BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The ABC results below are for the period 1st January 2003 to 31st December 2003, with the 2002 and 2001 figures also being Jan-Dec.
Road and tour mag Cycling Plus has added 4720 readers since 2001 whilst fellow Future title Mountain Biking UK has lost 8376 readers in the same period. IPC’s MTB title is not as well read as in 2001 but posted an increase in readers year on year. IPC’s road title Cycle Sport added 243 readers in 2003. However, IPC’s weekly road magazine has lost 3623 readers since 2001.
CYCLING PLUS (Future Publishing)
2003: 23 338
2002: 21 839
2001: 18 618
MBUK (Future Publishing)
2003: 49 287
2002: 50 914
2001: 57 663
Mountain Bike Rider (IPC)
2003: 37 306
2002: 36 765
2001: 40 200
Cycle Sport (IPC)
2003: 20 270
2002: 20 027
2001: 20 667
Cycling Weekly (IPC)
2003: 27 034
2002: 28 204
2001: 30 657
Titles such as Procycling, Singletrack and Velovision provide pubiisher’s self-certified sales statements and do not go to the expense of ABC audits.
Cycling Weekly has long had a website directing readers to a subscription page but recently launched a now-and-then updated news service at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk This still directs readers to get the full story in the weekly mag and does not yet compete on the daily news coverage front with the likes of procycling.com, pezcyclingnews.com and cyclingnews.com.
The feature of the site is the Online Events Service, which aims to become "the most comprehensive free source of information about cycling events in the UK."
IPC plans to charge event organisers to list their events but the service is currently free.
Website visitors can also sign up for a weekly email newsletter, take part in a weekly online survey, download high quality desktop wallpaper images, search through the bike test index and find out whatÂ’s coming up in the magazine.
Nigel Wynn, Cycling Weekly deputy editor, said: “Our aim is to provide an extension to the printed magazine, not only to give our valued existing readers free additional services and information, but also to get new people excited and involved in cycling. We see the new website as the next chapter in the magazine’s long and respected history, as the voice of British cycling.”
Content-driven websites will soon be created for Cycle Sport and Mountain Bike Rider. said IPC’s cycle and motorcycle magazines publisher, Keith Foster
