Best of Tucson 1996: Best Local Sports Web Site

Best Local Sports Web Site

Racer's Edge Bicycles
http://www.racersedge.com/

STAFF PICK: Computer geeks ride bikes. Always looking to extend the client/bike shop relationship, Racer's Edge Bicycles couldn't resist jumping on the Web bandwagon when the opportunity arose. The shop had already printed a somewhat quarterly newsletter for their 5,000-client mailing list and the creation of their Web page was just a natural extension of that newsletter. Owner Todd Bookspan and his brother Gregg of VividNet (http://www.vividnet.com/), an Internet service provider in Atlanta, launched the site late in 1995. We researched many of the nominated sites in our readers' poll for this category, and found they consisted mostly of events listings for a variety of sports. Their overall design lacked any professional polish, clear purpose or direction. Many were not local sites and many were "tourist guides," with sports being a category among many others. Clearly the creators of The Racer's Edge Newsletter have directed their efforts towards cycling/mountain biking; and if the site has any purpose, it's to encourage visitors to ride their bicycles. Only a quarter of their site is dedicated to the selling of

their shop or services, and can easily be avoided if advertising is a turn-off. The remainder is a mix of small features, technical tips from the shop staff, and recommended mountain-bike rides in the Tucson area. Although a bit graphic-heavy, once the images have loaded, navigational controls are clear and most links actually work. If you're a mountain biker and have Web access, this site is a must. And if Racer's Edge isn't already your favorite bike shop, this Web page will make you appreciate a shop that goes the extra mile to interact with its clients. "Response has been phenomenal, we've received queries from as far away as Korea and Singapore," says Bookspan. "We don't know where this Web business is headed, but we're excited with the results of our cyber experience so far."