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Bath-based publisher Farrelly Atkinson has announced the launch of a new mountain bike specific website called off-road.cc.
The site is scheduled to go live at the end of April 2017, but users can already experience various elements that the site will be comprised of on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Off-road.cc aims to cover the whole spectrum of off-road riding from mountain biking through to adventure, gravel and bike-packing scenes.
F-At editor in chief Tony Farrelly – who will take charge of the new site’s launch – commented: “Over the last couple of years there has been a surge of interest in off-road riding at both ends of the market, from the entry-level, where bikes offer better value for money for the first-time rider than ever before, to the top-end where bikes, particularly mountain bikes, feature state-of-the-art technology, design and materials that can seem exciting to experienced mountain bikers but daunting to first-timers.
“There are already some good mountain bike websites out there but we believe that off-road.cc comes at things from a slightly different place and through it’s association with road.cc from a slightly different viewpoint too. We see it as having a clean slate to create a website that caters for the growth of interest in all forms of off-road cycling. Mountain biking will certainly be at its core as the mountain biking credentials of both our editorial and commercial team testifies, but our experience with road.cc is that just because you do one sort of riding it doesn’t mean you aren’t interested in reading and wanting to try another sort. That’s where off-road.cc comes in. It’s the website for cyclists that love to ride all forms of knobbly-tyred bikes in the great British outdoors.
“Off-road.cc will deliver the latest kit reviews, easy to understand buying advice, technical guides, news, riding locations, cool videos, lively comment and a daily dollop of inspiration to get out there and ride. Using its own distinctive voice the site will aim to fully engage with its users using the same independent approach to news, reviews and advice that has proved so popular and effective for road.cc.
“Off-road.cc will be inclusive, authoritative (but never bossy) – yes, just like your well informed mate down the pub but without the beer-y breath. Expert or novice, you’ll be welcome whether your off-road riding is for fitness, fun or sport and regardless of the type of bike you ride, the size of its wheels or the amount of suspension travel.”
Jon Woodhouse will edit the new site whilst the launch team is drawn from existing members of the F-At team. Off-road knowledge will come from the likes of John Stevenson, Dave Atkinson, Jo Burt, Mat Brett and many others.
After a youth spent working in bike shops, Woodhouse started his journalistic career at Singletrack Magazine before going on to work as technical editor and later editor of What Mountain Bike Magazine. After a stint at BikeRadar to broaden his digital knowledge, he’s putting his experience to good use at off-road.cc.
Woodhouse commented: “I’m really excited to be joining the team at F-At and especially excited about what the future holds for off-road.cc. My aim for the site is to provide friendly and accessible top quality advice and reviews that’ll help our readers get the most out of whatever dirt-riding discipline takes their fancy, whether that’s gravel riding, bikepacking or just plain old mountain biking.
“We want to make sure our readers get the right kit for them, whatever stage they might be at in their riding career, all backed up with advice and inspiration to help keep the wheels turning, whether they want to push their limits or just enjoy escaping into the countryside. That and have fun, obviously.”
Commenting on Jon’s appointment as off-road.cc editor Tony Farrelly added: “Jon’s track record makes him the perfect fit to head up off-road.cc in fact when we came up with the concept for the website he was the only person we thought of as editor, he totally gets our ideas about inclusiveness and turning more people on to the excitement and opportunities that mountain biking and all the other forms of off-road riding have to offer.”
