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Welcome to Velo Vision magazine, covering specialised bikes, cycling as transport and human power. It's a quarterly dose of cycle inspiration.The current issue is Issue 16. The next issue is out early March 2005.
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Online shop finally... online!It took longer than we thought, but the online shop is finally up and running. We hope this will be an easy and efficient way for overseas readers to subscribe to Velo Vision. Also, an extended 'update'. Feedback on the operation of the shop would be mosty welcome. Particularly, if there's anywhere where more information or guidance would be helpful, do let me know. The only thing I noticed while testing was that once you've completed the transaction, and click the 'end Worldpay session' button, it doesn't actually put you back on the Velo Vision site. We'll try to find a way around this, but for now, you might just have to start a new window. I'll be putting out some email notifications of this, and a progress report on the Velo Vision project, shortly. I'll put a copy here, too. All the best, Peter ************ Here's that email: Dear all, As many of you will be aware, I've started a new international cycling magazine, Velo Vision, and the first issue will be out early March 2001. Since late December I've also been running a website at http://www.velovision.co.uk/ First, an introduction for those who may have missed my 'launch' a few months ago. Velo Vision plans to carry on where Bike Culture Quarterly, of which I was the editor, left off. This magazine, published by Open Road, met its end when the parent company became insolvent. Velo Vision will, as BCQ did, stand out I hope as a rare and special magazine. It will be 230mm x 280mm (9 inches x 11 inches) in size. It'll be partly in colour and, as reader numbers rise, we hope to move to full colour. It'll be full of an eclectic mix of reading and artwork. There are so many aspects of cycle life and culture which don't quite fit in existing specialist publications. People doing cool things with bikes - technologically, socially, artistically, historically. The bike as transport, friend, just a bit of junk. People making their living by riding, defining the urban logistics of the future. Cycle cultures across the world. Human power beyond pure cycling - it's a fascinating field, and full of promise. I'm confident that - with the help of many of you reading this - I won't run short of material. When, as BCQ editor, I was told by subscribers that their non-cycling friends also enjoyed reading the magazine - or at least found a few well-written articles of interest, I was particularly happy. It's my aim that Velo Vision should be the same - first a good read, with the production values to raise the credibility of cycle culture as a whole - and also an expression of the optimism and the human quality of the great people that make up the cycling world. Velo Vision will take adverts, but the 'calmness' of the editorial section will be retained. The advertisements will be clustered at the back of the magazine. I'll keep the editorial independent, whimsical and non-commercial - and judging by the companies who've expressed interest so far, the advertising section should be an interesting read in its own right. I know quite a few overseas readers have been waiting for the online shop to become active before subscribing. Well, it is up and running at last, and I thought it was time for a brief update on progress to go along with that announcement. The last month or so has been one of the busiest of my life. Here's a brief summary of what's been achieved. - Velo Vision is established as a company, and is VAT registered (766 9376 67). This allows advertisers (in most countries) to claim back the tax element of the cost of their advertisements. - An office has been found in a wonderful millennium-funded sustainable building in York. Most of the energy we use is generated by wind turbine and PV cells, water is purified rainwater, and there's wood-fired heating. It's a lovely place at the centre of a lot of community activities. We're sharing an office with with York's pedal-powered couriers, Wheel Alternatives (http://www.wheelalternatives.co.uk/), and there's good synergy between the two businesses. - A mezzanine flooring area was built from scratch, using recycled lifeboat slipway timbers. This created a large, much-needed storage area. The timbers, and everything else in the office, were transported aroudn York by human power on trike and trailer or by carrier trike (OK, I got a taxi once when transporting my most expensive computer - but it _was_ raining, too:). - Communications are established: we've got phone, fax, ISDN, web and email facilities in place. Details below. - Computer systems are in place and networked. We've also set up facilities for email and web browsing for our colleagues at Wheel Alternatives, with whom we share an office. - Credit card facilities have been arranged both 'direct' (i.e. I input the details into a terminal here after receiving them by phone, fax or post) and also online via Worldpay, allowing overseas customers to subscribe without risking the insecurity of sending card details by email, or expensively by fax. - The subscriber database has gone through several incarnations thanks to a reader who is expert in database design - it's now pretty much state-of-the-art. - Accounting systems are in place. - The Velo Vision website went live on December 17th, as promised, and has been updated almost daily since with news stories and progress reports. Thanks are due to my programmer Simon Ward for his excellent work making this happen. We're still working to evolve the website, with bulletin-board and other bits and bobs still to be added. - The FAQ section on the website has pretty much all the info you could want about the magazine, the people behind it, and it also addresses the questions of ex-Open Road subscribers. - Material has been prepared for potential advertisers, and is being sent out now. I can send it by email as PDF or by post - please let me know if you're interested. - A leaflet is about to be printed and distributed to other specialist cycling publications as the first in a series of publicity drives. You can help - just let me know if you'd like some leaflets to distribute to your friends. It'll be worded so that it's relevant internationally, and after the first issue appears. - Print arrangements for magazines and leaflets have been sorted out. - And, of course, we've been working on the first issue. It's fairly well advanced, but there's lots still to be done. This is going to be top priority in the coming weeks. It'll be sent out around the 6th of March. Thanks also to my colleague Brian Holt who has worked hard to get the design/layout well advanced. - Finally, I'd like to thank all of those who have subscribed in advance for their faith in me and in the idea of Velo Vision. Subscriptions (or orders for single issues) are particularly welcome in these early days - and most appreciated. Visit the website or conatct me for full details of prices and so on. You can contact me any time - or come visit, if you're in York: Velo Vision The Environmental Community Centre St Nicholas Fields York YO10 3EN UK Tel +44 1904 438 224 Fax +44 1904 438 236 Email [email protected] Web www.velovision.co.uk I'd like to keep Velo Vision very 'open' and transparent. Knowing that you all know where I am with things is a very good inducement for me not to fall behind with schedules. If you have questions, feel free to ask. Thanks for your time, and sorry for the long message. And apologies if anyone got more than one copy. Best regards to all, Peter Posted on 11 January 2001 Your comments ...
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