Outside acquires Pinkbike, CyclingTips, and Trailforks

The Colorado-based provider of active-lifestyle content and services has expanded its portfolio again, bringing on three new cycling brands.

Outside, the Colorado-based leader in active lifestyle content and services (and Outside Business Journal’s parent company), today added three new brands to its rapidly expanding portfolio. The new properties include the mountain biking news site Pinkbike; Pinkbike’s mapping app, TrailForks; and CyclingTips, which Pinkbike acquired in 2019.

The acquisition brings Outside’s family of brands to 40. The new properties join the company’s already-robust quiver of cycling assets, including VeloNews, Peloton, Beta, Triathlete, VeloPress, and Roll Massif. The company also owns titles and businesses across the broader outdoor space, most notably Outside magazine, but also legacy titles like Backpacker, SKI, and Climbing.

The Pinkbike acquisition adds considerable readership and revenue in the cycling space, and thus adds momentum to the company’s Outside+ membership program. Outside+, introduced this year, offers enthusiasts various bundles of content, services, discounts, and other offerings for a $99 annual fee. The membership revenues complement Outside’s revenues from advertising, creating a business model for publishing that CEO Robin Thurston said is more sustainable than traditional media models in the long term. Adding Pinkbike, CyclingTips, and Trailforks gives Outside+ more critical mass, making membership purchases more desirable for enthusiasts and providing more readership for advertisers inside and outside the industry, Thurston said.

“This acquisition is a key moment in fulfilling our mission to build a vibrant home where active lifestyle participants will discover a wide range of content and tools to fuel their adventures. We’re very excited and honored to welcome the Burkats and their team to our family,” said Thurston. “As a lifelong cyclist, I’m a huge fan of these brands, which are perfect complements to our own cycling titles—VeloNews, Peloton, Beta, and Bicycle Retailer—and to our recent acquisition of Gaia GPS, the dominant mobile mapping app for hikers, backpackers, and overlanders. The marriage of these businesses creates a truly comprehensive resource for all types of cyclists and outdoor adventurers.”

• Published via: Outside