The Ride Magazine Prints its Final Issue, Re-launches as Bike Culture

ARLINGTON, MA (BRAIN)—After 12 years of publishing the nation's premier regional cycling magazine, The Ride Corporation announced last week it would change the name of its popular magazine to Bike Culture-East.

Considered the journal of East Coast bike culture, The Ride was launched in 1993 on less than $500 start up capital. The magazine's blend of advocacy, history, racing, and industry news proved unique. Having started as a black-and-white tabloid, the magazine switched to a glossy covered magazine in 1999 and then went to an all glossy format in 2001.

"In 1998 we worked with Chris Zigmont, a marketing guru, to decide just what we were as a magazine and the term Bike Culture emerged," said Richard Fries, co-founder and publisher. "That term immediately appealed to us because it represented the big-tent attitude we had about cycling. At the time, folks were carving up the bike market into a lot of different camps. We felt we cyclists have a lot more to unite us than divide us."

"We also had a lot of conflicts with the name The Ride," said Deb Fries, co-founder and assistant publisher. "We always got mail and phone calls for a snow board mag, a jet ski pub, a BMX book, and a local transportation service for the elderly. Bike Culture-East defined us better."

She added the name change would allow the upstart firm to launch other initiatives.

The final issue of The Ride was number 130. Bike Culture-East resumed that count, with issue number 131, hitting the newsstands this week with a cover feature on Lyne Bessette and a travel feature on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The magazine is presently distributed in bike shops, bookstores and newsstands throughout the Northeast.

The magazine's website will be changed to www.bikeculture.com. Bike Culture-East will continue to publish under the auspices of The Ride Corporation. The offices will remain in Arlington, Massachusetts.