They seem to be cramming ads into every nook and orifice on this site. It’s as though STW are saying “subscribe or we’ll annoy the shit out of you” because I’m sure that’s the motive over and above revenue from them.

Given the mag’s cover price has also been ramped up beyond the norm, it seems it’s subscribers who are only welcome. I never subscribe to bike mags, because only a few issues ever appeal to me. Subscribe and it all gets a bit samey very quickly.

Surely there is still a model to suit casual buyers, if we still have disposable income and the desire to buy the odd issue now and again?

Dilettante 🙄
Bet you hav’nt even got the tattoo.

Please accept a full refund, etc.

I feel ever so welcome 🙂

Good word!

Premier lite or premier digital aren’t that expensive. Otherwise I guess a code in each mag that gives you a month’s web access to ad-free website but only for that month?

You can get a Lite subscription for as little as £1.49 per month. That will get rid of most ads and provides at least some revenue for the running cost of the forum. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.

I like buying a physical mag every now and then. If they are distributed to the masses in Tesco et al, surely a lower cover price makes more sense, as retail must be all about shifting units.

Is that coming from your vast knowledge of publishing? Next you’ll be telling us that owning a bike shop is an easy way to make money 🙂

IIRC Mark wrote a missive on this. I think he said that in shops they have to provide twice as many copies due to shopper phsychology, with people not wanting to pick up a copy unless there are many on the shelves, leading to an awful lot being pulped which is a waste of money and resource.

That’s why magazines like subscribers, it helps them to know how many copies to print.

as retail must be all about shifting units.

IIRC Mark explained that it’s not as simple as that, and the mags in the newstands are distributed on sale-or-return, so if they don’t sell, ST Towers get them back. As such, it’s better for them as a business to try and persuade as many of the people buying the mag to subscribe as possible.

So you’d think they’d can the idea of retail. Oh well, not trolling, just curious. £1.49 a month sub to rid the ads seems close to something I’d consider. Will have to take another look at the sub options.

Ta for reminding me to turn off my advert suppressor for STW again, turned it off after a noisy ad got through the net. I try to remember to click through a few too. Bills gotta be paid, and I’d miss the place if they couldn’t carry on. Paper mags have got to be hard to finance in the tablet/digital/torrent freebie age.

I like the Premier Lite sub, no ads, get to read all the online content and it’s a small price to pay for the hours I waste here!

Your choice mate. You want everything for free?

You can get a Lite subscription for as little as £1.49 per month. That will get rid of most ads and provides at least some revenue for the running cost of the forum. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.

+1

It’s not expensive for the amount of my life it consumes service it provides, plus it’s cheaper than heroin.

As a non-subscriber, I feel like I’m not welcome

**** off.

plus it’s cheaper than heroin.

Stop mocking, I can stop the heroin any time I like. STW…

This forum has managed to secure me nearly 2 years free Internet from BT.
Has fixed my bike many a time and saved from from the mother of all **** ups on my wood flooring.
Buying a subscription is a small price to pay.

As a subscriber, I feel like I’m not welcome

Yeah, but as a subscriber you get a cuddle and an open discussion about what’s troubling you.

I just like having the P before my name.
It gives me kudos.

Are the peasants revolting again? Moaning from their primary-coloured, we’ll-be-right-back-after-this-message side-lines? How frightful!

I believe they’re starting an Eton inspired scheme where you become a fully paid up members fag. In return for submitting yourself to unspeakable acts committed after lights out, you get to read the discarded print copies of the members, stained with the butter drips from crumpets.

I don’t even feel welcome at home! 😀

More incentives for subscribers are in the pipeline, no idea what they are at this moment it time. You could ask a P member to gift you a free month.

I think my trouble stems from getting a free month from a flyer on my windscreen at the Dyfi Enduro. I’m now just consumed by jealousy but not quite consumed enough to stop being a tight arse 🙂

I could gift you a months premier membership, but you seem like a right whingy git.

Trailrider Jim – Member

I think my trouble stems from getting a free month from a flyer on my windscreen at the Dyfi Enduro. I’m now just consumed by jealousy but not quite consumed enough to stop being a tight arse
You tasted freedom you see. Now you can’t go back to ads. 😉

Flutters eyelashes at Dez 🙂

Well I quite like the ads. They remind me that there’s loads of stuff out there and it’s mostly shiny and worn by hot people.

All donations gratefully received (email address in profile). Long shot but worth a go wasn’t it?

I don’t feel welcome but I come here anyway just to troll.

don’t stand about whining with your dick in your hand.

You’re presuming Jim isn’t short for Jimima, trailofdestruction…

I checked the profile photo. It’s not just a hat rack y’know.

£1.49 a month still seems a bit steep.

How about 37p and a hug?

How about 37p and a hug?

I thought the going rate on here for all bike related purchases was a packet of biscuits and a friendly chat?

Thank you Pik n Mix!

Welcome to relying on the kindness of strangers.

Sharing is caring 🙂

Been on here for eleven years, was a subscriber for a few, but I no longer buy any bike mags, and I really can’t say I’m bothered by the ads, and they certainly don’t make me feel unwelcome just because subs people don’t get them.
I just enlarge the text area to fill the screen and ignore the ads.
They’re more of an issue at work, however, triggering our security firewall, but I rarely get time to do more than have a quick browse.