A Painfully Earnest Notice To My Three Or 4 Readers – Bike Snob NYC

Again in June thirteenth, 2007, my life modified ceaselessly. Bored at my job and determined for change, I began a smartass bike weblog. Folks preferred it, and I haven’t shut up since.

And right here we’re.

The Web has modified loads since these days. Now, blogs are hopelessly old style, and right now folks eat their content material by way of…I dunno, podcasts and Instagram and TikTok and stuff? Additionally, I hear newsletters are a factor. And the children right now positive love the YouTubes, don’t they? However running a blog is how I began, and I’ll in all probability nonetheless be running a blog once we’ve all received mind implants and talk immediately by way of some form of dystopian hivemind.

For me, running a blog is the proper medium, and right here’s why:

• It’s prose-based
• It’s basically serialized, but every publish can stand alone
• You might have loads of room to be descriptive and nuanced on a weblog, and but it’s basically unpretentious, which suggests you will be as severe or irreverent as you’re feeling like being on any given day
• You get fast suggestions out of your readers within the type of feedback, and interactions are typically optimistic, versus social media which is just like the world’s worst remark part metastasized and ate each respectable web site on this planet

Whereas clearly a product of the Web Age, the basic idea of the weblog is actually timeless; simply somebody cursed with a endless narrative and sharing unceasingly with whoever will be bothered to hear. So for a not-particularly-tech-inclined author like me who’s received method too many opinions regarding a extremely specialised topic, it’s the perfect method to share what I’ve to say

Through the years, in addition to this weblog, I’ve printed 4 books, contributed to a number of totally different magazines, written common columns, and even had my very own radio present for awhile. All of those endeavors have been rewarding, together with within the literal sense, as a result of I used to be lucky sufficient to receives a commission. (Nicely, aside from the radio present, which I did totally free within the naive hope it might someway result in getting paid.) I each love and depend upon writing for different retailers, and I’ve been fortunate to work with some nice folks. Sadly, the enterprise of writing for others can be a mercurial one: editors come and go, corporations purchase different corporations, and so forth. (For instance, you will have examine all of the drama regarding Exterior Media, who’ve acquired various biking titles and lately laid off an enormous chuck of their workers.) Moreover, you’re usually another step eliminated out of your readers, because it’s not your platform, it’s not your timeline, and your voice isn’t utterly your individual.

I’m deeply grateful to all of the publications I’ve labored with and proceed to work with, and I’ll maintain doing so for so long as they’ll have me. On the identical time, given the unpredictability of the enterprise, it’s important that I depend on them lower than I do. I’d additionally prefer to carry extra–and extra formidable–content material on to readers. After I’m compelled to inform a narrative I’d like to have the ability to “greenlight” it myself and produce it proper to you in a well timed and unadulterated trend. I’d like to have the ability to cowl prices associated to the telling of such tales and the maintenance of this weblog. I’d like to have the ability to produce extra video content material, and even e-books. I’d prefer to make this website look and work higher, or not less than discover somebody who can assist me do this. Maybe most significantly, I’d like the liberty to ridicule all of the stuff within the bike world I’ve been remiss in ridiculing. Advert hoc writing for others has the unlucky by-product of relegating this weblog to an afterthought, when it ought to as a substitute be a going concern.

Smarter, cooler, better-looking folks than me are in a position to create income streams by promoting you bike stuff along with creating content material. Not solely do I lack these attributes, however I’m cursed with the assumption that there’s already loads of bike stuff on this planet, so it’s very onerous to consider one thing so as to add to that. Certain, I’ve offered caps and stuff right here and there, and I’ve nothing in any way in opposition to commerce, however I’m the final individual within the bike world who may pull off a “capsule assortment,” or some gizmo to retailer weed in your handlebar, or yet one more $75 rebranded Panaracer.

I’ve at all times been very reluctant to aim some form of paid subscription mannequin, partially as a result of I like folks with the ability to learn totally free, and partially as a result of I think this place would filter sooner than a room when the canine farts. So long as I’m doing this, you’ll at all times be capable of come right here and discover stuff to learn with out paying. On the identical time, given all the above, the Board of Administrators is at the moment exploring the opportunity of carving out some portion of this weblog for “subscriber-only content material.” Actually that might additionally set off a canine fart state of affairs, but when I stay beholden to the bike media to the extent that I’m then the one who is in the end pressured to depart the room may very well be me. Given this I’ve to not less than entertain the concept of one thing that might give me some much-needed independence and also you some much-needed bike content material that doesn’t revolve round how superior crabon gravel bikes with digital shifting are.

Within the meantime, beneath you’ll discover a donation button. Each as soon as in awhile somebody reaches out and asks how they will help this weblog instantly, and for the primary time in 16 years right here’s a method to try this. I’ve received no expectations right here, and if something it’s simply me testing the waters, but when this crap is price something to you then take into consideration what that may be. And who is aware of, possibly some gazillionaire is studying and can drop sufficient within the pot to finish any speak of paid subscriptions as soon as and for all.

Thanks for studying,

–Tan Tenovo

TLDR; I wish to maintain creating extra and higher bike content material, and I don’t wish to need to suck as much as anyone aside from you folks to be able to do it.