PinkBike, CyclingTips, Trailforks acquired by Outside
Outside’s portfolio of cycling and outdoor titles has been further expanded with the news that it has acquired Pinkbike, CyclingTips and Trailforks.
Radek and Karl Burkat’s Pinkbike has grown to become a monster in traffic terms, apparently pulling 700 million annual page views with a plethora of news, product reviews and a marketplace, among other content streams. Pinkbike itself acquired CyclingTips to give its publishing house a road cycling element.
Meanwhile, Trailforks is a mapping service for trails with a 300,000 plus database of routes, as used by over 6 million.
“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 Outside CEO Robin Thurston.
He adds: “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.”
The deal will not affect the day-to-day operations of the sites, with PinkBike and Trailforks sticking with the Squamish, BC offices and CyclingTips its Australian HQ.
Progress Partners acted as sole financial advisor to Outside in the deal. GP Bullhound acted as sole financial advisor to Headwater Equity Partners and Pinkbike.
Outside was formerly known as Pocket Outdoor Media.