Surprising, baffling, super-positive, shocking, constructive, and at times damn funny – 1,515 mountain bikers duly completed our readers’ survey, providing answers to a bucket load of questions. And in return for your hard work, we gave up our evenings to analyze 330,000 Excel boxes and pull out some highlights. We’ve narrowed it down to the most interesting facts:
What makes a good Magazine?
Of course, there are dumb questions, but we know that asking the right ones will make life (and work) easier, helping us to progress and do the right things. So on that note, the most important questions are as follows:
1. What do I want?
No sh*t! During our annual meeting in South Tirol, we pooled our eighteen-strong ENDURO and E-MOUNTAINBIKE team from the UK, the USA, Germany, and Italy to make sure we were all definite about our aim for the future: namely, to produce unique content at an even higher quality and build on our unbeatable relationship with you guys! Consequently, we decided this article should not only be about your feedback, but also our plans – you see, it’s all about mutual trust. If there’s one thing we’re certain of, it’s that hard work is vital if you want to become an international point of reference, and that honesty and transparency can get you there.
#OpinionLeader isn’t just the theme for issue 005, it’s also our core principle, and is set to have a massive impact over the coming weeks, months, and years.
2. What can I do?
Desire is all well and good, but ability is even better. The reality check: When we first set up E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine in 2013, we knew we’d have to fight for our convictions. Most brands, marketing teams, and even mountain bikers thought our plans were uncool, out of place, and embarrassing – and, to be honest, some people still think so. At the Design & Innovation Award 2013 in Barcelona, we got to grips with the first generation of ground-breaking E-MTBs as we rode the Haibike XDURO and we were immediately sold: E-MTBs have the potential to revolutionize the entire bike world.
This experience sparked an idea, which became our project, and now it’s the world’s leading E-mountain bike magazine. With extensive know-how, masses of testing and racing experience, as well as our joint background with ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine, we already had access to everything that a good magazine needed. There was no financial impetus from the industry or any big players; we’re an independent editorial team with passion, and not just a well-oiled cog in a giant publishing house. This side of our character is both visible and tangible, and you’ll recognize it in our honest and informative test reviews.
3. What do I need?
You’ll only achieve long-term success by really understanding your market. New trends to follow, new media formats to get to grips with, new demands, and new desires – the world of media is going through an equally disruptive evolution, just like the bike world. (And it’s your fault if you won’t admit it.) The cycles of innovation are getting tighter, and even you readers should have a think about how and where you are getting your information from.
So that’s why the question of „What makes a good magazine?“ is more important than ever – and that’s why we posed the question both to ourselves and to you guys in the readers’ survey. Here are the most important points and principles to consider:
“Everything is good – but that’s just bullshit.” You’ll lose your authenticity (and your readers)
if you claim everything is good.
A good magazine takes an objective look before taking their stance, which won’t be swayed – critical, reflective, and honest. This is why we rely on group tests, long-term tests, and the experience of our many test riders, a diverse bunch from across the globe ranging from rookies to World Cup racers.
But we’re still not quite where we want to be. The super-positive feedback from the readers’ survey tells us (kindly) that we’re on the right way, but we are fully aware that we cannot please everyone (such as those who’d prefer to see reviews longer than a novel).
However, we’ll put our hands up and be the first to agree with the large number of you who claim that we’re testing (overly) expensive bikes. E-MTBs are, as a rule, generally on the pricey side. Our tests place a primary focus on the high-end models, although the actual day-to-day rideability of new products – and their weaknesses – tend to be discovered in the lower price segments. So here’s our promise: we’ll take your feedback on board, and you’ll soon see ‘the people’s bike group test.’
Content is King.
We’ve actually been accused of being too open towards new trends and new technology, which leads us to wonder what sort of a world we’re living in? If the pioneers of the industrial revolution hadn’t seen any potential in their inventions, then we’d still be living in feudal societies with knights and the like, watching our cattle graze on the fields as we send out the latest pigeon post. It might sound romantic and whimsical, but it’d be pretty rubbish in real life. Just think about the invention of the internet, smartphones, and social media – would you wish these away?
The same applies to bikes. For us all having fun is the main objective, but there are some who bitch and moan about long uphills and still hate on E-MTBs. Crazy! These days we are loving just how many more trails there are to enjoy, how many new routes we discover, and the new places that we can reach thanks to E-MTBs. We want to share these discoveries with you! In the future we’ll present more riding locations, routes for all ability levels, more accessories that enhance your ride, and more tutorials to do the same.
But gently, gently, as progress needs to be kept under control. And you’d be surprised to hear what goes into a global magazine: software development in Barcelona, designers in Berlin, art direction in Stuttgart, and editors in the UK, the USA, and, of course, Germany. Having a team spread around the world is both a challenge and a chance – particularly when you consider just how widely diverse the acceptance and progress of E-MTBs are around the world. For example, our US e-bike friends are facing entirely different issues from the Germans and the Brits.
In general, you can sum up one thing (regardless of your own personal opinion on new trends): cyclists are their own biggest enemies. Check out the “Make Love, Not War” article in issue 005 if you don’t get it. It’s not hard to show respect to one another. And it’s not the bike that should define the cyclist in you; it’s the fact that you’re out having fun. No one can dictate how and where you should have fun. This is what we’re fighting against, and we’re convinced that acceptance is definitely going to grow over the next few years. Do you want proof of this conviction? Just look at our ENDURO readers’ survey, completed by 12,215 riders:
Percentage of ENDURO readers in 2014 opposed to E-MTBs: 48 %
Percentage of ENDURO readers in 2015 opposed to E-MTBs: 22 %
The status quo won’t stop us from publishing stories from across the globe. As they say, travel is a way to broaden the mind – and wherever you are in the world, there’s mountain biking in its own localized interpretation, one that we want to discover and learn from. So now we’ve reached the question we set out to answer: E-MOUNTAINBIKERS, who are we?
E-MOUNTAINBIKErs, who are we?
The average E-MOUNTAINBIKE reader is 43 years old, and 92% are male. However, because 40% of readers travel with their WAGs [wives and girlfriends] for riding holidays, this hints that there are more female E-MTB riders out there than our statistics show.
So once you’ve seen these figures and read our run-down, you’ll realize that E-MTB riders have the same demands and expectations as traditional mountain bikers – but they’re far more open and tolerant, with a broader interest in new experiences. They sound like much nicer riders, don’t they?
Readers’ Choice –The best brands 2015
We’re aware that our questions on the brands were on the long side, but the fact is that we can’t give every single bike and component brand coverage in every test. So the ones who did well in the readers’ survey also have the best chances of being selected in one of our group tests. After all, that’s what you want to see.
In total 1,515 readers have participated in this representative survey, and for the first time have elected the best brands for E-MTB riders for the first time. Here are the results:
About the E-MOUNTAINBIKE readers’ survey
The readers’ survey ran for 64 days throughout June, July, and August 2015. 1,515 participants from 54 nations took part, with an average response time of 23 minutes to answer more than 80 questions.
Words: Robin Schmitt
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