At 2:35 PM -0700 9/18/06, Peter Jourdain wrote:
>VBQ, no matter how broadly it tries to
>cast its net, is still a MICROBREW, appealing to a
>certain, "narrow niche" yet intensely-loyal audience.
>You need to keep your base which is your bread and
>butter and not try to be all things to all people.
>Otherwise you risk "genericizing" yourself.-----------
>
>Of course CONTENT is, in the long run, more important
>than the name, and I don't think Jan is pulling a 180
>in that department.
Bicycle Quarterly, as it is now, exclusively sells through word-of-mouth. People like the content, tell their friends, etc. However, meeting many subscribers in person or through e-mail, I found that many hesitated for a long time to subscribe, thinking the magazine was only for collectors of old bikes. Many others probably still are hesitating.
All the name change does is eliminate that hurdle for potential readers. The content has been very successful, so it will not change. Plus, it is my magazine, and as the editor, I can choose what goes in it... so you'll soon see a full road test of a 1957 Cinelli Supercorsa to compare it to some of the current "classic" bikes we usually test, some cool British lightweights, hopefully a history of Mafac brakes with models and dates of introduction, and many more things of interest to CR members. -- Jan Heine Editor Vintage Bicycle Press c/o Il Vecchio Bicycles 140 Lakeside Ave #C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com