How Cycle Baron turns rider taps into real data
Cycle Baron is two things at once: a place to read about bikes, motorcycles and the road, and an anonymous reader-signal layer that measures what riders actually prefer. So you get real riders’ answers, not one reviewer’s taste.
Two layers
The content
Rides, routes, bikes, motorcycles, garages and road trips, written for people who put in the miles. We inform, inspire and entertain.
The reader signals
While you read, you can heart a photo, answer a poll or pick between two machines. We pool those taps anonymously to report what riders really think, from childhood bikes to e-bikes.
Real numbers from real readers about bikes, motorcycles, roads and the machines that get you out there, published here for everyone.
Put together, that is the extraordinary part: the kind of insight that normally sits inside a market-research firm, gathered one optional tap at a time.
The signals, one by one
Reactions
Love it or not, on photos throughout our articles.
“Why?”
After a reaction, one optional tap on the reason: “Looks fun to ride,” “Looks uncomfortable,” “I had one”.
Mini polls
One question, two or three answers: “Your childhood bike: banana seat, ten-speed or BMX?”, “E-bikes are… freedom or not real cycling?”, “This weekend’s ride: rail trail, singletrack or coastal path?”
Lived it?
On our nostalgia posts about minibikes, mopeds and the bikes we grew up on: Lived it, Remember it or Before my time.
Hot or Not
Two bikes or motorcycles side by side. You pick one; the favourites rise.
Guess the price
On posts that list prices, guess before the real number is revealed.
Saves
“Save this” on photos and “Save this article.” Your saved items live in your own browser; we only count how often things get saved.
Page analytics
Ordinary reading data: which images were viewed, how far down the page you scrolled and how long you stayed.
What we keep
- A random session ID made up when your visit starts. It is not linked to your name, email address or any account.
- Device type (phone, tablet or computer) and how you arrived (for example Pinterest, Facebook or a search engine).
- Approximate region, at the state or province level, read from the network edge when the request arrives. Your IP address is not stored with these signals.
- If you arrived by clicking one of our ads, the ad platform’s aggregate audience breakdown for that ad: the age and gender mix of everyone that ad reached. It describes the ad’s whole audience, never you.
What these tools never touch
- Your name, email address or any account (our newsletter is separate and covered by our Privacy Policy)
- Your precise location or your IP address
- Anything you type
- Who is in a photo: images are described by attributes such as style, colour and era. There is no facial recognition and people are never identified.
How results are published
Only as totals across many readers. After you answer a poll or tap a row, you see how other readers answered once enough people have weighed in; below that, we simply thank you. Small groups are never reported, so no answer can be traced back to a person.
“Most riders over 50 call e-bikes freedom” is the kind of finding we publish, and only once enough riders have answered to make it meaningful.
Take part, or don’t
Every one of these signals is optional: if you would rather not take part, just don’t tap. Clearing your browser’s storage removes anything you have saved. Advertising and analytics cookies are explained in our Privacy Policy.
Last updated October 24, 2026.