Hi Jan,
I am one of the guys who prefers VBQ to BQ. This is because the majority of today's bicycles are as wacked as the people who ride them. While I appreciate the craftsmanship of the KOF bicycles, there are very few new (off topic) bicycles I can honestly say I like.
I was just downtown sitting outside eating a tub of chocolate mousse frozen yogurt from a little place next to Palo Alto Bicycles. Two snotty Baby Boomer Generation women donning Darth Vader-esque helmets (which when removed revealed Dorothy Hammill crops) pulled up on their bicycles. They had modern day (2006?) Merckx bicycles, wrap-around sun-glasses, the Campagnolo aero water bottles (the ones that look like telephones,) as well as all of the other poser bicycle gear. When they dismounted, they sounded like a couple of horses clomping about the sidewalk. Point is: There is a major difference between the vintage rider and the chartreuse green-clad, power bar eating people on plastic bikes--the vintage rider was "the real deal." I use to ride in my cut off jeans and my old raggedy T-shirt with the big iron-on of "JAWS" (the shark from the movie) on the back. I always kept it un-tucked so when I went down hills it filled up with air!
The main reason I hesitated to subscribe to VBQ was the price. I think I bought a few issues at $7.50 each. Does it really cost that much to print and distribute VBQ? If it does, I apologize. I bought the one where I believe you interviewed the Herse (Rene) family. I also have the one where you did the report on the Singer shop. Both articles were very informative.
Ted E. Baer
"Generation-X"
Palo Alto, CA
> 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
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