DECEMBER 31, 2020 | LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Lola Digital Media today announces the addition of Switchback Travel to its portfolio. The publication, founded in 2011, is a top site for product reviews and content about outdoor pursuits and adventure travel. 

The publication, based in Colorado, is known for authentic content and in-depth product reviews. Rigorous field tests of tents, backpacks, skis, jackets, footwear, and climbing gear are hallmarks of the site and trusted by millions of readers around the world. 

Switchback joins a group of sister sites at Lola Digital Media. It will live under the company’s AllGear division, which includes publications GearJunkie, AutoWise, GearHungry, Bikerumor, ExplorersWeb, and more.

“It’s been a wild ride building Switchback over the years, and I can’t wait to see how we grow under AllGear,” said Switchback Founder David Wilkinson. “Our real-world tests and detailed product reviews align with AllGear and its goal to create a network of authentic, expert-driven sites.”

Wilkinson remains at the helm as Editor-in-Chief. John Ellings will continue as Managing Editor, and Jennifer Abegg and Sarah Nelson will stay onboard as Editors with Lola as well.

“Few publications earned our trust and admiration like Switchback has over the past few years,” said Stephen Regenold, the founder of GearJunkie and VP of Strategy at Lola Digital Media. “It is a perfect fit within the AllGear portfolio.”

Lola plans to increase content and add new areas of coverage to Switchback beginning immediately as it grows the site in 2021.

ABOUT LOLA DIGITAL MEDIA Lola Digital Media owns and operates best-in-class media brands that fuel readers’ passions. Based in Los Angeles, the company was founded in 2018 and runs a portfolio of digital publications and media brands across its AllGear and Lifestyle divisions.

MEDIA CONTACT For media inquiries on Lola and AllGear, please reach out to Stephen Regenold, VP of Strategy (stephen@loladigitalmedia.com).

DECEMBER 18, 2020 | LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Lola Digital Media today announces the addition of Bikerumor to its portfolio. Founded in 2008, Bikerumor is known as the “world’s largest cycling tech blog” and has developed a global audience of passionate cyclists.

Millions of readers follow Bikerumor to keep a pulse on the latest in bikes, components, gear, trends, and news. Founder Tyler Benedict launched Bikerumor as a passion project that grew into one of the most-recognized publications in its space.

Bikerumor joins a group of sister sites at Lola Digital Media. It will live under the company’s AllGear division, which includes popular sites GearJunkie, AutoWise, GearHungry, ExplorersWeb, and more.

“I initially built Bikerumor to be the cycling-tech site that I’d personally want to read,” said Benedict, who remains as Editor-in-Chief of the publication. “That meant a focus on the products and tech, written in a way that resonated with riders at every level of the sport.” 

Bikerumor grew from a solo effort by Benedict into a small team creating an outsized amount of content. That hustle, and an ethos of objective reporting, helped it become the resource for anyone wanting to learn about all the latest bike products and tech.

With the acquisition, Bikerumor editors Zach Overholt, Cory Benson, Jessie-May Morgan, Kristi Benedict, and the rest of the team remain onboard.

Benedict continued: “Joining the AllGear group gives Bikerumor the resources needed to reach a broader audience, develop the next generation of riders and readers, as well as amplify the deep technical coverage and reviews we’re known for.”

“Bikerumor has long been a mandatory daily read for anyone concerned with the zeitgeist of cycling and gear,” said Stephen Regenold, VP of Strategy at Lola Digital Media. “Cycling is a personal passion for me and several of the editors within AllGear, and we’re thrilled to have Bikerumor as a part of the group.”

Lola’s resources, knowledge and growth expertise will allow Bikerumor to begin offering expert buyer’s guides and an expanded range of reviews starting early 2021.

ABOUT LOLA DIGITAL MEDIA Lola Digital Media owns and operates best-in-class media brands that fuel readers’ passions. Based in Los Angeles, the company was founded in 2018 and runs a portfolio of digital publications and media brands across its AllGear and Lifestyle divisions.

MEDIA CONTACT For media inquiries on Lola and AllGear, please reach out to Stephen Regenold, VP of Strategy (stephen@loladigitalmedia.com).

June 30, 2020 | LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Lola Digital Media today announces the addition of ExplorersWeb to its portfolio. The popular digital publication covers the world of climbing, mountaineering, polar exploration, and adventure.

Founded in 1999, ExplorersWeb is among the most-respected publications in its space. It was launched by Tom and Tina Sjögren, the first couple to complete the “Three Poles Challenge” by climbing Mount Everest and skiing to both the North and South Poles. 

ExplorersWeb joins a group of sister sites at Lola Digital Media. It will live under the company’s AllGear division, which includes publications GearJunkie, AutoWise, GearHungry, Improb, and more.

Jerry Kobalenko remains as the editor of ExplorersWeb. He is a respected author and journalist, and he is an arctic adventurer himself, having logged more than 12,000 miles on expeditions over the years. 

Kobalenko is based in Canmore, Alberta. He manages a staff of contributors including Angela Benavides, Ash Routen, Martin Walsh, Rebecca McPhee, Kristine de Abreu and Alex Myall. 

“For almost two decades, ExWeb has been a trusted, go-to source for coverage on Himalayan mountaineering, polar expeditions, and beyond,” said Stephen Regenold, VP of Strategy at Lola Digital Media. “We are proud to count the publication among the AllGear properties and plan to honor its tradition of objective coverage and first-person reporting from around the world.”

Lola plans to increase content and add new areas of coverage to ExplorersWeb beginning immediately as it grows the site in 2020.

ABOUT LOLA DIGITAL MEDIA Lola Digital Media owns and operates best-in-class media brands that fuel readers’ passions. Based in Los Angeles, the company was founded in 2018 and runs a portfolio of digital publications and media brands across its AllGear and Lifestyle divisions.

MEDIA CONTACT For media inquiries on Lola and AllGear, please reach out to Stephen Regenold, VP of Strategy (stephen@loladigitalmedia.com).

APRIL 02, 2020 | LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Lola Digital Media today announces the addition of GearJunkie, a Minnesota-based publication covering gear and the outdoors. The purchase adds to the company’s portfolio of brands focused on niche-interest categories and consumer passions.

With staff and offices in Minneapolis and Denver, GearJunkie is a top publication in the outdoor/active world. The publication, founded in 2006, is read and trusted by millions of people with a passion for adventure, the outdoors, and gear.

“GearJunkie has built a loyal audience and an engaged community in the outdoor space,” said Ben Carpel, CEO of Lola Digital Media. “With this strategic investment, Lola accelerates its growth strategy to become a major digital media brand.”

Founders Stephen Regenold and Mike Santi remain onboard with the acquisition, as does Editor-in-Chief Sean McCoy, COO Ryan Johnson, and the entire GearJunkie staff. 

GearJunkie marks the sixth property in the Lola Digital Media portfolio, including publications like GearHungry, InStash, and AutoWise.

As a part of the acquisition, GearJunkie will become a flagship property in a newly-formed division set to launch in the coming months.

“The opportunity to help lead and grow a new division was a major motivating factor,” said Regenold, a journalist who founded “The Gear Junkie” as a newspaper column at age 25. He grew the syndicated column into a major consumer publication over a decade with business partner and GearJunkie CFO Mike Santi.

“We see immediate upside for GearJunkie and its readers with this acquisition, as Lola gives access to technology and backend resources that will enable us to scale our offerings,” Regenold said. “After more than a decade of building GearJunkie as an independent media brand, I am excited to jump into a new phase of growth!”

ABOUT LOLA DIGITAL MEDIA Lola Digital Media owns and operates best-in-class media brands that fuel readers’ passions. Based in Los Angeles, the company was founded in 2018 and runs a portfolio of digital publications and media brands across its AllGear and Lifestyle divisions.

MEDIA CONTACT For media inquiries, please reach out to Stephen Regenold, VP of Strategy (stephen@loladigitalmedia.com).