming to this site everyday there are gonna be new videos to watch and pics to look at. seeing those makes me want to ride.
I dont even like getting on forums anymore since all people talk about are what they have, what they want, what there building, and stuff like that. dont get me wrong that stuff is cool but i care more about getting out there and riding than what other people have and stuff i cant afford lol.
I'd like to see more articles on trails around the US. There are tons of places to ride in the US and very little coverage on them IMO. Not talking super secret stuff, but regular "trail centres" maybe even some with "up lift" service. Usually the forums are the best at asking around for this type of info, and many have spectacular pics to boot. Maybe like BIKE's annual "best trails" issue, but more like a regular feature each month and maybe on more obscure, non-played-out trails.
Also, I'd like to see more and learn more about trail building. I see some amazing trails in mags/videos and would like to hear their building techniques. Why is LeeLikesBikes the only person who published how to build a pumptrack? I think seeing/reading about peeps building their own stuff is contagious and will get the 17 year olds off the internet and out building and perhaps even riding. We've all seen Zach Dank's trails, but i doubt half the people on this site know what goes into such works of art. Know what I mean?
I'm pretty new to Vital MTB (very cool site), i wonder if my wife will let me have a permanent laptop in the John!
I wholly agree on the quality of writing in many of today's publications. The way in which product reviews are written has contributed largely to my fatigue with the whole arena. In specific, when it comes to product and bike reviews, the magazines stick to highly non-technical language and superficial opinions. Part of this is certainly the aversion to revealing anything negative in a review, for fear of losing coveted advertising dollars. The result is a bunch of fawning reviews that provide no real information to consumers. Carrying the same theme over to the forums, it seems as though no one wants to admit that they bought a half-baked product, so all you get is a bunch of people telling each other to buy whatever they have regardless of their level of expertise, experience with the product, or with it's alternatives.
The new model I would like to see rise up is something web-based for daily stuff and common news (race schedules, results, press release junk) and have that site be supplemented with quarterly, large format, high quality print publications that would include the best of the photography, articles, and editorials from the previous 3 months. Sell the big quarterly books for 15-20 bucks each but make them actually worth owning and putting on a book shelf to keep forever. I don't want to read a shabbily written article on a race that already had web coverage on it two months earlier. I want to read the well written retrospective on the race and the impact it had on the previous and following races. I want to read about the epic stories of people traveling to new places to ride and their in depth experiences and their returns to the real world. I want to read long term reviews on products that don't just re-word the company's copy-writing into a "review" but actually give field experience relative to similar, already established products (think Wentz's Vivid shock write up on here). I want the best banger photos in large, fine quality print format to show my grand kids one day. I'd rather have one of these "magazines" every 3 months than 3 shitty pamphlets over that same period of time regurgitating tired and then dated web content. I'd pay for it too- whatever the price, I'd rather pay top dollar for top content less often than pay a relatively high cover price for sparsely worthy content every month. And if some publishing folks would sack up and be confident about it, they could get companies to buy ad space on both web and print versions- because subscriptions have never, and will never support publishing expenses.
When you see how gutted the newspaper industry has become by resting on their old sloppy laurels, how can mountain bike magazines (or any niche sport magazines for the matter) not see the writing on the wall for their own death unless things change?
The methods for content distribution and consumption have changed. I'd like to see mountain bike media adapt before it's too late.
The single best thing that could happen to mtb media is if K.shiz won the lottery and did whatever the hell he wanted. Because the result would an awesomeness that we currently don't even have the tools to comprehend.
Also........vital still rules and my time off the bike is better for it. So in that respect......at least here. Don't change and thing dahling!
good hate.
I've emailed them a ton saying I'd like to see some more coverage about riding. One of my suggestions was a feature on trail builders. Like Digger, BRMBA and whats his face from follow me.
Lately theyve had some cool stuff like the feature on deity and the Mottolino bike park was cool.
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