Preview of the February Update for the BikeForums C&V crew. I'll be sending it out to VeloBase members just as soon as I figure out how I broke the broadcast email system on VeloBase. Some of this information may be old news for some of you who have been following the updates on the site for the last few months or use the site on a regular basis.
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First off, this update is long over due, and there has been a lot of changes to
VeloBase.com since the last update email. I'll try to cover the highlights here, more details and information can be found in the
News & Announcements section of the site.
First up is the new page look and feel that was first introduced back in June of 2008 which I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on. The new color schemes (there are two options, the "KOF Blue" inspired by a well known frame builder's show bike, and "British Racing Green" which I am sure needs no explanation. Registered users can select their favorite color scheme through the Account Options page. In addition to the color scheme, there are now a number of background image sets that you can customize to your tastes, or let the site randomly select (and rotate) one for you. There may be more color schemes and image sets in the works in coming months, but I have bigger projects under way that I wish to finish before I put more time into that.
Second big announcement is that I am working on a Frame & Bicycle database section of the site. That's right, I am crazy enough to attempt to build something which is capable of storing vast amounts of information about frames and complete bicycles. This has been a huge undertaking and I can't guarantee that I'll get it right the first time. Therefore I will likely open the section first to a select number of beta testers who wish to try it out and give me feedback on how usable the system is, or if I need to go back to the drawing board with it. Only once I feel confident it is up to the quality of the rest of the site will I open it up for everyone.
I've also revamped the eBay Seller List and added the requirement that all photos which are uploaded to VeloBase.com include the source of the photo. Please make sure that you have permission of the photos owner before uploading any photos to VeloBase.com. I have been working to update as many existing photos as I can identify the owner of through eBay sellers, etc. Over time I hope to slowly replace many of the photos which we do not have confirmed sources for with new photos who we do know the owner of to ensure the site does not run into any copyright issues.
I'll wrap this up with a few interesting facts and information about the site. First, as of this morning there are a total of 2359 components listed on VeloBase.com, with Rear Derailleurs making up the largest percentage of those with better than 10% of the total. Our head badge collection has grown to over 340, representing manufactures from New Zealand to Scotland to Brazil and an impressive number from the Netherlands. The Catalog Scan collection has also been added to in recent months with catalogs from a couple of notable United States and English frame builders. With over 800 users, and better than 1000 unique visitors a day, I look forward to see what new items will be added next. I welcome all users to contribute what they know to the site. If you have any questions or comments on the site, I also welcome that input.
Lastly, I am hopeful that progress on the site will progress at a rate that I can send out semi-monthly updates on new features and information. If you do not wish to receive these updates, you can change your notification settings through the Account Options page, accessed from the
MyBase page on VeloBase.com. You can always read all updates and information regarding the site in the News & Announcements section.
Jon Fischer
VeloBase.com