Thursday, April 24, 2008

The Future?

If you are a regular reader you'll have noticed some changes on the right side of the screen. I've added a slide show and organized the links into different groups so they are easier to use.

I have been pondering more changes and wanted to run them by you for some feedback. This blog covers quite a few varied topics and I've been thinking it might be better to split them up and have a dedicated blog for each topic. I'm already doing that for my Bike Friday Tikit and it seems to work well. When you go to that blog all the posts and links relate to the Tikit. As you read the blog it flows nicely and the posts relate to one another quite well.

Assuming I make this change here is what you'd end up with:
  • The Lazy Rando Blog - covering bents, brevets and other rando related topis
  • Bike Touring Blog - covering my touring bikes, touring/camping equipment, tour reports and touring links.
  • Mountain Biking Blog - covering my mountain biking exploits in the Canadian Rockies
  • Commuting/Utility Biking Blog - covering all my "useful" bikes and rides
You would be able to read all the content if it interests you and if you only want to read specific content - such as bike touring - you could easily just tune into that blog.

Ultimately a blog only has value if people read and enjoy it so I'd be interested in getting your feedback on this idea. Feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email. While you are at it if you have any requests or suggestions for other improvements I'm open to any ideas you may have.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess my preference would be for one blog, but with categorized posts. That way I get everything in one feed, but I can filter the posts by clicking on the category that interests me. Just my $.02..

Anonymous said...

As a fellow cyclist, I enjoy all bike porn. What I like about TLR is the ability to go to one site and get an assortment of information on 1 topic, cycling. That is why TLR is unique and keeps me coming back. Thanks for the great work and information.

patmando said...

Vik,

I think I agree with Alan. You already have quite a few blogs. I always check Lazy and every so often I'll jump to your other sites. I don't think I miss much, but if there were more who knows. Why don't you combine your Tikit blog with Lazy to make a bike blog?

Vik said...

Hey Pat,

That's the rub - the people that ride Tikits really like having a blog that is all about Tikits so they don't have to search around for content they want to read. And honestly if you don't have a Tikit a lot of the detailed posts would bore you to death.

Alan has a good point about being able to keep all the different posts on one site, but being able to select whichever feeds you want.

If I had some HTML skills I might be able to do something custom, but for now I'll have to see what I can do with off the shelf products like blogger.

It is an interesting challenge.

Jim said...

Well, I always catch up on the news from YYC (Calgary in Aviation speak) and I enjoy reading about Rando/Ticket/ etc.. How you want to arrange it is up to you, but I enjoy one central location for all your news and notes. I guess I usually click on the links on the right sided to track each of them, and that seems to work for me...

Wish I had time to write more on mine. Lucky to get a weekly blurb in.

JIM

Josh said...

I like how it is.

Jerome said...

Hey Vik,

I kind of like the idea of having everything in one spot. The tikit blog is a good idea, that way those who are into just tikits can go there. Having said that; many cyclists, just as you, have varied interests and like to learn about the diversities of cycling. Alan's idea is one that I concur with. The blog is searchable, but we can still wait with baited breath, never knowing what will await us on any given day.

These are still your blogs though. Do with them as you please. Either way, I'll continue to enjoy and appreciate the work you put into your blogs. Thanks a lot and keep it up. Cheers.

patmando said...

So have you started to set up all your other blogs? I looked at your profile (I didn't see the link to Lazy from the Long Distance Recumbents blog so surfed via your profile) and saw all these new blogs.

BTW, it looks like I may be getting your Peterbuilt dual 26" after all. Jay put up an ad at BROL (http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=38766), and I made him an offer. Maybe this time, I won't get "scooped"!

Anonymous said...

Hi Vik,

I also like the all-in-one solution, especially because it widens my horizon (being a lazy blog-reader, I would probably only look in your bent blog and miss all the other cool stuff). I also second Alan on the categorization idea; isn't that possible within blogger?


Your blog is great, BTW, and I'm sure the quality won't suffer either way.

Anonymous said...

Is there some way that Blogger can use RSS notification for new posts to ANY of your Blogs? That way, I don't care how many blogs you're running, Vik--RSS will tell me via NetNewsWire when you've posted something to a blog.

RSS and NetNewsWire: it's the only way to read them Interwebs.

Vik said...

I don't use RSS myself, but I think I need to start so I understand its capabilities.

Anonymous said...

I blew it off for too long. A buddy recommended it...and NetNewsWire...I was hooked immediately. Using NetNewsWire to track so much stuff for me leaves me more time for stuff that really matters. Not sitting in front of a screen.