About this time in early 2002, I pressed the “go” button to launch the web site you’re studying now… Again then I might by no means have imagined that 22 years and nearly 20,000 articles later PEZCycling would have grown right into a revered supply for highway biking information, data and leisure that so lots of you may have loved, and be one of many final remaining correct highway biking media websites left in North America.
This month marks a fairly special occasion right here at PEZ. It’s 22 years since I hit the “go” button on an extended forgotten laptop in a second bed room / my workplace in a small townhouse I had simply moved into with the then future Mrs. Pez. The precise launch date stays a thriller, however right here’s what I can nonetheless bear in mind…
It All Began…
Within the Fall of 2001, I used to be in transition between jobs, had been in search of work for a couple of months, and the one presents I’d obtained had been so horrible that I lastly figured that if I used to be going to receives a commission nothing to do one thing, then I ought to at the least do one thing I loved.
Precise PEZ display screen from Waybackmachine.com – c. Sep. 2002
I’d been to the Tour (’86 & ’90) and the ’94 Giro, and was disillusioned that the biking media of the day simply didn’t cowl the fan expertise the way in which I’d really “lived” it. It was a lot enjoyable to be there, however nobody was writing about this. So I dreamed up the concept to be the man who introduced that facet of the world’s greatest and finest races to followers. And PEZCyclingNews was born.
Again within the day… On the 2003 Tour de France driving over the Tourmalet. Protecting my first Tour when solely dial-up web was out there in France… I took my outdated mtb, misplaced my sun shades on Alpe d’Huez, and minimize a gap within the high of that Saeco cap to battle the 40C+ heatwave that was sweeping Europe.
Issues in biking had been rather a lot totally different again then. The entire biking trade was browsing a wave, and thousands and thousands of sports activities followers found a cool bike race referred to as the Tour de France – carbon fiber molding was the brand new rising know-how, the web was nonetheless younger and sluggish, Google was simply considered one of a number of serps, and social media didn’t even exist. And biking manufacturers had been clamouring to assist the few fledgling biking web sites of the day.
We joined the small however energetic fray, and PEZ pioneered “roadside reporting” as the primary web site to cowl the very best degree professional bike racing from the followers perspective, and our model of story-telling resonated with readers far and vast.
The cartoon within the higher proper has been on my board for the reason that ’90’s, and was a degree of inspiration when launching PEZ. The picture is climbing the Passo Gavia on the 2006 Giro.
That first yr we had been granted credentials to the Vuelta – our now each day editor Alastair Hamilton paid his personal approach, and my solely task for him was to ship again footage of podium ladies (bear in mind these?). Then I used to be contacted by Charles Manantan who needed to cowl Tech (and paid his personal solution to Interbike), and Dr. Stephen Cheung who championed our Toolbox coaching part (the one free supply for cycling-relevant coaching articles vetted by a PhD within the area). Later got here (to call just some) nice storytellers like Leslie Reissner who single-handedly created a library of biking e book and movie opinions that Rotten Tomatoes would envy, Chuck Pena and his uniquely detailed but readable tech opinions, and extra lately ex-pro racer Jordan Cheyne with a ability & ardour to write down about highway biking that few from his youthful technology possess.
Dropping A Buddy
One other nice storyteller and mad-for-cycling journo-wannabe reached out within the early days with a suggestion he might cowl the Tour of Britain – that’s how I met Ed Hood . Sadly although, it’s been a yr since we misplaced our pricey buddy and colleague to a extreme stroke. Ed was one of many irreplaceable unicorn’s who helped make PEZ such a enjoyable and entertaining place to go to. I want I had higher information about his restoration… Ed has moved right into a long run care facility and continues to work together with his care givers, and the assist of his loving spouse and pals, however we don’t count on he’ll return to our little peloton.
My solely in particular person assembly with the nice man Ed Hood, as I handed the PEZ baton to him throughout our protection of the 2010 Giro.
Final yr we began a GoFundMe web page to enchantment to, and ask you readers an opportunity to assist Ed with a small donation. Each greenback could be very a lot appreciated by Ed & his household, and can go an extended solution to making his life little extra comfy, and paying his care bills. We’ll proceed operating tales from Ed’s enormous 2300+ catalog of labor, as a result of his tales are so timeless, and entertaining. In case you’ve ever loved one ofr Ed’s articles, please contemplate donating to his GoFundMe web page.
Through the years PEZ has been a platform for dozens of different entertaining and distinctive writers – Chris Selden, Gord Camshron, Matt Conn, Darrel Parks, and Jered Gruber – , and I contemplate my self fortunate to rely so many proficient story-tellers / photographers / biking followers as contributors. Many have moved on to profitable careers in biking media and different types of greatness, however I really feel a certain quantity of delight saying they helped construct PEZ into considered one of North America’s longest operating and most revered biking media websites.
In in the present day’s media panorama of youtubers, grammers, influencers, we’re one of many few remaining one-stop websites the place readers can discover protection of the total vary of highway biking subjects that nicely, we, at the least, assume are price protecting – and one thing new every single day.
Ah… good occasions.
And thru all of it I managed to work the negroni into some type of related part of the PEZ ethos.
And Then The Challenges
However in the present day I’m searching at a really totally different scene in biking and biking media, one which sadly appears very totally different from what our first decade regarded like. By now you realize the story – the biking enterprise generally is within the tank, because of a yr’s lengthy sequence of unlucky occasions and much more unlucky choices about find out how to deal with them.
Job cuts & rising dwelling prices have lowered shoppers’ urge for food and skill to purchase bike gear, even when when every little thing is on sale. Too unhealthy these sale costs imply that producers received’t make any earnings till it’s all offered via – and all sources point out that’s gonna take one other yr.
Once I began PEZ, my marketing strategy was to fund this enterprise with sponsors’ promoting {dollars}. Permitting sponsors entry to a key viewers of helpful clients, as a trusted and credible voice within the highway biking market. And it labored for a very long time. I at all times ran a good ship, watched prices and stored overhead low to permit us to outlive whereas most others have disappeared.
However because the web, and the biking enterprise grew and adjusted, numerous challenges to this enterprise mannequin emerged. The expansion of Google and Fb eroded the promoting {dollars} that stored the media enterprise… a enterprise. Advertising and marketing managers started to decide on relationships with an algorithm over the precise individuals who’s work drove buyer assist for the biking trade and helped shoppers select which merchandise to purchase. And all of our consideration spans grew shorter as our decisions of issues to have a look at on screens massive and small grew exponentially. It’s a tragic proven fact that the sponsor {dollars} wanted to run PEZ have been tougher and tougher to search out and all indicators level to 2024 being the leanest yr I’ve seen on this enterprise.
Trying Forward
However there are some factors of sunshine twinkling within the darkness. I’m grateful that we’ve survived this lengthy, and that alongside the way in which I’ve been rewarded with a lifetime’s price of wonderful driving alternatives, and possibilities to get contained in the velvet rope at biking’s greatest races and occasions. I’ve met, shared meals and beers with, and ridden with a few of the sports activities greatest riders. I’ve developed lasting friendships with colleagues from all over the world, and we’ve helped set up and construct up a few of biking’s finest manufacturers.
However in all probability the very best a part of this trip has been the response and connection we created with no person well-known, however finally extra essential to the success of this enterprise – you readers – with out whom none of this could ever have occurred.
So I tip my hat to you readers, and thanks once more for supporting us all of those years. I do know your time and a focus are extra treasured now than ever, so any of it that you simply select to share with us is enormously appreciated.
Within the meantime – thanks for studying and being part of the PEZ neighborhood who’ve made us a memorable a part of highway biking tradition since 2002.
– Richard Pestes
Writer
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