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

[mcneese.chad]

Wade finally posted on his Substack and included the following:

[mcneese.chad]

Welcome to the TR forum, James

Sorry it’s not under better circumstances

[angryasian]

So there’s no confusion, I just want to make it clear that’s a Photoshopped image. At no point did we (or Wade) ever have a branded CT Porsche 911 (although, damn, I wish I did!).

[mcneese.chad]

C’mon… you guys were cashing those Big Disc and Internal Routing checks, rolling in the dough like Scrooge McDuck, right?

[Pbase]

Welcome James! We all feel for you. You all gave us so much over the years. It feels like a treasured community has been caught in a fire that is out of control and we can’t do anything to put it out.

[angryasian]

Indeed, that and the concurrent collapse of crypto has transformed me overnight from a billionaire into a hundredaire. Tragic.

[HumpDiesel]

Henry was wrenching for the DH team. The girl, apologizes for not remembering her name, I think had a bad crash.

If it’s the same person.

Hump

[OreoCookie]

@Power13

The fact that the thumbnail for the regular podcast still has Caley’s name and image on it is just mind-boggling to me.

Maybe there is no one left to change that? I’m being semi-serious and semi-facetious here.

[mcalista]

@angryasian

So there’s no confusion, I just want to make it clear that’s a Photoshopped image. At no point did we (or Wade) ever have a branded CT Porsche 911 (although, damn, I wish I did!).

Although I did see the CT Holden driving around Melbourne several times.

[Power13]

@OreoCookie

Maybe there is no one left to change that?

Well, I think it is pretty clear the staff (those left at any rate) left it up there on purpose as a To Outside.

The fact that Outside has not realized it and made someone change it speaks volumes.

[AlphaDogCycling]

From the latest podcast episode it sounds like Cosmo will be joining once racing starts. Here’s hoping they can turn this into a sustainable business

[Power13]

I’ve been doing some musing on the situation…so far we have been (rightfully) focused on the staff at CT. But what about the larger business challenges?

The staff is down to James, Shoddy and……??? Two staffers can’t run CT. At least not and have fresh, regular content. Given what has happened, how do you entice / recruit new talent to come work at CT? I wouldn’t touch that job with a 10-foot pole…sure, someone will undoubtedly see it as an opportunity and make a money-grab, but those usually aren’t the high quality people you need to make things successful.

Second, what about the advertisers? If you are a bike-related business, are you going to advertise on CT (or their podcast) right now? At a minimum, podcasts will become more infrequent, new content on the site will drop and their reach is going to decline (significantly?). Is CT a smart spend for your advertising dollars right now?

Third, subscribers are fleeing in droves, based on the CT forum. Many first-time posters are joining just to say they have cancelled their subscriptions. I am going to delete my entire account shortly (once I know my CC doesn’t get dinged on the renewal date). What was once reportedly a healthy stream of income had been blunted (best case). And as content continues to lag, more and more will ask “why am I paying these bozos?”

TL:DR - with declining content and no one to add more content, advertisers and subscribers are gonna look elsewhere. CT is likely circling the drain right now.

[jreinfeld]

Ronan still around right?

Not just James and shoddy. Unless I haven’t seen/heard something

[Power13]

Forgot about Ronan…but the overall point remains.

[berto2cj]

Thats from Detroit!

[berto2cj]

I struggle to remember the first article of your’s I read…I feel it was a rant about bottom brackets.

Made me laugh then.

Welcome

[Pbase]

That’s ironic since today he posted about dirty headsets!

[angryasian]

I wish I could gotten a ride in that thing (or even better, had the chance to drive it). I do have an odd affinity for Utes.

[AJS914]

@Power13

The lack of communication from Outside’s management is what blows me away…when you make the cuts they made to the senior staff, you need to have a plan in place. Who is in charge, what is the structure, what are the goals, etc.

The fact that the thumbnail for the regular podcast still has Caley’s name and image on it is just mind-boggling to me.

I’ve had the exact same thoughts. For me, Caley was the glue that held that thing together since Neal left. I think things actually got a little worse after he became editor and wrote less content. After Dane was let go and new people brought on board, the main podcast kind of lost it’s way.

I still love the work that James, Ronan, and Shoddy do and will listen or read their articles. I won’t send Outside any checks though.

It’s sad that things change. Richard Moore’s death has greatly impacted The Cycling Podcast. That was my goto reporting for bicycle racing. He was the glue that made it all work brilliantly. And while I enjoy Daniel Fribe and Lionel Birnie, that podcast is not the same. It’s like when they replaced the original three amigos on Top Gear. It just didn’t have the same magic.

Reflecting back, Caley’s best Tour de France coverage IMO was the one he did with Ruppert Guinness pre-covid. Caley, if you are reading, there is an opportunity there!

[toyman]

@AJS914

Reflecting back, Caley’s best Tour de France coverage IMO was the one he did with Ruppert Guinness pre-covid. Caley, if you are reading, there is an opportunity there!

Loved that one too!