2009

October

I have a full month at the helm and it hasn't been too bad. There have been a couple of glitches here and there but for the most part it's all been good.

Traffic levels are at all-time highs. The previous site host cut off access once bandwidth exceeded 20 GB per month. This is what caused the site to go off line for 3 or 4 days in July. Today this site serves over 1 GB of traffic every day. In terms of visitors, monthly traffic looks something like this:

• 57,000 Visitors
• 19,000 Absolute Unique Visitors
• 352,000 Pageviews

People have told me they wouldn't mind seeing advertising on the site if it helps offset the costs of server space and bandwidth and the time and effort required to keep it running. Now with a complete month's worth of statistics in hand I feel more comfortable putting up an advertising page. I had been reluctant to do so because not knowing traffic levels over time makes it hard to decide what's fair to ask for advertising.

And now that I know what's fair, I'm ready to begin discussions with potential advertisers and sponsors.

September

STLBiking is now under new ownership. Today John Musselman transferred ownership of the site to me, Mark Ewers. I'm committed to furthering his philosophy of making this site the go-to resource for cyclists of all kinds in the Midwest.

I've completely redesigned and rehosted the site. I rebuilt STLBiking on the Drupal CMS platform and created several new content types and site specific content views in the process.

There is still a ton of work to be done, but initial resonses have been running on the good side of favorable.

August

STLBiking will be moving to a new host server on Saturday August 15. After that look for all whole new website to be launched later in the fall.

2004

Installed php based Classified Ads application that allows viewers to modify their ads at any time, upload photos and track how many views their ads receive. Traffic on the site has really increased. The number of hits commonly range from 1 million to 1.5 million per month. By Fall of 2004 total hits per month have exceed the 2 million mark.

2003

Installed an even newer version of the message board that includes an interactive calendar for events. Viewers can post their own information 24/7.

2002

Newer software made the website truly interactive for the 1st time. The site became a market place for cyclists wanting to upgrade their equipment. But the new php powered message board made it's debut and has been the centerpiece of the website ever since.

2001

The photo gallery was increased in size. It still remains one of the favorite pages of the site. People love to see pictures. Other advances include:

• Free Self-Deleting Classified Bike Ads
• Group Ride Calendar
• Improved Pbase Photo Gallery

1999

I launched STLbiking.com because I wanted to create a central focal point for cyclists in St. Louis. Hundreds of hours were spent working on the layout and designs. The original site was modest but the number of hits kept growing.

Funding

Yes! The website needs funding to operate effectively. However, income for the web site comes strictly from sponsors. However, the long hours spent on the site comes from my interest in cycling & internet. The perks I really enjoy is the service that I can give back to the cycling community.

My guess is that 20 hours a week is spent keeping the most current information available on the site at all times.

Sponsors

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the sponsors of stlbiking. Their funding allows me to update my software continuously, purchase hardware, scanners, digital cameras, server space and more. I try to make every dollar count and seen on the website.

It's easy to become a sponsor. Just email me.

Webmaster

I'm not originally from St. Louis but this web site and my contacts through both NORBA, OGRE, MOBRA and all my friends at various Bike Shops have made me feel like I've lived here for quite a while. Thanks St. Louis!

My story really begins in Atlanta where I did most of my growing up. But I've also lived in New York, Cincinnati, Macon, GA., Athens, Ga. and Valdosta, Ga. I've even worked in Chicago while living in Atlanta. It was easy to fly up every Monday morning and fly home every Friday.

My interests in computers leaned toward graphics. I was avid photographer back in high school. Even did duties for the school newspaper. Back then I was a 35mm junkie. My dad worked in Japan most of the time. When he returned home he also brought me some toys like Nikons because they were so cheap back then. Now I'm a digital guy.

When I'm not at work or working on this website you'll find me in the basement working with my collection of guitars and amps. I'm still looking to hook up with interested parties to formulate original tunes.