Bike Noob

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Happy Noobaversary To Me!

02.18.2014 by Ray Niekamp // 7 Comments

This one caught me by surprise. It’s the sixth anniversary of Bike Noob. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that I’ve been writing this blog for six years, until the folks at WordPress sent me a congratulatory message.

How’s the past year been? A mixed bag, I think. I’ve noticed that my posts have not kept to the rigid three-a-week schedule I used to observe, and that I’ve been posting a little less often recently. I think that has to do with a colder-than-usual winter this year, and a marked reduction in miles ridden as a result. It’s hard to keep interested when you find yourself preferring to stay indoors. Now that the weather is getting back to what Texas bikers expect (a high of 80 degrees — 26C — is expected today), I’m sure I’ll be out there more often, and get my writing back on a regular schedule.

Some highlights of note over the past year: I hit my all-time high in daily page views back on July 11, with 1,482 views that day. That’s when I realized that my 2008 Specialized Allez Elite really isn’t an entry-level bike. Or maybe it was when I took a bad fall after sliding on an oil slick in the road on a really hot day. The most-viewed post for the past year was an old one: an item about an online Bike Comparison Tool from 2011.

It’s also clear that I’ll have to start paying more attention to social media than I have been. My Bike Noob Facebook page and Twitter feed attract a lot of people to the blog.

Thanks for all of you who keep coming back to read the ramblings of this over-the-hill cyclist. But once you’re over the hill, it’s all downhill, right? And we cyclists love downhills!

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The Disappearing Bike Blogs

10.09.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 10 Comments

I’m guessing that most readers of Bike Noob make a stop here along with several other bike blogs. I know I have about a dozen I check out on a regular basis. But one thing I’ve noticed lately is that some of the blogs I’ve been visiting have disappeared.

In some cases, the blogger notes that he or she is ending the blog. The reasons are similar: the blogger has run out of new things to write about, the enjoyment of blogging has faded, or maybe the interest is no longer there.

In other cases, the blog is simply abandoned. After a lapse of months, it’s apparent there will be no more posts on the blog. Reluctantly, I delete it from my blogroll or my RSS feed. I’ll try to find another to take its place. One thing about bike blogs — there are plenty around.

The challenge for bloggers is to come up with topics to write about. I once read that everything about biking has already been written. It’s quite easy to find out basic information about biking. Books, back magazines, online searches. The more successful blogs are able to mine a narrow topic area. They might stick with descriptions of rides, for example, or a particular style of bike. The best ones have developed their own personality over time — a personality that clicks with readers and keeps them coming back. The ones that don’t have a focus are the ones that fold eventually.

I can understand the problem. Writer’s block is something I’ve always had to deal with. I keep a file of post ideas, but often run through them quickly, and have to start over again.

Bike Noob isn’t going away any time soon, even though I seem to be in one of my periodic low productivity cycles. But readers here gravitate to posts about basic equipment, rides, or improving riding ability. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to come up with topics to write about, and always be learning something new.

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A Bike Noob Milestone

02.17.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 18 Comments

No, I didn’t set a King of the Mountain on Strava. Nor did I do a personal best for mileage in one day. What I did do was survive.

Today is the Fifth Anniversary of the Bike Noob blog.

When  I started the blog, I never thought it would last this long. Instead, I figured I’d lose interest and fold the whole thing within the first year. But, like a bad penny, I keep turning up.

It’s been a labor of love. I look forward every week to Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings, which is when I write the entries. Sometimes, I sit down at the keyboard with nothing to say. I force myself to crank something out, and often, that post generates more page views and comments than others that I thought had more substance. That’s something I haven’t done well here — really understand my audience.

But I know we all share an interest in riding our bikes, so I hope we can keep up this back-and-forth for another full year. Thanks to you all.

And thanks to my guest bloggers, Jeff Hemmel and Don Blount. Each brings a distinctive point of view to their contributions, and Bike Noob is made richer for their work.

To celebrate this anniversary, I’ve decided to perk things up a bit, so I’ve added a new look to this blog. Hope you like it. I’m not a flashy guy, and it’s not a flashy look, but it’s clean and minimalist, and that fits my personality.

And now, after a 38-mile ride in some tough wind, and an emotionally draining season finale to “Downton Abbey,” it’s time to get to bed, so I can do some more riding and writing later this week.

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