Cabal Communications Buys Maximum Mountain Bike

New consumer mag publisher, Cabal Communications, has bought Maximum Mountain Bike from Zone, publishers of the official magazines for Chelsea and Manchester United. Zone has parted company with the five month old title (see Zone Launches Maximum Mountain Bike) to concentrate on branded football, media and entertainment titles.

Zone’s managing director, James Freedman, says: “We are proud of what we have achieved with MMB in such a short period. The magazine has a fantastic and dedicated readership and is well-respected by the cycle trade. The move fits in with both companies’ long-term strategies and under Cabal’s management we are confident MMB will achieve even greater success.”

Some of the magazine’s current staff will move over to Cabal in the transfer but Cabal is once again drafting in ex-IPC staff: former Mountain Bike Rider editor, Brant Richards, will edit the title and he will be assisted by James Beechinor-Collins, former deputy editor at MBR.

Cabal’s managing director, Andrew Sutcliffe, has a lot of previous experience working on mountain bike magazines also being a previous editor of MBR. “This is a tough market but with a specialist team already in place we have the expertise to produce the finest mountain bike magazine in its sector,” says Sutcliffe.

Cabal is also planning to launch a new road cycling title later in the year. This will take its portfolio up to five: lads’ magazine front and The Real Homes Magazine launched last October (see First Issue Review – Front) and Crime Weekly is launching this month (see Cabal Targets Women With Crime Weekly).

The March issue of Maximum Mountain Bike is the first to be produced by Cabal and goes on sale 2 February, price £2.95. The title has yet to receive its first audit figure from the ABC.

Cabal Communications: 0171 554 5700 Zone: 0171 267 4774