Slowtwitch
Slowtwitch is an independent endurance sports media platform serving triathletes, cyclists, runners, gravel riders, and swimmers since 1999 with journalism, forums, classifieds, directories, podcasts, e-commerce, and a paid Slowtwitch+ subscription.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersValyermo, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Slowtwitch does
Slowtwitch is an independent endurance sports media platform founded in 1999 by Dan Empfield, the inventor of the original triathlon wetsuit and creator of the F.I.S.T. Tri Bike Fit System. The company publishes independent journalism across triathlon, cycling, running, gravel, and swimming, anchored by a content archive built over 25+ years and distributed through a WordPress-based website, a self-hosted Castopod podcast platform, email newsletters, and social channels. Beyond journalism, the platform operates an integrated ecosystem of community products: a discussion forum, a Buy/Sell classifieds marketplace for used endurance equipment, paid directories of coaches/fitters/races, and a merchandise e-commerce shop.
The business operates on a community-led, hybrid monetization model. Slowtwitch+ is a paid subscription tier priced at $6.99 per month or $59.99-$84.00 per year (with a 14-day free trial) that adds premium articles, a quarterly print magazine, exclusive audio/video, shop discounts, and enhanced forum/event access. The company supplements subscription revenue with display advertising from approximately 12 named brand partners spanning bike manufacturers (Shimano, Canyon, ENVE, Felt, CADEX, Quintana Roo, WOVE), apparel (ROKA), training software (TrainingPeaks), fit technology (FastTT), and nutrition (Goodlife Brands/Nutrition), plus transaction fees from classifieds and directory listings. The company is founder-owned, privately held, based in Southern California, operates with 1-10 employees, and serves a global audience across North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia.
Slowtwitch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slowtwitch
- Legal name
- Slowtwitch
- Website
- https://slowtwitch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Slowtwitch is an independent endurance sports media platform serving triathletes, cyclists, runners, gravel riders, and swimmers since 1999 with journalism, forums, classifieds, directories, podcasts, e-commerce, and a paid Slowtwitch+ subscription.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slowtwitch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Endurance Sports Media
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Other Spectator Sports (711219)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Short-Form Video for News, Sports & Highlights Platforms (MPACAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtual & Hybrid Participation Events (App-Based, Remote/Hybrid Races) (MPAKAIAH)
Keywords
Where Slowtwitch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Valyermo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Slowtwitch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue (Slowtwitch+): Monthly and annual subscription tiers providing premium content access, print magazine, exclusive audio/video content, and member discounts. $6.99/month or $59.99-$84.00/year.
- Advertising: Display advertising on the website, targeting endurance sports enthusiasts and athletes.
- E-commerce / Shop: Sale of merchandise and endurance sports products through the Slowtwitch Shop.
- Classifieds / Buy-Sell: Fee-based listing service for buying and selling endurance sports equipment and bikes.
- Directory Listings: Paid directory listings for coaches, fitters, and race organizers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Slowtwitch+ Premium Subscription - Monthly |
| Subscription | Annual | Slowtwitch+ Premium Subscription - Annual |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Slowtwitch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slowtwitch is an independent online media and community platform for endurance sports, publishing triathlon, cycling, running, gravel, and swimming journalism. It operates a premium subscription (Slowtwitch+) with print magazine benefits, a fee-based Buy/Sell classifieds marketplace for used gear, paid directory listings for coaches, fitters, and race directors, and an e-commerce shop for merchandise. The company also maintains a discussion forum and podcast network serving endurance athletes globally.
Product overview
Slowtwitch is a media and community platform for endurance sports, offering a unified portfolio of content and commerce products. The core offering is the Slowtwitch News Website providing independent journalism across triathlon, cycling, running, gravel, and swimming disciplines. This is complemented by community features including the Slowtwitch Forum for discussions and Directories for finding coaches and service providers. The platform includes a Buy/Sell marketplace for equipment classifieds and a Shop for merchandise. Premium access is available through Slowtwitch+, providing exclusive content, a quarterly print magazine, and enhanced community features. Audio content is delivered via Podcasts. The platform also supports the industry-standard F.I.S.T. Tri Bike Fit System for bike fitting services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Slowtwitch+: Premium subscription service offering exclusive articles, audio/video content, magazine access, and member discounts.
Products and services
- Slowtwitch+ Premium Subscription
Companies that use Slowtwitch
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Slowtwitch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Slowtwitch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- CADEXminorCycling brand partner. CADEX (Giant's performance wheel and component brand) appears as a marketing partner on Slowtwitch, suggesting advertising or content collaboration.
- FastTTminorBike fit technology company partner. FastTT appears as a partner, likely through content collaboration or advertising on Slowtwitch.
- CANYONminorGerman bike manufacturer partner. Canyon appears as a partner brand, suggesting advertising or editorial collaboration.
- ENVEminorPremium wheel and component manufacturer. ENVE appears as a partner brand on Slowtwitch.
- FELTminorBike manufacturer. Felt appears as a partner brand, likely through content or advertising collaboration.
- GOODLIFE BrandsminorNutrition brand partner. GOODLIFE Brands appears as a partner, suggesting product partnership or advertising.
- GOODLIFE NutritionminorSports nutrition company. Fuelyourgoodlife.com brand appears as a partner.
- QUINTANA ROOminorTriathlon bike manufacturer founded by Dan Empfield. QR appears as a partner brand. Notably, Empfield founded Quintana Roo in 1987 and sold it to Saucony in 1995.
- ROKA MULTISPORTminorMultisport gear brand. ROKA appears as a partner, likely through content or advertising collaboration.
- SHIMANOminorComponent manufacturer. Shimano appears as a partner brand on Slowtwitch.
- TRAINING PEAKSminorTraining software platform. TrainingPeaks appears as a partner, likely content or advertising collaboration.
- WOVEminorBike brand. WOVE appears as a partner brand on Slowtwitch.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Slowtwitch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Triathlete Magazine: Flagship US triathlon publication, the most directly comparable editorial competitor to Slowtwitch. Both serve triathletes with gear reviews, race coverage, and training content; Triathlete goes through Hearst, whereas Slowtwitch is independent.
- DC Rainmaker: Single-author endurance-sports reviews and news site covering triathlon, cycling, and running gear. Closest comparable business model: independent, expert-driven, ad/sponsorship-supported endurance sports publisher.
- Cyclingnews: Largest dedicated cycling news platform covering road, gravel, and competitive cycling. Directly comparable in covering bike technology, reviews, and racing — an adjacent vertical Slowtwitch also serves.
- 220 Triathlon: Leading UK-based triathlon magazine with both print and digital editions, including gear reviews, training plans, and race coverage — directly comparable to Slowtwitch's triathlon coverage and print-plus-digital model.
- VeloNews: Long-running competitive cycling news brand (now under Outside Inc.). Directly comparable in news, gear coverage, and race reporting with similar editorial mix.
- BikeRadar: Major cycling gear reviews and news site, with deep technical bike testing. Closely comparable in bike-technology editorial that Slowtwitch also emphasizes.
- Pinkbike: Mountain biking media platform with active community forums and marketplace features. Highly comparable community-led digital media model covering adjacent cycling disciplines.
Broad incumbents
- Runner's World: Largest endurance-running publisher (Hearst). Broader scope than Slowtwitch, but covers overlapping run audience with shoe reviews and training content Slowtwitch also targets.
- Outside Online: Outdoor and endurance media portfolio (now including VeloNews, Runner's World sister titles, Trail Runner). Larger incumbent that competes for the same endurance athlete reader and ad dollar.
- Bicycling Magazine: Mainstream cycling publication (Hearst) with broad bike, gear, and training coverage. Comparable in cycling editorial, though at significantly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Slowtwitch social profiles
Digital presenceSlowtwitch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slowtwitch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Slowtwitch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slowtwitch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Slowtwitch
What does Slowtwitch do?
Slowtwitch is an independent online media and community platform for endurance sports, publishing triathlon, cycling, running, gravel, and swimming journalism. It operates a premium subscription (Slowtwitch+) with print magazine benefits, a fee-based Buy/Sell classifieds marketplace for used gear, paid directory listings for coaches, fitters, and race directors, and an e-commerce shop for merchandise. The company also maintains a discussion forum and podcast network serving endurance athletes globally.
Is Slowtwitch a public or private company?
Slowtwitch is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Slowtwitch founded?
Slowtwitch was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Slowtwitch based?
Slowtwitch is headquartered in Valyermo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Slowtwitch make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue (Slowtwitch+) is the primary driver. The others are advertising, E-commerce / Shop, classifieds / Buy-Sell and directory Listings.
Who are Slowtwitch's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Triathlete Magazine, DC Rainmaker, Cyclingnews, 220 Triathlon, VeloNews, BikeRadar and Pinkbike. Broad incumbents are Runner's World, Outside Online and Bicycling Magazine.
Does Slowtwitch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slowtwitch.
What industry is Slowtwitch in?
Slowtwitch's product category is Endurance Sports Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAHAJ, Short-Form Video for News, Sports & Highlights Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAKAIAH, Virtual & Hybrid Participation Events (App-Based, Remote/Hybrid Races). Its NAICS code is 45911 and its SIC code is 7311.