The sad implosion of Cyclingtips :( (new title to reflect the max exodus)

maybe it is me but today I tried to access the CT forum and can not find any link to it… have others had this problem or even care?

forum has been down/offline/removed for a couple of weeks IIRC. definitely seems to be on purpose.

I would not be surprised if the pinkbike product dude is tied into this ~transformation~

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The forum just went down in the last week or so….but the links to it from the main page were disabled a number of weeks ago.

Glad I got to post one last :fu:t2: to Outside on my way out the door before they shut it down.

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CT forum functioned on Monday when I checked and was nuked that day or the next couple. You can pinpoint it from the comments in the Wade topic, where we discussed it earlier this week.

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Forum just disappeared for me too. Haven’t checked for a day or two but it was def. up on Monday when I posted a snarky remark about them removing article comments to hide the outrage from anyone doing due diligence for an Outside Inc. IPO. Yes I’m taking credit.

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Per the following post, that jives with my experience and memory, it looks like Mid-Late Tuesday is when they nuked the forum.

I had checked a few of the hot button threads on Monday and maybe again Tuesday AM. Comments around the usual topics with mention of Wades message as well. Not sure it was connected to them nuking it at that time, or just a coincidence in timing considering how Outside stated that CT would be absorbed around that same time?

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They actually announced it saying something like “moving to a new platform” or something like that. I’m not going to give them any clicks to try to find the clarification.

Right, that is what I’m referencing in the final half of my last sentence. Probably just shared time without them trying to sidestep Wade’s new direction.

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Whatever about all the morality and human decency issues raised in this debacle (and there are many), from a purely business perspective, this has to be one of the worst cases of inept business management I’ve ever seen. The loss of shareholder value from whatever Outside paid for CT to what it must be worth now is appalling. In order to increase its value (presumably), Outside took some steps that trashed the business’s two most important assets: the brand and the people. More than one of the departing journalists mentioned that there was zero communication coming from Outside. From a business perspective of looking after your key asset (the journalists), it’s totally unacceptable (again putting aside the basic human decency element).

If I was an Outside shareholder I’d be asking serious questions on the judgement and capability of Outside’s management. It seems totally chaotic.

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This is going to end up in university business courses as an example of how not to handle consolidating similar businesses.

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The only logic I can see is whoever was calling the shots still thinks it’s 2008 and they’re going to rake in the ad revenue with a content mill. That or they’re just trying to completely slash all expenses to sell Outside Inc as quickly as possible and leave some PE firm holding a bag of rotten media properties.

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The only logic I can see is that they already owned sites like velonews and saw CT as a big rival. So instead of getting creative and trying to better them, they just bought them out with empty promises to keep them independent, and then crushed them.

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I don’t think CT was even an intended purchase. They bought Pinkbike, who already owned CT. Then had no idea what to do with CT.

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Ironic to receive my weekly summary about the CT forum and not have access now :stuck_out_tongue:

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Me too, and the funny thing is, I can’t figure out how to unsubscribe! :man_facepalming:

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I haven’t tried this yet, but there is the required option to Unsubscribe at the bottom of that email:
image

Alternatively, my Gmail gives a similar option in the email header, that I have used successfully for other apps.

I used both options and ended up at the CT landing page. Makes me think it failed and will happen again next week. Wait and see, I guess.

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Same. Felt like it failed.

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I tried to remove my account but apparently I have proper membership for best part of a year remaining… which is news to me!

What a cluster.

Bummed that one of my favorite websites just basically gave up.

Can’t even be fussed to post TDU news and results or the Cavendish news.

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TDU and Cavendish news. Okay, so I’m not going to CT or velonews, so what does that leave? Cyclingnews? Any other places to go until Caley and Wade have a new service?