The sad implosion of Cyclingtips :( (new title to reflect the max exodus)

Wade said he tried to buy CT back recently, but got an emphatic no :face_with_diagonal_mouth:

Depends on the actual agreement signed, but in general, in order to receive a severance or separation payment, the outgoing employee will agree to not compete in the same space for a stated period of time.

Trying to find something silently is not a wise strategyā€¦ā€¦too risky and leaves you open to being sued.

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Non competes are not legal in California so here itā€™s golden handcuffs.

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Plus, Wadeā€™s Australian isnā€™t he. Hopefully he can tell them to get stuffed.

I agree with P13 about not doing anything risky though.

If they have non-competeā€™s they are already begging for lawyers to get in with the dork warning (or whatever).

My ex wife got sued over a non compete and I learned they are really hard to enforce

The rules are pretty different according to jurisdiction. Still, enforcing a non-compete clause against someone who was laid off for financial reasons might be extra difficult.

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It depends on whether or not they signed the document for the severance payout with the non-compete clause in it.

I was referring to Wade, not Caley, et al.

Non-competes are not often part of a severance packageā€¦.but for people like Wade, who likely signed a contract when he sold CT (and then when CT was sold yet again), they are very common.

I doubt Caley, Dave and Dane have non-competes.

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Itā€™s likely (?) Wade a non-compete when he sold CT. Itā€™s less likely that anyone formerly working for CT is subject to enforceable non-competes. It may be that anyone formerly working at CT and who received severance had to sign a non-disparagement clause. Anyone who resigned would not have signed an agreement with a non-disparagement clause. We also donā€™t know who was employed by CT and who may have been contractors. Clear as mud?

I do feel for all the humans involved here. These are their careers and livelihoods and itā€™s clear that a lot of them are taking principled positions and voting with their feet. Itā€™s not like there is a line up to employ journalists in cycling. But it is clear they have the support of the community.

The really interesting thing here is how strong a combination of podcast and forum engagement can build a relationship with individuals that is more important than the brand itself. Subscription based digital media works until there is a place revolt.

Itā€™s not the same but I felt similar disappointment when people like Pete and Amber leave TR. Podcasting and forum posting just seems more personal to the end user as compared to traditional media.

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Iā€™ll miss having my little ā€œask a mechanicā€ jingle on the nerd alert podcast. I still have a fresh set of gp5000s James huang sent me for that iPhone recording! :laughing: my tiny claim to (not actual) fame

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Thatā€™s real fame. Loved that song! Maybe you can write them a jingle for the new pod.

ā€œDisc brakes and rim brakes,
Sealants and chain lube
Aaaaask a mechanic!ā€

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@velopiano, I am pretty sure you own the copyright!

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Seems as though the laid off staff can start a podcast and a subscription based site called Alpha Echelonā€¦ā€¦

Iā€™d pay and listen.

After all, I had a subscription for CyclingTips and never used it. The lay offs reminded me to cancel.

Iā€™d be happy to sign up for a new site and support those impacted.

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ā€œTubs, tubes and tubeless, weā€™re all utterly clueless. Ask a mechanic!ā€

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And now Abby Mickey is outā€¦.JFC, what a mess. Outside canā€™t even communicate to their employees what is going on.

Well I was really hoping I wouldnā€™t have to write these words butā€¦I will no longer work at CyclingTips as of the new year. Devastated hardly covers it but I canā€™t continue to work at CT. After weeks of no communication or organization and mixed messages from our parent company, for my own health, I had to make an impossible decision.

Freewheeling has always been more than a podcast to me. It was my first baby and watching it grow has been an absolute privilege. We still have three episodes left. [@gracieelvin] interviewed Amanda Spratt and Loren sat down with Jolien Dā€™Hoore for our final two interviews. To close out the year @amylaurenjones put together her famous year end quiz and we had a blast doing math(s). Spoiler alert [@tildsprice] claims bragging rights (to no-oneā€™s surprise.)

I want to thank everyone who helped make Freewheeling what it is. When I retired from cycling I never wanted to watch a race again let alone work in the industry. The team at CyclingTips changed my mind and working with them renewed my love of the sport.

I donā€™t know whatā€™s next but I know itā€™s going to be fun. Fourth times a charm?

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Oh balls. That was pretty much the last USP of cycling tips. Race reports, tech and all is covered on many sites but Freewheeling was brilliant and not seen elsewhere.

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Wow, so theyā€™re down to just James, Ronan, Shoddy Dave, and Amy Jones?

This feels like a game of reverse bingo, with a blackout being the moment when the final OG CT members finally leave the building. Just nuts how this has blown up.

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The lack of communication from Outsideā€™s management is what blows me awayā€¦when you make the cuts they made to the senior staff, you need to have a plan in place. Who is in charge, what is the structure, what are the goals, etc.

The fact that the thumbnail for the regular podcast still has Caleyā€™s name and image on it is just mind-boggling to me. Those are the basics of what you do once you cut someoneā€¦and here we are weeks later with even the most basic functions not addressed.

And what do you do now if you are Outside? No journalist is going to come work there now and they donā€™t have enough staff to function. What is the gameplan, Outside?

When people are willing to leave without other jobs lined up, you know everything you need to know about how toxic that place has become. I feel so bad for those still there who donā€™t have the flexibility to just quitā€¦everyday must be a gut-punch.

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A bit too dark for the meme thread but feels appropiate:

It does feel like as an entity Cycling Tips as we knew and love is circling the drain, and speeding up rather quickly.

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