GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine

What GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine does

GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine is an independent digital cycling publication operated by 41Publishing GmbH, headquartered in Leonberg, Germany, and founded in 2016. The title positions itself as the first independent premium magazine for road and gravel bikes, offering in-depth bike reviews, parts and equipment tests, buyer's guides, technical know-how, tours and travel features, and lifestyle content targeted at cycling enthusiasts. Editorial coverage spans major premium bicycle brands including Cervélo, Pinarello, Specialized, Orbea, BMC, Trek, Canyon, Wilier, Merida, and others, with annual awards recognized worldwide as a benchmark for riders, retailers, and the cycling industry.

The publication runs on a WordPress-based multilingual CMS (WPML) supporting English and German, distributed via iOS and Android mobile apps (built on ButtonPublish), Amazon Kindle, and a self-serve website backed by AWS CloudFront CDN. ConvertKit handles newsletter distribution, while Shopify powers the integrated online shop. GRAN FONDO sits within the broader 41Publishing portfolio alongside sister titles DOWNTOWN Magazine, ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine, and E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine, enabling shared back-office operations and cross-promotion across the cycling media family.

Revenue is generated through a freemium model: free digital content distributed at scale to build an engaged audience, monetized via advertising and sponsorships (contact point: Max-Philip Schmitt), a monthly recurring Supporter Program, and merchandise e-commerce. The company is privately held by its two Managing Directors (Max-Philip Schmitt and Robin Schmitt), with no disclosed external investment, headcount figures, or financial disclosures.

Name

GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine

Legal name

41Publishing GmbH

Website

https://granfondo-cycling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine is an independent bilingual (English/German) digital cycling publication covering road and gravel bikes since 2016, distributed free via mobile apps and website, and monetized through advertising, a supporter program, and merchandise e-commerce under parent 41Publishing GmbH.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cycling Digital Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive & Transportation Magazines (MPAJAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cycling Events (Road Races, Gran Fondos, Sportives) (MPAKAIAC)

Keywords

• Cycling magazine
• Bike reviews
• Digital publishing
• Endurance cycling
• Gravel biking

Headquarters

HQ city

Leonberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Digital Magazine Distribution: Free digital magazine distributed through apps and website, building audience for advertising revenue. Content includes reviews, features, and lifestyle pieces targeting cycling enthusiasts.
2. Online Shop: E-commerce store for merchandise and products, integrated with Shopify platform and fulfillment services.
3. Supporter Program: Monthly supporter program allowing readers to financially support the magazine in exchange for benefits.
4. Advertising & Sponsorships: Advertising sales for cycling brands and sponsors seeking to reach the magazine's engaged cycling audience. Contact via Max-Philip Schmitt for advertising and cooperations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine produces and distributes a free bilingual (English and German) digital cycling magazine focused on road and gravel bikes, available through iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle apps plus a dedicated website. The editorial offering includes in-depth bike reviews, large group tests, parts and equipment reviews, interactive buyer's guides, technical know-how articles, tours and travel features, and a cycling industry jobs board.

Product overview

GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine is an independent digital cycling publication offering a comprehensive content platform focused on road and gravel bikes with a holistic lifestyle approach. The core product is a free digital magazine accessible via web, iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle apps, published in both English and German since 2016. The publication's content portfolio spans bike reviews (road, gravel, e-gravel), parts and equipment tests, buyer's guides, technical know-how articles, tours and travel features, and a cycling industry jobs board. The magazine conducts large group tests comparing multiple models (e.g., 32 gravel tires, 13 road bike tires, 9 e-gravel bikes) and produces annual award-recognized reviews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GRAN FONDO Digital Magazine A free bilingual digital cycling magazine covering road and gravel bikes, distributed via iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle apps and a dedicated website. Aimed at cycling enthusiasts seeking independent, in-depth reviews and lifestyle content.
• Cycling Jobs Board A job board listing employment opportunities within the cycling industry, integrated with the 41Publishing recruitment platform. Intended for job seekers and employers in the cycling sector.
• Supporter Program Monthly recurring supporter program offering benefits to readers in exchange for financial support of the magazine. Available to individual cycling enthusiasts.
• Online Shop (Merchandise) Shopify-integrated e-commerce store selling merchandise and cycling-related products, with fulfillment services. Targets cycling enthusiasts and supporters.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered parent and sister.

• 41PublishingparentOthersParent publishing company that owns and operates GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine. 41Publishing GmbH is the legal entity with Bismarckstraße 32, 71229 Leonberg as registered office. Also referenced as 41 Publishing & Marketing UG at Hummelbergweg 12, 71229 Leonberg for mailing purposes.
• DOWNTOWN MagazinesisterStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister publication focused on e-bike and lifestyle content. CROSS promotional relationship between cycling magazine brands under 41Publishing umbrella.
• ENDURO Mountainbike MagazinesisterStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister mountain bike publication under 41Publishing, serving the broader cycling lifestyle ecosystem.
• E-MOUNTAINBIKE MagazinesisterStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading e-mountainbike magazine as part of the 41Publishing cycling magazine family.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cyclingnews: One of the largest and most established digital cycling publications globally. Comparable as a cycling news/review platform, with broader coverage across all cycling disciplines and significantly larger scale.
• VeloNews: Long-established US cycling publication covering road, gravel, and mountain biking. Comparable as a multi-discipline cycling news and review platform, with broader scope and a longer heritage.
• Bicycling Magazine: Mainstream cycling magazine from Hearst. Comparable in the broad print/digital cycling magazine category, but with significantly larger scale and a generalist audience.
• BikeRadar: Major cycling review and technology platform with deep product testing and buying guides. Comparable editorial mission (bike reviews, buyer guidance) with broader scope and global audience.
• GCN (Global Cycling Network): Largest video-led cycling media platform globally. Competes for the same cycling enthusiast audience and brand sponsorship budgets, but with a different (video-first) delivery mechanism.

Direct peers

• E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine: Leading e-mountainbike magazine under 41Publishing. Direct peer with overlapping sister-company infrastructure and audience, but specialized in the e-bike/mountain bike segment.
• Rouleur: Premium cycling culture and road cycling magazine. Closely comparable as a high-end, independent cycling publication with a similar editorial philosophy and lifestyle positioning.
• Cyclist Magazine: UK-based premium road cycling magazine. Closely comparable as an independent, premium road and gravel cycling publication with a similar target audience and editorial positioning.
• DOWNTOWN Magazine: Sister 41Publishing title focused on e-bike and lifestyle content. Direct peer with shared business model and cross-promotion opportunities.
• ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine: Sister publication under 41Publishing, focused on mountain biking. Directly comparable as a sibling cycling title with shared infrastructure, audience, and ad sales, though in a different cycling discipline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GranFondoCycling
• Instagraminstagram.com/granfondocycling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gran-fondo-cycling-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine