News Release
(April Fool’s!)Big Changes at NSMB.com
After wrestling with this issue since front derailleurs were a thing, we’ve had to face some hard truths. Despite all-time traffic and incredible engagement numbers, we’ve been forced to make a big decision.
Running a second-rate mountain bike blerg that posts once a day is very expensive, and inflation and rising fuel costs mean that shuttle runs and parking lot beer parties have become more of a budget bummer than this website can bear. As a result, we need to put integrity and originality on the back burner - probably forever - and instead, prioritize pulling down fat stacks of cash money. Several wheelbarrows full. Which means we’re putting up a paywall.
In case that wasn’t clear, that means you are going to have to give us some of your money. Other than that, nothing will change.
We’re actually not thinking of this as a paywall though, and neither should you. Think of it as an opportunity for you to be more involved in our content - by paying for it. For that privilege we now think of you as team members. We're on the same team, only you’re paying to be team members, and we’ll be paid team members.
To make it even more confusing, we’re going to split this up into three tiers. Or maybe castes.
Non-paying team members will be referred to as Dead Sailors - you aren’t dead to us, we’re just treating you like you are. The Dead Sailor package will grant you access to the comments below articles - just not the articles themselves. If you’re a social media troll that only reads headlines and then goes straight to the comments, this is the tier for you! Cost = free!
The free version of nsmb.com will be like nose-casing the landing; you aren’t going to be very happy but at least your friends will laugh at you.*
*You will not however end up in hospital; it’s not a perfect analogy.
After Dead Sailors, the next most despised tier will be called The Joeys. Joeys will be able to see the articles, but not the comments. We’re granting you the right to read, but no one cares what you think, so no comment privileges for you. Being a Joey is kind of like a 50/50 landing, you’ll survive and maybe even finish your ride, but it won’t be very satisfying. Cost = more than you'd like to spend
Our premium “Brown Pow Package” is all about privilege and style - you’ll nose manual down every transition and it will be high fives and good times every day. You will get a brown check mark beside your name in the comments and anytime you downvote a Dead Sailor, their comment will disappear forever.
The Brown Pow version gets you the articles, comments and a free sticker* every quarter. Cost = double what you don't want to spend
*Postage not included
This is a strategy we’ve avoided for a long time. Almost as long as we avoided gravel bikes. We’d prefer to be accessible to all, but business is business. The hundreds of dollars generated by this new strategy will enable us to do things like put gas in our trucks and even buy some chips to go along with post-ride beers. And to expand our content to Saturdays and holidays. Sundays of course, will continue to be reserved for dirt church.
There will however be discounts available for access to certain writer’s articles. For example, a verified photo of you riding a hardtail will give you 10% off every Andrew Major article. If it’s steel, that discount increases to 11%. Fully rigid gets you to twenty, and if it’s a steel, fully-rigid singlespeed with 29+ wheels, you’ll save 50% and he’ll call you on your birthday.
Mountain biking in genuine and verified plaid flannel will get you all of Mike Ferrentino’s Beggars Would Ride articles for free, but if it turns out you were trying to pass off some check-patterned lycra, a surcharge will be applied to your account. And he will promise not to call you on your birthday. Every year.
We realize this will be unpleasant news for 17 or 18 of our tens of users, and we really are very sorry. Very very. We are however excited to have you give us your money. And join the team.
Comments
fartymarty
2 years ago
In all seriousness I would be prepared to pay for NSMB content - it's that good.
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olaa
2 years ago
Could do like The Guardian where you can pay if you want to, and as much as you think it is worth. I bet the good people at NSMB would be surprised by how much they would get!
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Timer
2 years ago
A way to get money directly to NSMB would be great. Even just a tip jar or something like that.
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Pete Roggeman
2 years ago
Appreciate it. We're kicking around a few ideas but the first order of business is to get the shop back up and running. We're working on some merch. Stay tuned.
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Andrew Major
2 years ago
Niels is building a form so that when I call on your Bday I can make meaningful inquiries into the health of your pets/partner/progeny and commiserate on the crushing challenges of your specific income range/tax bracket and then recommend credit-rating appropriate gear recommendations for your self-funded post-birthday spending spree.
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LWK
2 years ago
I'd just like to say that I really do appreciate my daily dose of NSMB.com. Cycling media in general has become notably more plain vanilla and/or paywalled over the past year or two so its nice to have an entertaining and informative place to go.
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trumpstinyhands
2 years ago
Dead Sailor package sounds great as I've never read a single article on here!
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Sven Luebke
2 years ago
I jumped straight to the comments.
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T0m
2 years ago
I would pay for NSMB content. Hell I should be a lifetime member just for the Andrew Major zeitgeist that I represent with my wallet. Rigid fork? Yep. 29+ hardtail with adjustable dropouts? Yeah I got one. Artisanal mustache, I mean handlebars? Yeah- one for every bike in the house, literally even the kid’s. SQLab saddles and push-on grips, plastic brake levers, Cinch cranks and tiny chainrings, min-maxed shift components, and missing cogs from 11-speed cassettes for better chainline. How bout wide and WTB alloy rims, Magura MT Trail brakes, big ass rotors, a Manitou shock by choice, multiple anglesets, and a self-maintained, modified FIT Fox fork? It’s shameless, man.
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Andrew Major
2 years ago
Ah! You were only "29x2.8 Vigilante" and "#1FG" away from hitting all my keywords!
When did you say your birthday was?!
HAHAHAHA.
Thank you for reading and participating.
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Jerry Willows
2 years ago
I would pay not to see one of Andrew's bikes...
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Andrew Major
2 years ago
Hahahaha
#JerryWillowsHatesMyBike
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fartymarty
2 years ago
I would pay double to see more of Andrew's bikes.
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Andrew Major
2 years ago
J'lows, unfortunately, #JerryWillowsHatesMyBike just doesn't seem to be catching on (I understand this to be an issue for social media influencers like you and I?!) so I'm adding #JerryJerryQuiteContrary to my Instagram portfolio to see if it has more staying power. Thought you'd want to know so you can tag yourself!
#NoDigJustRide.
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DadStillRides
2 years ago
Hahaha, well done, guys!
Glad I was able to give props before going back to being a Joey
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Mark
2 years ago
Don't worry Cam, I think most of us who have been here since the lights went on kind of knew this day would eventually come - kind of like Stiffler's mom. Maybe instead of a paywall though you could offer some sort of special member only content, just not featuring your member of course - not that there's anything wrong with that. Or maybe another option would be a special feature where we could pay to silence certain personalities here on the site? Although on reflection that may not work our for me so well. But come to think of it, that gives me another idea; how about people could pay for the ability to be as outright annoying and shit-disturbingly obtuse as they wanted? The pay-offs from my crypto investments would fund this amazingly well for quite some time into the future. Whichever way you go, I think there will always be people here who will support you - even when your tightie-whities have given up the ghost in the support department and it's no longer just your brakes that are dragging down the trail.
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fartymarty
2 years ago
Maybe a bolt on package that allows you to view WAKI comments.
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Mark
2 years ago
WAKI? Never heard of them. Or is that an acronym for Wistfully Argumentative Kooky Imbecile? I've heard that term used to refer to Andrew Major every once in a while on the topic of those infernal single-speed contraptions he loves to natter on about.
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fartymarty
2 years ago
WAKIdesigns (now calmWAKI) is / was a notorious Pinkbike commentor.
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Supergirl56
2 years ago
WAKI is still up and running and he's on Instagram
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
A lot of gold here McSyncro!
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Mic
2 years ago
Hahahaha...McSyncro.
I really like the references to that Japanese Warlord, or were they even?
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Niels van Kampenhout
2 years ago
Don't tell this to Cam but I'm working on a secret platinum level above Brown Pow. It will be called "Acoustic Echo Chamber" and will allow members to hide e-bike related articles as well as comments advocating for e-bikes. Membership will be by invitation only and require proof of no Strava account. The entrance to the Acoustic Echo Chamber will be deliberately obscured to prevent unsuspecting Joeys from stumbling upon it.
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Kos
2 years ago
Don't you dare build a wall! The Horror!
A moat would be fine.
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
We were actually thinking a Fest-sized gap. Only we’d be out of luck as well.
Non-Members Only?
.
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kcy4130
2 years ago
Ha! I bet some other mtb writers' faces turned PINK from embarrassment reading this!
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
Ha!
The writers are all cool. Every time I get to know someone who works for Pinkbike a little more, I like them more.
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Supergirl56
2 years ago
LOL yeah I'm waiting for the right opportunity to link this article in a PB comment
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Pete Roggeman
2 years ago
Ironically, the comments section under one of today's articles over there has been inadvertently rendered almost nrdbl.
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DanL
2 years ago
I am looking forwards to my "artisinal handlebar" tier discount
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
Have you heard about our heirloom wheel size offer?
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silverbansheebike
2 years ago
I'm listening...
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Ben Pye
2 years ago
@cam @pete. nice work guys. This was a good read. :)
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
Thanks Ben! Hope to see you in Monterey.
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fartymarty
2 years ago
https://minorthreat.bandcamp.com/track/cashing-in
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Peter Appleton
2 years ago
can i sign up for 11 CD's for 1 cent too? ;-)
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
Loved those deals. I somehow ended up being one of the guys they didn’t make any money off.
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Evil_bumpkin
2 years ago
May I suggest a sign-up gift of a t-shit emblazoned with "#EbikeupAline" ... a coffee cup at least?
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
We love t-shits. ;)
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Evil_bumpkin
2 years ago
lol slip of the finger there! :)
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Michael
2 years ago
Its about time. What no bonus for verified photos riding DH casings with inserts in reverse mullet mode? Pfft...
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silverbansheebike
2 years ago
Thank god us dead sailors can still whine in the comments. It'll be like another off topic forum, but with a headline!
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cheapondirt
2 years ago
I think it'd be even more fun without the headline. We can all just air whatever bike-related grievances we want. A broken record is still correct twice a day!?
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Sethsg
2 years ago
I do have a question, how does NSMB make money if any? do you guys do this as a hobby, do bike brands pay you, or do actually make enough from ad revenue to keep going? Just curious because your guys' content is very high quality and frequent.
You should try doing what Enduro MTB does where they release a magazine but also have a website while everything is still free. It is an interesting business model idea.
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
Making money? Blasphemy!
(also - Enduro magazine does all sorts of dodgy things for money, like charging companies to provide bikes for group tests. They are even behind the bogus pay to play Design and Innovation awards. You pay? You win! They may not be all bad, but that sort of behaviour suggests a complete absence of ethics and integrity)
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Andrew Major
2 years ago
I’d love a behind-the-scenes look at those D+I awards. Like, is there a short list of potential winners and high bidder gets the award? Or, is it wide open? For the right amount of money can I wrap a titanium bottle cage in carbon fibre and win a prize?!?!
I think the making of would be genuinely interesting reading.
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Marco Toniolo
2 years ago
Cam for president.
The best thing is replying to the avalanche of spam emails bike companies send out to show the world they won an "award" they paid for.
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Sethsg
2 years ago
That's interesting. I never knew they did that but it kinda makes sense why some bikes receive terrible reviews from them but great reviews from other websites and riders. The Commencal Meta AM 29 2021 is a great example. I have one and it is an amazing bike yet they said that it is an utterly horrible bike. Thanks for telling me I'll take their content with a grain of salt from now on.
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Marco Toniolo
2 years ago
It's not only the mountain bike world. Just take a look at the s**t show of the Grammy Awards. When I see the word "award" I get the same reaction when I see Machine Gun Kelly claiming to be metal.
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IslandLife
2 years ago
You forgot about the influencers!! Pay double the Brown Pow price, don't get to see the article or comments, only the title and are still allowed to comment, and there-by extol the benefits of their products no matter the article content or comments.
Oh and you take home 15% of whatever they earn from subscriber used coupon codes.
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Justin White
2 years ago
Free sticker! Sign me up for whichever one said free sticker! That's all I saw!
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Cam McRae
2 years ago
Postage not included.
So from the US you’ll have to send away for some Canadian stamps, put one on an envelope with your address on it and send it to us, and then we’d send it back to you. How’s that for you providing great service as a member?
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Justin White
2 years ago
I thought one could get anything into Canada by just soaking it in maple syrup and covering it with red leaves and pictures of the Queen wearing flannel plaid?
I'll include some grits, bald eagle feathers, and a red hat (made in china for good measure) for the passage back into the US. I think that should get a speedy delivery.
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Pete Roggeman
2 years ago
It never occurred to me before but those red hats probably are made in China, aren't they? It's that kind of thinking that has inspired our new business model.
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JakeRedrum
2 years ago
Priceless.
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Straw
2 years ago
Let's get REP back up and going. If you have good rep, you can access articles for free. Poor rep will result in a paywall. Just don't let the RepGangGANG in, they'll ruin the system.
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