Bike Magazine Shut Down?

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sspomer
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Things don't look good for Bike Magazine (and its sister publications at American Media).
https://www.adventure-journal.com/2020/10/bike-powder-snowboarder-and-s…

from Casimiro's article: "The magazines Bike, Powder, Snowboarder, and Surfer are being shut down by owner American Media, which also owns Men’s Journal. This includes both print and digital products. Staffs of Bike and Surfer were told via video call yesterday afternoon that they are furloughed immediately, while the staffs of the snow titles will stay on board until November, when they are being furloughed."

If this is permanent, it's a sad day for our sport. We'll update with details as we learn them.
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10/4/2020 9:56am
I think Bike has done a good job with building the online presence... It would seem feasible for them to continue that way...
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zoso
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10/4/2020 10:37am
Agreed Brian Peterson and I hope you're right. To me, Bike mag/online has always been genuine and creative, not just commercialism like MBA.
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chasejj
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10/4/2020 11:15am
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB . Good on ya.
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10/4/2020 6:54pm Edited Date/Time 10/4/2020 6:54pm
chasejj wrote:
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB...
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB . Good on ya.
what does this mean, @chasejj?
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bizutch
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10/4/2020 8:49pm
chasejj wrote:
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB...
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB . Good on ya.
you got downvoted 14 times? Man....the PB SJW crew smelled an offense and tried to avenge themselves with a vicious imaginary thumb. HAH. Glad you said it...typed it...
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chasejj
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10/4/2020 9:32pm
chasejj wrote:
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB...
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB . Good on ya.
bizutch wrote:
you got downvoted 14 times? Man....the PB SJW crew smelled an offense and tried to avenge themselves with a vicious imaginary thumb. HAH. Glad you said...
you got downvoted 14 times? Man....the PB SJW crew smelled an offense and tried to avenge themselves with a vicious imaginary thumb. HAH. Glad you said it...typed it...
They prove my point every time. SJW clown show over there at PB. They make Twitter censorship look downright reasonable. IMO best thing ever would be an EMP that kills the internet for a few years. Those retards would have to talk and exist in something other than a libtard echo chamber. That said 80% of this sport appears to be of the libtard persuasion, unfortunately. I am sure happy I didn't stay in the industry.
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chasejj
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10/4/2020 9:34pm
chasejj wrote:
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB...
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB . Good on ya.
what does this mean, @chasejj?
I'm sure you can solve the riddle. You think you have everything else figured out, right?
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chasejj
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10/4/2020 9:37pm
chasejj wrote:
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB...
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB . Good on ya.
bizutch wrote:
you got downvoted 14 times? Man....the PB SJW crew smelled an offense and tried to avenge themselves with a vicious imaginary thumb. HAH. Glad you said...
you got downvoted 14 times? Man....the PB SJW crew smelled an offense and tried to avenge themselves with a vicious imaginary thumb. HAH. Glad you said it...typed it...
You should see my thumb down scores over there! , when I bothered looking at their nonsense. It was hilarious. The slightest non PC truth bomb would set them off like a pack of firecrackers. It was hilarious to see the scores rack up and then my comment would just disappear. But they'd still be hating on it. Priceless
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mjmiller613
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10/4/2020 9:40pm
Let’s judge PB less on the fact that they are “SJWs” and more because they are making a reality TV show.
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TEAMROBOT
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10/4/2020 10:05pm
Hey, remember 9 posts ago in this thread when we were bummed that Bike Magazine was going out of business? Or the part where we were grateful for decades of great MTB content from so many amazing contributors, editors, photographers, and writers? That was cool.
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krisrayner
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10/4/2020 10:48pm
That sucks. I really liked their Bible reviews and interesting opinion pieces. Since Turman is leaving, maybe Vital can swoop in and get some good talent
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10/4/2020 11:21pm
TEAMROBOT wrote:
Hey, remember 9 posts ago in this thread when we were bummed that Bike Magazine was going out of business? Or the part where we were...
Hey, remember 9 posts ago in this thread when we were bummed that Bike Magazine was going out of business? Or the part where we were grateful for decades of great MTB content from so many amazing contributors, editors, photographers, and writers? That was cool.
They definitely had some amazing pics in that magazine..
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Eoin
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10/5/2020 2:39am
krisrayner wrote:
That sucks. I really liked their Bible reviews and interesting opinion pieces. Since Turman is leaving, maybe Vital can swoop in and get some good talent
I really liked the format, but unfortunately for them the format got replicated by every other outlet. I appreciated that they have multiple riders and good discussions, a lot of other outlets only have 1-2 riders per set of bikes which really limits the range of opinions.
Atkisa
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10/5/2020 4:45am
chasejj wrote:
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB...
All the better for the Vital MTB site since Pinkbike is now Pink Pussy Hat SJ Warrior Bike. Vital is the goto for all thinks MTB . Good on ya.
bizutch wrote:
you got downvoted 14 times? Man....the PB SJW crew smelled an offense and tried to avenge themselves with a vicious imaginary thumb. HAH. Glad you said...
you got downvoted 14 times? Man....the PB SJW crew smelled an offense and tried to avenge themselves with a vicious imaginary thumb. HAH. Glad you said it...typed it...
chasejj wrote:
They prove my point every time. SJW clown show over there at PB. They make Twitter censorship look downright reasonable. IMO best thing ever would be...
They prove my point every time. SJW clown show over there at PB. They make Twitter censorship look downright reasonable. IMO best thing ever would be an EMP that kills the internet for a few years. Those retards would have to talk and exist in something other than a libtard echo chamber. That said 80% of this sport appears to be of the libtard persuasion, unfortunately. I am sure happy I didn't stay in the industry.
Yeah who wants social justice am i right?

Overflowing with irony you bunch of absolute snowflakes crying because you got down voted on a mountain bike website Laughing

Yes internet activism is annoying and pointless, I'd rather people were out doing actual political work but my god it's better than you right wing cry babies.
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jeff.brines
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10/5/2020 6:48am Edited Date/Time 10/5/2020 6:49am
Bike withstanding, the other publications haven't offered a whole lot of really solid content in years. Just head to Powder's homepage. Follow their editor on Twitter. Look at what they are pushing. Its kind of a mess.

I think this could be a good thing. The mags could get bought (for pennies on the dollar) by a company that wants to do something with those names.

If they all adopted a bit more of a Vital model (as far as quality of content online goes), dropping the "what fleece is best for fall" stuff, putting more resources into killer storytelling, I'd bet they can revive all three mags. Maybe they won't be fast growing and some kind of massive cash cow, but I'd bet they can be profitable, and provide solid cash flows.

Regardless, here it to hoping everyone at Bike lands on their feet elsewhere! Thanks for all the killer content over the years.
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Ahab
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10/5/2020 7:06am
Bike withstanding, the other publications haven't offered a whole lot of really solid content in years. Just head to Powder's homepage. Follow their editor on Twitter...
Bike withstanding, the other publications haven't offered a whole lot of really solid content in years. Just head to Powder's homepage. Follow their editor on Twitter. Look at what they are pushing. Its kind of a mess.

I think this could be a good thing. The mags could get bought (for pennies on the dollar) by a company that wants to do something with those names.

If they all adopted a bit more of a Vital model (as far as quality of content online goes), dropping the "what fleece is best for fall" stuff, putting more resources into killer storytelling, I'd bet they can revive all three mags. Maybe they won't be fast growing and some kind of massive cash cow, but I'd bet they can be profitable, and provide solid cash flows.

Regardless, here it to hoping everyone at Bike lands on their feet elsewhere! Thanks for all the killer content over the years.
A lot of these magazines are being pushed to publish this kind of content. Every ad seems to have an editorial tie-in. Anything to get ad revenue these days. It's across the board as the print industry continues to shrink. Expect to see more magazines shutting down.

I'd hope to see them go independent again to get to publish the stories and content they want, and that means subscription based revenue. Look at AJ, SJ, etc -- slim on the ads, no advertorial, and $50+ subscription costs. Fewer issues with better content and production. That's all I want out of magazines these days
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bizutch
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10/5/2020 8:01am
I always remember the 1st time I saw that massive root ball the guy was about to drop down in the fog. Cover photo. I distinctly remember it clearly and wanting to find that exact spot at some point in life.
That was my image of the North Shore. Foggy, mossy, slick, monster root balls & just trying to ride it out.
Would be nice if they made a come back under someone with a monthly centerfold and contest. Sell a wall mount picture frame for the centerfold so you could rotate out pics on your wall each issus.
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10/5/2020 7:51pm
I was a Powder subscriber for years, a couple years ago it was available in almost every grocery store near me, the last year or so you didn’t see it anywhere. Then last year they switched from 8 issues a year to 4. Quality went up but they delivered it like it was Us Weekly, (most of the solid magazines arrive like Playboy of yore, in a plastic bag to keep it from getting all ratty before you read it) and staples such as “Jaded Local” disappeared. A sign of the times I suppose. I’m likely just waxing nostalgic but I always thought they did a pretty solid job. Not to the standards of Ski Journal but solid nonetheless.
skypig
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AU
10/6/2020 5:15am
Printed magazines are on their way to extinction.
Being resistant to change - I hate to watch it.
(It blows my mind how fast things are changing. “Video” rental chain stores went from sponsoring Race car teams to “gone” in a few years in Australia. “News Agency’s (Paper shop) have gone from a prime retail segment to “endangered” - less printed magazines.....)
Jakeepooh
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10/6/2020 5:53pm
I found Ryan Palmer's contributions, both written and on-camera interesting and entertaining. In fact, I'll probably be googling from time to time to find out where he lands to see what he does next. As for the rest of the site, yeah, I could do without the knee-jerk critical theory-based politics, but whatevs, it wasn't like I couldn't skip those articles.
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10/8/2020 4:59am
I still have a soft spot in my memories for BIKE mag from the mid 90s, when I was a teen shop grom and the images in BIKE were like Nat Geo for cyclists. Sad indeed to see them go.
1
10/8/2020 8:11am
At least they finally got to post a goodbye for now message on the site... Would have been a bummer to see it go away and the last thing was something about small backpacks..
BHowell
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11/18/2020 10:38am
Aaaaand, it looks like the gang is getting back together!

This was posted on Bicycle Retailer:

POM hires former Bike editors, will launch mountain bike title

Pocket Outdoor Media is expanding deeper into bicycle media and adding scale to its Active Pass membership by hiring five Bike magazine editors who were furloughed this fall. The crew will lead the effort to launch a new mountain bike title in 2021.

Pocket will launch the new brand with a website in December; the first of four quarterly print issues will be published in the first quarter of 2021.

Pocket hired Bike’s former editor-in-chief, Nicole Formosa, along with Ryan Palmer, Anthony Smith, Travis Engel, and Satchel Cronk.

“Hiring this team makes a statement about our faith in the power of great content,” Thurston said. “Yes, brands can be important, but artful storytelling is our north star.”

Formosa (who was BRAIN’s international editor before joining Bike in 2013), said the new title will reach a broad audience of recreational mountain bikers, including those who discovered or re-discovered the sport during the pandemic. It will provide category-leading photography and product reviews and expanded video offerings, she said.

“We’re so excited to build on the long legacy of Bike magazine, as well as reach a new audience through Pocket Outdoor Media’s wide-ranging community of folks who love being outdoors,” Formosa said.
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Big Bird
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11/18/2020 1:20pm
What about Mike Ferentino? Is he just retired to Big Sur or does he have something in the works?
2/3/2021 2:54pm
For anyone wondering what's happened with the Bike Magazine crew. Check this out. Many of them are now with Pocket Outdoor Media. Pocket owns a bunch of publications like Backpacker Mag, VeloNews, Climbing/Rock and Ice, Yoga Journal, etc.
https://www.betamtb.com/news-issues/industry/welcome-to-beta/?__hstc=22…
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