Cyclocommuter Magazine
It’s a shame that just thinking about something doesn’t bring it into existence—except, I guess, in cases like the movie Ghostbusters where Dan Akroyd manifests a giant Pillsbury Doughboy simply by imagining it.
Because if all it took was the idea, I would be publishing a really cool magazine called Cyclocommuter targeted at the somewhere between a million and four million Americans who regularly commute to work by bicycle.
Unfortunately, (and contrary what I understand the latest self-help phenomenon, The Secret, to claim) execution matters, too. You have to actually do the work necessary to make your notion real, so, given my preference for conceptualizing over creating, it’s unlikely that Cyclocommuter will ever appear in print.
But if it did, it would contain at least some of the following:
Bike shop reviews: Every issue would profile a local bike shop and talk about its strengths and weaknesses. I would talk about how this place is especially good if you’re looking to buy a kid’s bike, how that place is the best for cheap used parts, and how at another, the mechanics make you feel like a total idiot, even if you’re just a partial one.
Profile of a cycle commuter: I would interview somebody who rides their bike to work most day and get them to talk about their route, their equipment, their best and worst days, and so on. Special points for folks who also run most of their errands by bike.
Equipment talk: I would write about items that make cycle commuting easier and more fun. (This might also be a way to get some free stuff from cycling companies.)
Event reports: There would be a column on homegrown races and alleycats. I’d also include a calendar for upcoming events.
Cycling editorials: Naturally, I’d have to include a column that would give me space to rant and rave about cyclists and cycling. And I could even ensure that I did so in 327 words.
Because if all it took was the idea, I would be publishing a really cool magazine called Cyclocommuter targeted at the somewhere between a million and four million Americans who regularly commute to work by bicycle.
Unfortunately, (and contrary what I understand the latest self-help phenomenon, The Secret, to claim) execution matters, too. You have to actually do the work necessary to make your notion real, so, given my preference for conceptualizing over creating, it’s unlikely that Cyclocommuter will ever appear in print.
But if it did, it would contain at least some of the following:
Bike shop reviews: Every issue would profile a local bike shop and talk about its strengths and weaknesses. I would talk about how this place is especially good if you’re looking to buy a kid’s bike, how that place is the best for cheap used parts, and how at another, the mechanics make you feel like a total idiot, even if you’re just a partial one.
Profile of a cycle commuter: I would interview somebody who rides their bike to work most day and get them to talk about their route, their equipment, their best and worst days, and so on. Special points for folks who also run most of their errands by bike.
Equipment talk: I would write about items that make cycle commuting easier and more fun. (This might also be a way to get some free stuff from cycling companies.)
Event reports: There would be a column on homegrown races and alleycats. I’d also include a calendar for upcoming events.
Cycling editorials: Naturally, I’d have to include a column that would give me space to rant and rave about cyclists and cycling. And I could even ensure that I did so in 327 words.
posted by Professor Dave at 4:04 PM
1 Comments:
Well you've made a start with the blog. Obviously setting up a print magazine would be a lot of work but perhaps setting up a website that others can contribute to as well as yourself would be a much easier way to do it - just a thought. I'm in the UK and was wondering if there was already something like that out there. The closest I've found is a site dedicated to the folding bicycle (http://foldsoc.co.uk/).
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