EMMAUS, Pa. (BRAIN) — Leah Flickinger has left Bicycling magazine, where she had been editor in chief since last April, following a long career with Rodale.
On social media, Flickinger said her last day at the title, now owned by Hearst, was Friday.
"My position was eliminated after Hearst bought Rodale earlier this year, and though I could have stayed on in a different capacity, after 21 years at the same company, it feels like the right time to explore something new," she wrote on her Facebook page.
Flickinger joined Rodale in its book publishing division, where she rose to senior editor. From 2007-2010 she served as deputy editor at Women's Health. She became Bicycling's executive editor in 2010 and took over as editor-in-chief when Bill Strickland, who previously held that role, was promoted to editorial director.
Her work has been recognized with two National Magazine Award nominations, as well as inclusion in The Best American Sports Writing.
"I’m feel fortunate to have worked with so many incredible writers, photographers, and other content creators over the years who share my geeky love for storytelling in all its forms, and to have met so many fantastic people in the cycling industry who share my geeky love for bikes. Yeah, I’ll miss a few things. But I’m genuinely stoked to have had the opportunity to lead such a great brand—and I’m just as stoked to find out what’s next," she wrote.
Hearst has not appointed a new editor-in-chief of Bicycling. Strickland remains editorial director of both Bicycling and Runner’s World.
Strickland told BRAIN on Tueday:
“I and everyone at Bicycling thank Leah for her leadership and passion for cycling, which preserved our authenticity and integrity, brought fresh stories into the magazine, and helped us expand on our mission to get more people on bikes, and people on bikes more often. Working with her was one of the top creative collaborative creations of my long career. We have a lot more planned, and I know she has a lot more planned, but all I can say for now is that I'm excited to see what she does next, and confident it will be awesome."
