FHM publisher buys cycle title

On Your Bike, the leisure cycling magazine published by Kindlife Ltd. of Newcastle upon Tyne, has been acquired by multi-national publishing company EMAP plc who produce such titles as FHM, Trail, Country Walking and womens magazine Red.

The magazine is currently a quarterly, and Kindlife Ltd. produced the Winter edition (no. 7) which has just been published. EMAP take over for the February issue and will increase the frequency to monthly. EMAP is also purchasing a cycle route-finding book from Kindlife Ltd, and the On Your Bike website, www.onyourbike.com.

On Your Bike was launched in March 1998 by editor/publisher Carlton Reid, the editor/publisher of BicycleBusiness.

Victoria Tebbs, currently editing Emaps award winning Trail, has been promoted to Managing Editor of both Trail and OYB, and will be heading up a new editorial team which will be based at Emap Actives Peterborough offices.

Carlton Reid has been retained as an editorial consultant. He is keen to see the magazine increase in pagination, frequency and sales: Selling to EMAP Active is perfect for the magazine. My small publishing outfit doesnt have the marketing or distribution muscle to take the title to the next level.

I modelled On Your Bike on EMAPs Country Walking because the magazines are aimed at similar audiences. I always wanted EMAP to take over the title because they understand the market. The hardcore mountain bike mags think leisure cycling is a fluffy part of the market but its the biggest and fastest growing part.

The new advertising manager for On Your Bike is Steve Carroll, tel: 01733 465904, email: steve.carrol@ecm.emap.com