NAHBS is coming this weekend and with it quickly approaching, I cannot deny the anxiety that comes with it. For me, it’s an insane amount of work and stress. In recent years, I leave the tradeshow feeling underwhelmed in terms of the benefits for hosting such an in-depth look at the framebuilder showcase. I truly believe we provide the best NAHBS coverage. Period. If we do one thing right on the site, it’s covering NAHBS. That said, with so many media venues covering the show now, with Instagram, and our good friend Brad shooting studio photos of the bikes, free to other outlets to use (many of which aren’t even in attendance), we have lost a huge chunk of the “market share” in terms of traffic from the showcase. Previously, it was worth it, but after last year’s effect on my body, I can’t help but question if it’s worth it. Plus, I’m never free to enjoy the company of friends and to meet new people…
Not wanting to disappoint the readers, or the builders for that matter, I wanted to ping the audience and see how you felt about NAHBS coverage. I’m proposing something a bit different. A bit less overwhelming in terms of the content produced and the physical exertion required. A lot of what goes into the selection of bikes comes from my own personal taste, or what I would think the readers would respond to. NAHBS is a showcase of very expensive bikes and that in its own can be very alienating, so while I do focus on some of the more balleur endeavors, I always have my eyes peeled for more practical, less financially polarizing builds. Still, at the end of the coverage, the website is overrun with high-end bikes. With the infinite scroll format, it’s very inundating and personally, depicts cycling as a rich man’s sport.
What I’m wondering is would one massive gallery featuring a drive side shot and a few details do the trick? Or a series of small gallery groupings – i.e. best mountain bikes, favorite drop bar builds, kookiest creations, etc – satisfy the coverage for this readership? Or should I just bite the bullet and keep doing it the same way? Please either comment below or vote using a simple HTML embed below. Thank you!
