Poll: Women specific cycling magazine

[Trek420]

SadieKate "I just want equal opportunity. "

foldouts! yep, we read the magazine for the interviews. AG is voting for pictures of George.

seriously Spazz how about testing the waters as a blog supported by advertising, linkshare to TE and others, publish online, get sponsorship and readership and then go from there?

[LBTC]

Wow!

This is such a cool idea, whether in glossy magazine format, or busy online blog! I LOVE it! I hope that I can contribute something at some point, too!

If I think of something you girls haven't already said - and you've had so many great ideas! - I'll let you know.

Good work! Very exciting!

Namaste,
~T~

[Grog]

This is such a cool idea, whether in glossy magazine format, or busy online blog! I LOVE it!

I am not sure about the odds for a glossy magazine, but I am a happy subscriber to a couple of feminist zines (including Shameless Mag - http://shamelessmag.com - that's for teenagers but at 27 I still find it great!!) that are not on the glossy side of things and that's quite fine with me. I don't feel like I need that much advertising in my life.

A webzine with lots of contents with monthly publications could be great too, and may require less advertising support. Here's one I find kinda cool. It's in French but you'll figure it out (just the looks of it): http://www.p45.ca/ Considering the fact that women cyclists are everywhere, that could be easier...

[SadieKate]

foldouts! yep, we read the magazine for the interviews.

The lastest VeloNews has Ivan Basso.

[spazzdog]

To be perfectly honest I've always wanted to be involved in publishing. More on that later.

It needs to be a magazine... just like the big boys. I prefer the format (i.e. size) of a ProCycling rather than the oversize VeloNews. I don't want to copy Bicycling or Bike magazine. Though there will definitely be articles addressing recreational riders, I really want to take this into the racing scene... pro and amateur, all disciplines, including the spot lighting of cat3/4 up & comers. I think it's important to give these women a podium to stand on and in the process open up racing to more and more women.

As for the blog idea... too many blogs, very little, if any intellectual property protection.

First, as Trek420 mentioned, without TE, we wouldn't even be brainstorming this idea, not in a conference room, but around the world with a group of extraordinary women. And, yes... if this comes to fruition, TE ads are free. Perhaps they'll even link up to the online subscription request form.

There is a lot to do... a lot of it tedious and legal. Demographic studies ( I hit USAC up for some info today... and they sent it!).

Here's what/who I've got so far:

Robyn M - checking into women's sport foundations that do funding (grants)

betagirl & Grog - grant writers.

spazzdog - I'm looking into getting incorporated and trademarking the mag name, looking into advertising rates, putting togeter a listing of prospective advertisors.

I need a financial/business guru who can put together a business plan for probable inclusion in the grant and or bank loan.

Is there a lawyer in the house?

Does anybody know any billionaires that would be interested in backing this endeavor?

Until this becomes reality, I realize this is all volunteer activity. Up front, thanks for all the help, the ideas, and the support. When/if it becomes real... we're talking quite an exciting gig. Get those passports updated.

spazzdog

[Grog]

Though there will definitely be articles addressing recreational riders, I really want to take this into the racing scene... pro and amateur, all disciplines, including the spot lighting of cat3/4 up & comers. I think it's important to give these women a podium to stand on and in the process open up racing to more and more women.

[/QUOTE]

I'm afraid I really had a different thing on my mind. Women racers coverage is certainly VERY important and should be more out there, but, to be honest in turn, I'm not very interested in racing, be it by women or men, and I probably wouldn't read about it on a regular basis. And while I'm sure there is a marketing "niche" for a mag tending TO women cyclists, I'm not sure that there is one for a mag ABOUT women cyclist racers specifically. Women readers are the main readership of mags about women, and my feeling is that, in order to get them to pick up the mag AND buy it (and subscribe to it), it will have to talk to them somehow. Racing has to be introduced to them and they'll certainly enjoy learning about those women who challenge themselves racing, especially once they've been educated to the basics of the sport. But can it be the focus of a whole mag? Isn't the recreational/health/technical info more precious to a greater number of women riders at this moment?

However, I must say that I have no knowledge whatsoever of the women's racing scene. Maybe there is a high volume of women out there who would be the obvious primary subscription base of the mag... With your experience in this sport, you probably know better...

[Crankin]

I agree, Grog, with much of what you said. I do think that there should be all the stuff that Spazz listed, especially articles about Cat 3/4 riders, juniors, etc. It would be nice for more people to understand what racing is all about. That said, though, I think you will be left with a very small audience if you don't include articles for recreational/fitness riders. That is a huge group of people, which means $$$$. I am never going to race. But I would consider myself a serious recreational rider, who spends tons of money on cycling related stuff, clothes, equipment, vacations, books.... Judging from what i have seen around the area where i live there seems to be a huge increase in the number of people starting to ride... beginners who have bought nice hybrids, cruisers, etc who are out there riding. Get these people hooked and pretty soon they will buying that $1000.00 road or mountain bike. I don't think i would subscribe if the mag was just about racing.

[han-grrl]

A friend had sent me this womens special edition of Bicycling years ago. It was a great issue. They explained road and mountain bike parts, some skills, some articles on women's only trips, women's clothing.

I had always hoped another would pop up someday, but never has...

[spazzdog]

You misunderstand... or more likely, my response was too short. Sorry.

While I want to really put a spot light on women's racing, I do want to make content "speak to" the recreational cyclist. I understand the importance of not specializing ones self out of a very important (and large) readership.

Monthly (or quarterly, if a journal) standards should include not only racing results/features, but material for riders like us: gear reviews, maint tips, training tips, "best ride" locales, upcoming or reviews of charity rides, etc, etc.

I feel certain that this could be appealing to the many, not just a few. I and I'm sure others here are making note of what's wanted on the non-racing side of things.

spazz