Privacy
This is a small, independent publication run by one person and a pile of single speeds. No ad network, no marketing funnel, no data broker on speed dial. We do use privacy-conscious analytics to see which pages get read, but more on that below. Here’s what actually happens when you submit something through /submit.
What we collect
Your name, email address, and optionally a website or social link, plus whatever you write in the story field and any photos you attach. If you mention a bike manufacturer, model, gear ratio, or location, we collect that too. It’s all optional except your name, email, and story.
Why we collect it
Solely to review your submission and, if it’s a fit, to prepare and publish a piece based on it. Your email is used to follow up about your submission, and nothing else.
Where it’s stored
Photos are stored privately (not publicly listed or linked) until and unless a piece based on them is published. The written submission and your contact details become a private issue in a repository only the site owner can see. Neither is publicly accessible before publication.
How it’s reviewed
Every submission is reviewed by hand. Nothing publishes automatically. Submitting does not guarantee publication, and accepted work may be edited for clarity and presentation before it goes live. You’ll typically hear back either way.
Retention and deletion
If a submission is declined or goes unused, the associated photos and written record are deleted rather than kept indefinitely. If you’d like your submission deleted sooner (accepted or not), email us using the address in your confirmation and we’ll remove it.
Analytics
The live site uses Google Analytics to count visits and understand which pages people actually read, so we know what’s worth making more of. It collects standard usage data (pages viewed, approximate location, and device and browser type) using Google’s cookies. We don’t use it for advertising, and we don’t use it to identify you personally. It doesn’t run on the development site, and it plays no part in reviewing submissions.
Alongside page views, we record a few aggregate interaction events: which articles get read to the end, when a route file is downloaded, when someone starts or finishes a submission, and clicks that lead off to other sites. It’s all counted in aggregate, still with no advertising and no way to identify you.
If you’d rather not be counted, you can opt out in your browser. Open the developer console and run localStorage.setItem("404_analytics_opt_out", "1"), and this browser will stop sending analytics on the live site.
What we don’t do
We don’t publish your email address. We don’t add you to a mailing list, because there isn’t one. We don’t sell or share your information with third parties. And we don’t run advertising or cross-site tracking. One gear, no funny business.