There is an experiment underway in cycling media. A group of experienced cycling journalists, many of which who were recently laid off from Outside Inc, have come together to create a new online subscription-based media outlet dedicated to cycling called Escape Collective.

Background

In November of 2022, due to cost cutting pressure from investors, Outside Inc. laid off 12% of its staff, this followed up staff layoffs of 15% in May of the same year. Among those affected by the layoffs was Caley Fretz Editor in Chief of Cycling Tips. Together with Cycling Tips founder Wade Wallace who left Outside Inc in August of 2022, they came together to launch Escape Collective in late 2022.

The Model

Escape Collective’s pitch is ‘Support Independent cycling journalism for $99 a year. We want to build the best damn bike website on the planet.’

Other sports and outdoor publications have online subscription plans, but Escape Collective will be the first dedicated cycling site that is 100% behind a paywall.

Pricing

Escape collective offers 2 tiers of pricing:

Yearly: $99

Lifetime: $1,000

Cycling thrives when it’s Exclusive

From this point of view, the Escape Collective is on brand. The cycling business is littered with examples success by way of exclusivity. High end bikes, kit, and gear are signals that you are ‘In the know’ and ‘part of the club’. This also takes the guesswork out of searching for quality media. People are busy and want to quickly find content made specifically for them.

For the modern MAMIL this is critical as riders new to the sport are eager to take part in the cycling community without guesswork. From this point of view Escape Collective promises a curated destination for high quality, independently produced cycling media.

Cycling Media in Crisis

As cycling media pulls back investment, the quality will inevitably suffer. This is an opportunity for sites like Escape Collective to create content that digs deeper and goes beyond the banal race reports and regurgitated corporate press releases that we have become all too accustomed to seeing.

In addition, in the current environment, the advertisers (IE brands) are given more space and influence over the content. This situation leads to publications littered with advertorials and brand focused content. This is surely an opportunity for owner operated media with total control over the output and no reliance on brands or shareholders. Independent cycling journalism seems like just what the doctor ordered.

Will it work?

The site launched in March with lots of buzz. On their website there are 20 team members listed. Without diving into the details of costs associated with running the business, they likely have runway to get through the first year. This will provide time for them to prove whether the model is sustainable.

We are rooting for them.