VALENCIA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Hi-Torque Publications has laid off at least three editors at its road bike and e-bike media titles. Sources familiar with the situation tell BRAIN the publisher plans to close Road Bike Action and Electric Bike Action, which have print titles and websites. The company did not immediately respond to questions on Thursday.
Let go were journalists Zapata Espinoza, Tony Donaldson and Alex Boyce. Espinoza is a long-term Hi-Torque editor and member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. He served as editorial director of Hi-Torque's three bike-related titles and is the former editor of Mountain Bike Action and Road Bike Action. "(The) head winds proved too mighty" for the titles, Espinoza told BRAIN in an email.
Donaldson, in his second stint at Hi-Torque, was the editor of Electric Bike Action after working at Hi-Torque's BMX Plus! and American Freestyler magazines earlier in his career. He also has a commercial photography business on the side and has a long history with BMX and e-bikes, dating back to working with Lee Iaccoca on his EV Global project in the late 1990s. Donaldson told BRAIN on Friday that he had "seen the writing on the wall for a while" because of dwindling ad sales at EBA.
Italy-based journalist Boyce joined the Electric Bike Action staff this year.
Road Bike Action's previous editor, Troy Templin, recently joined Outside's cycling group as a Senior Tech Editor.
Hi-Torque is continuing to publish Mountain Bike Action, which is edited by Ron Koch.
