Special Report – Part 1/3, We are opening a three-part dossier on a topic that now affects everyone in the cycling world: the role of influencers. Modern heroes, adventure storytellers, impromptu coaches, trendsetters, educators, sometimes even influencers… but also sales agents, marketing showcases, players in a booming economy. The phenomenon is massive. It is positive. It is ambiguous. It deserves our attention. In this first part, we offer you the beginning of a reflection: Are influencers a driving force for the community… or already the first step in a huge economic carousel?
By Jeff Tatard – Photo: @jefftatard
The driving role: inspiration, community, bytage
Let's start with the good news…
A good cycling influencer is someone who makes you look at your bike with fresh eyes. Sunday morning. The one who, just by launching his latest video " My chill outing of the day " makes you want to recharge your Wahoo, put some more Squirt on the chain, and go out, despite the fact that your alarm went off at 4:45pm (yes, you there… I see you).
It's the one that reminds you, between two shots stabilized with a DJI Action 4 (Don't you see what we're talking about? You know that small, very compact action camera designed to capture adventures? Steven Lehyaric…), in short, speed doesn't matter, it's the pleasure that counts. The one who suggests "secret" routes, except we all know them because they pass through the coffee bike shop brand new in the shopping area, the one where a avocado latte costs more than a Continental GP5000 tire… but where everyone stops because "The atmosphere is chill".
He's also the one who shows you in a relaxed manner how to put on VeloToze shoe covers At -2°C, without fear of frostbite, without losing a nail or even a finger during the process, and without uttering a single swear word. The kind of thing that, in real life, even cardiac surgeons would do under anesthesia.
A good influencer gives a voice to those who, like you, like the 4 associate editors of 3bikesLike 99% of the Sunday Strava peloton, they aren't on a WorldTour team, but simply want to experience cycling. One of the most valuable aspects: the community, this unlikely group of people connected by:
- electronics everywhere on the carbon cockpit (Garmin for some, Hammerhead Karoo for tech hipsters),
- power sensors that cost more than the first car we ever owned,
- Kilometers, KOMs lost and regained
- and sometimes… ego (yes, let’s not kid ourselves).
Cycling influencers open doors : to women cyclists, to intimidated beginners, to veterans who know all about the Campa Record "10 speed" generation, to ultradistance warriors, to gravel fans who think that hard-packed dirt is a place of pilgrimage.
They create clear, often very educational content. Thanks to them, thousands of people finally know:
- How to adjust an electronic derailleur without calling a friend.
- To have a Sweet Spot session without thinking it's a dessert.
- to understand why everyone swears by tubeless tires until the day when… never again,
- to manage their supplies in a way other than with a pack of Figolu biscuits and a lukewarm water bottle.
They make accessible what seemed mystical: training, nutrition, mechanics, mental management, planning, the desire to start again after a hunger pang 12 km from home.
In short: Bravo!
In the next article…
In the part 2/3We will now address the less glamorous side: When influence becomes a commodity. When advice becomes product placement. When inspiration becomes a business.
And what all this implies for neutrality, objectivity… and for those who follow.
=> The economics of influence: understanding a system that has become indispensable
