Electric Bike magazine
- Thread starter Miles
- Start date
Great idea - look forward to seeing it.
I wonder if it will be available only from electric bike dealers? Availability in Evans, for example, widen interest.
I wonder if it will be available only from electric bike dealers? Availability in Evans, for example, widen interest.
Good on Peter Eland, we've needed something like this for a long time now and I'll be subscribing. Hopefully he'll be able to set up e-bike tests a bit more professionally than those so far in VeloVision.
I can see this straining the existing friendship between A to B and VeloVision though, e-bikes being such an important part of A to B's remit.
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I can see this straining the existing friendship between A to B and VeloVision though, e-bikes being such an important part of A to B's remit.
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C
Cyclezee
Guest
Thanks everyone for the kind words!
Peter Eland here from the soon-to-be-officially-announced Electric Bike magazine
Just to answer a few points...
- Happy to supply mags to Evans or anyone else! It might happen - but I expect it'll be more the electric bike specialists who will be the first to sign up.
- Flecc - would be very interested in any suggestions you have as to reviews/methodology - as you say, the Velo Vision electric bike reviews have not been particularly structured to date.
I doubt we'll be able to completely satisfy both the most technically-minded of readers and the newcomers to electric bikes who are the key readership - and testing will also have to be reasonably time-efficient for obvious reasons.
I'm sure a compromise will emerge... I guess the aim is to keep it simple and straightforward but also accurate and useful.
- I've naturally been in contact with David at A to B before starting the new mag, and I'm confident relations will remain friendly! I hope David will be contributing to the new magazine in due course, too.
Finally thanks again for all the encouragement and also for the first two subscriptions
Peter Eland here from the soon-to-be-officially-announced Electric Bike magazine
Just to answer a few points...
- Happy to supply mags to Evans or anyone else! It might happen - but I expect it'll be more the electric bike specialists who will be the first to sign up.
- Flecc - would be very interested in any suggestions you have as to reviews/methodology - as you say, the Velo Vision electric bike reviews have not been particularly structured to date.
I doubt we'll be able to completely satisfy both the most technically-minded of readers and the newcomers to electric bikes who are the key readership - and testing will also have to be reasonably time-efficient for obvious reasons.
I'm sure a compromise will emerge... I guess the aim is to keep it simple and straightforward but also accurate and useful.
- I've naturally been in contact with David at A to B before starting the new mag, and I'm confident relations will remain friendly! I hope David will be contributing to the new magazine in due course, too.
Finally thanks again for all the encouragement and also for the first two subscriptions
I think the most important thing will be consistency to allow bike to bike comparison with some degree of accuracy Peter, same or similar ability riders, same degree of hill gradients, similar test routes for range tests.
It would also be good to have some technical information as available, if necessary in a separate section to avoid putting off newcomers to e-biking.
All rules can be avoided if the review and test is so comprehensive that all the information needed is included and I attempted to do that that on my Kalkhoff Agattu review. Since that was so well received by members you may find elements in it which could be of use to you:
Kalkhoff Agattu Review and Test Thread
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Excellent news. I did start a thread last year in June 2009 suggesting a dedicated Electric Bike Magazine.
Glad someone has taken up the challenge.......yes I know - why didn't I put my money where my mouth is?
Truth is I'm a newcomer to Ebikes (Wisper 905se City S) and I'm still working, so time is of the essence.
However I will subscribe when it comes out.
Best of luck in your venture.
Glad someone has taken up the challenge.......yes I know - why didn't I put my money where my mouth is?
Truth is I'm a newcomer to Ebikes (Wisper 905se City S) and I'm still working, so time is of the essence.
However I will subscribe when it comes out.
Best of luck in your venture.
I think a single voice trade organisation like BEBA is essential if e-bikes are to get the recognition and benefits available to other transport forms, electric vehicle subsidies for example.
E-Tim's thread here refers to one such, my response pointing to the nature of the problem and the solution.
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E-Tim's thread here refers to one such, my response pointing to the nature of the problem and the solution.
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Me too
I do too Flecc.
BEBA is not a club for the elite and I have worked hard not to make it such. BEBA was not my idea, it came from Mark from UM, I thought it was essential for the industry and have thrown much time and money into getting BEBA on the road.
The more dealers and manufacturers on board the better the group, the cost for membership is low at under £500.00 and every penny is spent on promoting the use of electric bikes in general in the UK. Our first spend is in sponsoring Tour de Presteign. There is a heck of a lot going on that I don't want to mention yet outside existing members but BEBA will soon be very relevant.
I am sorry there seem to be some that would prefer to sit on the outside sniping than to join in and help, but I suppose that as we are asking for time and cash from members there will be those who will never want to be involved.
All the best
David
I do too Flecc.
BEBA is not a club for the elite and I have worked hard not to make it such. BEBA was not my idea, it came from Mark from UM, I thought it was essential for the industry and have thrown much time and money into getting BEBA on the road.
The more dealers and manufacturers on board the better the group, the cost for membership is low at under £500.00 and every penny is spent on promoting the use of electric bikes in general in the UK. Our first spend is in sponsoring Tour de Presteign. There is a heck of a lot going on that I don't want to mention yet outside existing members but BEBA will soon be very relevant.
I am sorry there seem to be some that would prefer to sit on the outside sniping than to join in and help, but I suppose that as we are asking for time and cash from members there will be those who will never want to be involved.
All the best
David
The disproportionate power such an association as BEBA could wield in gaining benefits is amply illustrated by the Harris Tweed Association, universally supported by all producers.
Representing a small and very localised industry, they were on the national TV news yet again yesterday, something that's regularly occurred in recent years in various connections. They also manage to get themselves into a variety of other TV and radio programs as well as newspapers.
If e-biking is ever to have such a high profile before the public at large, BEBA has to succeed by being fully supported by all in the industry.
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Representing a small and very localised industry, they were on the national TV news yet again yesterday, something that's regularly occurred in recent years in various connections. They also manage to get themselves into a variety of other TV and radio programs as well as newspapers.
If e-biking is ever to have such a high profile before the public at large, BEBA has to succeed by being fully supported by all in the industry.
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It seems, having read a lot of the petty nitpicking about the BEBA, that much of the disagreement stems rightly or wrongly from a concern over the internal democracy of the association.
I personally hope it can overcome this, as it has, as you say Flecc, the potential to be an extremely positive force for the industry.
I personally hope it can overcome this, as it has, as you say Flecc, the potential to be an extremely positive force for the industry.
As you say, Flecc, the Harris Tweed people are mounting a good operation and their press spokesman is good.
Having been in the newspaper and magazine business all my working life, I have a wide experience of trade association pr people and most of it is very poor. The associations give the pr to anyone who is willing to do it, often it's a chore.
The danger is that coming from inside the business, they see their role as simply a spokesman for the industry, a bit like a trade union rep, so first of all they gain little publicity because their case is boring to non professionals and secondly people just see them as someone with an axe to grind. Thus they damage their product's public face.
The spokeman needs to understand and like the media, accepting that they know their job and public. If they report or slant things in a way he doesn't agree with, he must illustrate that they are misguided, not rail at them.
For example, the biggest public perception about e-bikes that I gather is that they are for the old or the infirm. This is a rotten image for any industry, especially a 'new tech' one but has some truth contained in it.
The only way round that is for people to see young people on these machines, using them not necessarily for exercise or shows of macho-ness like regular cycle firms do but as a highly convenient means of short to medium range transport.
A pic of Kylie Minogue or Robbie Williams tethering their e-bike right outside the Knightbridge Armani store would do wonders for the e-bike image among the 20 and thirty somethings. A good pap picture (the e-bike would raise a lot of interest - "aren't they for old folk, Kylie?) and a few quotes about how convenient they were, how green they were....
Doing it is another matter but the current image among the young(ish) is quite dowdy. The industry will come alive in the UK when e-bikes and zimmer frames do not share a common public perception. You don't need to pull such stunts on the continent because mostly they are willing to look at transport in a pragmatic fashion.
But in the UK, with the emphasis on image, looks and 'cool' over function, it will have to be tackled at some point or remain a niche product.
Having been in the newspaper and magazine business all my working life, I have a wide experience of trade association pr people and most of it is very poor. The associations give the pr to anyone who is willing to do it, often it's a chore.
The danger is that coming from inside the business, they see their role as simply a spokesman for the industry, a bit like a trade union rep, so first of all they gain little publicity because their case is boring to non professionals and secondly people just see them as someone with an axe to grind. Thus they damage their product's public face.
The spokeman needs to understand and like the media, accepting that they know their job and public. If they report or slant things in a way he doesn't agree with, he must illustrate that they are misguided, not rail at them.
For example, the biggest public perception about e-bikes that I gather is that they are for the old or the infirm. This is a rotten image for any industry, especially a 'new tech' one but has some truth contained in it.
The only way round that is for people to see young people on these machines, using them not necessarily for exercise or shows of macho-ness like regular cycle firms do but as a highly convenient means of short to medium range transport.
A pic of Kylie Minogue or Robbie Williams tethering their e-bike right outside the Knightbridge Armani store would do wonders for the e-bike image among the 20 and thirty somethings. A good pap picture (the e-bike would raise a lot of interest - "aren't they for old folk, Kylie?) and a few quotes about how convenient they were, how green they were....
Doing it is another matter but the current image among the young(ish) is quite dowdy. The industry will come alive in the UK when e-bikes and zimmer frames do not share a common public perception. You don't need to pull such stunts on the continent because mostly they are willing to look at transport in a pragmatic fashion.
But in the UK, with the emphasis on image, looks and 'cool' over function, it will have to be tackled at some point or remain a niche product.
Completely agree Lemmy, but of course it needs a single voice to gain the maximum publicity penetration. Individual companies can have small successes, Urban Mover for example in gaining Channel Five coverage for their bikes.
But a trade association can reach much further for long term gain as BEBA is doing currently behind the scenes.
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But a trade association can reach much further for long term gain as BEBA is doing currently behind the scenes.
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I agree with you Stralight & flecc, a lot is happening for BEBA at the moment, and people need to be a little patient, an organisation doesn’t come together over night, it is very much a long term project for everybody’s benefit
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