Brendan Tompkins [MVP]

Blog First. Ask Questions Later.

CodeBetter.Com is a Success, why not CycleBetter.Com?

I’ve just been wowed by the success of CodeBetter.Com. We’ve grown to nearly 20K unique daily visitors in just over 6 months.

Of course the main reason for our success is the twenty unstoppable blogging machines (UBMs) we’ve managed to amass. Really, these guys are outstanding. I’m truly humbled to be blogging with them.

But another factor that I’m intrigued by is that we’re a focused feed. People just seem to take to the idea that we’re not going to talk (much) about things unrelated to coding.

Well, I thought I’d see if I can do it again. Are people going to get sick of the sea of non-sequitur blogs out there, and crave focused feeds in different areas? I’m betting that they will. A couple of weeks ago I registered CycleBetter.Com. I’ve set up community server and threw on a quick skin. The idea is simple. Focused blogging around cycling for mountain bikers, road racers, cyclocross riders, unicyclists, whatever...

I’ve kicked it off with the following post to a few newsgroups. I’ll let you know how it goes! -B

CycleBetter.Com is currently offering blog, photo sharing and forum accounts for serious cyclists looking to help create a new kind of cycling community online.

No Politics, no Religion, just Cycling

Requirements: You must have a commitment to writing about topics relating to cycling. We're not a generic blog site, and if you're looking to start a blog to talk about your cat, CycleBetter.Com is not the place for you. There are plenty of free, general blogging places out there if you feel like the world needs another soap-box, and you have something to say.

We're hoping to create a place for focused blogging around cycling and have a strong commitment to keeping a clean main feed. This means that if you subscribe to the main feed of CycleBetter.Com, you will find one thing - people passionate about and writing about bikes.

If you’re interested, visit http://www.cyclebetter.com, or http://cyclebetter.com/forums/2/ShowPost.aspx and follow the “I Want a Blog” links.

Thanks!

Brendan Tompkins

CycleBetter.Com

Published Aug 30 2005, 09:25 AM by Brendan Tompkins

Comments

breichelt said:

brendan, the new site looks really cool! you've integrated the google ads very nicely, i love it! you've also managed to make community server look fairly unique, very cool!

# August 30, 2005 10:15 AM

Sahil Malik said:

Because cycling is an exercise?

I say u should start fuddruckersbetter.com and watch all the pretty and plump/lane bryant types flock to it.

# August 30, 2005 10:22 AM

Brendan Tompkins said:

HA! Yeah. I'm up nights now thinking of all the names. BlowYourNoseBetter.Com is next.

# August 30, 2005 10:30 AM

Dave Burke said:

"No Politics, no Religion, just Cycling" You're such a stud! Love it.

I'm surprised cyclebetter.com was available. Great concept. The site looks nice, too. Like to logo!

How about (in contrast to Sahil's idiotic ideal--btw, you got a problem with plump lane bryant types, Malik???) runbetter.com? Running is something that those who do it are pretty passionate about and would love to have an avenue to record their daily experience, track their times, etc. Maybe add some time tracking and other type runner-focused apps, call Runner's World and retire?

Campbetter.com comes to mind as well.

I wish you much success on cyclebetter.com!

# August 30, 2005 10:34 AM

Brendan Tompkins said:

Thanks Dave!

Most of the ___Better domain names are taken. I was lucky to get Cyclebetter. We'll see how it goes. My wife has asked me in the way only a wife can to wait and see how this one goes before branching out into other areas.

B

# August 30, 2005 10:47 AM

Grant said:

Brendan, is this your tactic to get me to blog more often? I'm part of the founding team for Hampton Roads Adventure (www.HRAdventure.com) and while adventure racing includes considerable amounts of biking, it's multi-sport so it includes trail running, orienteering, paddling, ropes, etc. I was going to set up a basic blog through our HRAdventure website (with RSS etc) but it'd be cool to be part of an aggregated community -- the catch is, I'd have posts not JUST about cycling and so I might not quite fit your bill.

Let me know what you think and, by the way, there's a bunch of us going mountain biking at Sherando Sept 17th if you want to head west!

Grant

# August 30, 2005 11:05 AM

Brendan Tompkins said:

I think that'd be very cool Grant, I think a blog like that would be perfect. You want one?

B

# August 30, 2005 11:24 AM

Grant said:

Sign me up! I've already got 2 posts in mind . . .

# August 30, 2005 11:31 AM

Peter's Gekko said:

Can't get out of that spiral of cyclic bugs ? Take a break and give you cycle-wheels a spin. It really...

# September 7, 2005 10:55 AM

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About Brendan Tompkins

Brendan has been programming with .NET since the first public beta and is owner and operator of Port Technology Services, a consultancy company providing .NET application development services to the Maritime industry. In July, 2007, he was awarded the Microsoft MVP award for ASP.NET. He's also a proud co-founder of failed .COM startup Intrinsigo, and has had a hand in the failure of numerous other businesses. He currently runs CodeBetter.Com and Devlicio.us, and lives in Norfolk, Virgina with his wife Tiara and son Ian.