I’d like to see some real in-depth stuff! product reviews lets speak to the developers and CAD people who created them. let see some CAD’s, lets review how they work in the real world, lets hear what pro riders think, lets see how they compare to the nearest competitors products. if you do a feature on the caldbeck fells I want to know about how the bike was – again in-depth

I don’t want to read a slightly modified press release from the manufacturer!

and I don’t want to know what the alpine hills smell like late afternoon.

Dez – subscribed for years, but never did the “Premium” thing.

teamhurtmore – if you’re planning on spending £1000 on your neice, then maybe.

wordy and creative articles

this is what I miss

Exaclty. Attempts have been made by some of the ST staffers recently. Most of them make matters worse…

sefton – Member
I’d like to see some real in-depth stuff! product reviews lets speak to the developers and CAD people who created them. let see some CAD’s,

The scary thing is, I think you’re being serious!

Could we have Premier-only threads on the forum?

Could we have Premier-only threads on the forum?

Why? Do you want people walking away from the forum as well as the magazine.

I think they’re quite canny about the product tests… Frinstance, that “3 £1000 bikes” test wasn’t just a bike test- it was also a ride guide. You might skip past it thinking “I don’t want a £1000 full suss” but you’re missing other content if you do.

Still, I hope Mike didn’t get paid for his article this month, he’s somehow lowered his bar. Matt Hart’s was pretty useless too.

sefton – Member
I’d like to see some real in-depth stuff! product reviews lets speak to the developers and CAD people who created them. let see some CAD’s,
The scary thing is, I think you’re being serious!

dam right fuel the inner geek!

the alternative is well written guff about nothing!

Gary_M – Member
> Could we have Premier-only threads on the forum?

Why? Do you want people walking away from the forum as well as the magazine.Only those without a sense of humour.

I only buy the mag if I am in a shop that sells it and they aren’t doing a photography special.
However as I look at this site everyday and have bought and sold on here I feel its only fair that I buy a subscription.
Help to keep them going and it will leave an alternative to the other mags if you should need one.

Only those without a sense of humour.

I tend to save laughing for funny stuff 😆

Only those without a sense of humour.

It’s enought to make a lady flounce.

Quite liked the one ton weekender articles they use to have, good to know you can have a great weekend away on a budget.

(Including the Mary Townley on an £89 Halfords bike …classic!)

Have you seen the xtras you get for being a subscriber?

what, there’s more forums??

There’s an extra 33 pages of the mag for a start 🙂

Canceeled my subscription this morning.

Will resign to digital only when that runs out in August

Are there still some subscribers that have not linked their subscription to their STW user name (and are thus not Premier even though they are paying for it?).

ir_bandito – Member
teamhurtmore – if you’re planning on spending £1000 on your neice, then maybe.

ir-bandito – you obviously missed the smiley!!! Ok, so not that funny a joke, I admit!!

There’s an extra 33 pages of the mag for a start

Is that a good thing 😆

druidh – Member

Could we have Premier-only threads on the forum? Yes please!

infact give them their own “special” section 😉

Right, just submitted the upgrade to Premier thing. Lets see if its worth it now…

An explosion of sensory perception accompanies ir_bandito’s transformation from regular guy to Premier Member.

The effect is wondrous. For the MTB enthusiast, it’s completion. A sense of wholeness.

And it lasts 30 extra pages. Or so I’m told.

ooh, I’m a Premier user now.

what does that get me then?

You get a host of hidden features including:
bike parts I made in my kitchen,
the ultimate service free bike,
and what’s in your hip flask?
😉

what does that get me then?

http://singletrackworld.com/premierclub/
http://singletrackworld.com/magarchive/
http://singletrackworld.com/category/news/premier/

And you can turn down the adverts on the forum here:
http://singletrackworld.com/premier/account/

Oh and a shiny by your name.

…we set off on a cool October morning, the long grass glistened with mountain due. as the gradient steepened our legs quickly tired and things slowed down to a perfect view embracing pace….GUFF 🙄

thankyou i_did_dab 😉

I’m a Premier member but my P disappeared a long time ago. I never got it back *sniff*

[EDIT] Wow! There it is. Magic 🙂

…we set off on a cold January afternoon, remarkably despite now being a large group of STW cronies riders, we managed to get underway with very little of the typical faff that besets large groups of riders. Someone had brought their dog along. One of the group soon got a puncture. We managed to fix it. The sky was brilliant blue and frosty. We rode for some time through it. I was glad I’d brought my warmest gloves. Someone rode over a tree trunk. The rest of us couldn’t manage it. I took some photos. We eventually got back to the car park saying we’d all return to this area again and then we headed of to the pub for some rather nice ales. We found that one member of the group can really eat a lot of desert…

..we set off on a cold January afternoon, remarkably despite now being a large group of STW cronies riders, we managed to get underway with very little of the typical faff that besets large groups of riders. Someone had brought their dog along. One of the group soon got a puncture. We managed to fix it. The sky was brilliant blue and frosty. We rode for some time through it. I was glad I’d brought my warmest gloves. Someone rode over a tree trunk. The rest of us couldn’t manage it. I took some photos. We eventually got back to the car park saying we’d all return to this area again and then we headed of to the pub for some rather nice ales. We found that one member of the group can really eat a lot of desert…

GOOD BUT NEEDS MORE GUFF! THINK CREATIVELY! (think about how the wind feels on your face as you rush down the valley) 😉 think about the smokey cured bacon roll that you ate pre ride 😉 or the old creaky oak floor where you spent the night dreaming about the forthcoming ride 😉 think about all the pain, discomfort and suffering you encounter throughout the day, and how in a funny kind of way makes you love being out on your bike. ohhh being a mountain bikers is wonderful 😛

My bells and whistles subscription came to an end a few months ago, I didn’t renew. These are some of the reasons –

1. Premier content was frankly cr@p. It was rarely updated

2. The magazine. There became less and less that I wanted to read in the mag. I think the last thing I read was Chipps moaning about the Conservatives. I don’t want to read a bike magazine that is biased toward any subject/product.
I think I read the first Ferrentino article, thought he was a tool and never read another one

3. Big increase in adverts

There are other reasons but can’t think for now

The only articles that I read in depth were those that went behind the scenes at bike companies

Now this is what a ride write up needs!

A snippet from Loweys blog

Here, gentle reader, we were presented with a sight that will be forever etched on my mind with infamy. I was in front, hurtling towards the gate with Jase I guess about 30m behind. Our stealthy approach from an unexpected location clearly took the 3 gentlemen on our side of the wall by surprise. There is no easy way to describe what was occurring, so i’ll just come out with it. FULL ON MAN ON MAN BUMMING! WITH AN AUDIENCE. Picture the scene if you will. A 50 odd year old rotund bloke, lets call him “the receiver” was on all fours, face pressed into the stone wall, as his young friend, who we shall call “the giver” pumped him. All this was being witnessed at close quarters by another, presumably, close friend who we shall call “the spectator”. On seeing us hurtling towards them, the spectator obviously warned his friends as their hitherto bare bottoms where hastily covered up as the jumped up pulling up their kecks. It was no use however, we had reached the gate, some 20m from their location by the time they had sorted out their wardrobe malfunctions. They then proceeded to wistfully look over the wall, pretending I suspect to be soaking up the glorious countryside around them, however, unfortunately, Jase and myself had witnessed the full horror.

The worst thing about the whole sorry incident was the fact that after the gate, there was a smorgasbord of potential bummers, all waiting for their turn.

😯

The only articles that I read in depth were those that went behind the scenes at bike companies

you’ll love Peloton mag then – they feature all the manufacturer, chris king, trek, bmc, loads – for a road mag it still appeals to the mtber in me.

Now this is what a ride write up needs!

A snippet from Loweys blog

Here, gentle reader, we were presented with a sight that will be forever etched on my mind with infamy. I was in front, hurtling towards the gate with Jase I guess about 30m behind. Our stealthy approach from an unexpected location clearly took the 3 gentlemen on our side of the wall by surprise. There is no easy way to describe what was occurring, so i’ll just come out with it. FULL ON MAN ON MAN BUMMING! WITH AN AUDIENCE. Picture the scene if you will. A 50 odd year old rotund bloke, lets call him “the receiver” was on all fours, face pressed into the stone wall, as his young friend, who we shall call “the giver” pumped him. All this was being witnessed at close quarters by another, presumably, close friend who we shall call “the spectator”. On seeing us hurtling towards them, the spectator obviously warned his friends as their hitherto bare bottoms where hastily covered up as the jumped up pulling up their kecks. It was no use however, we had reached the gate, some 20m from their location by the time they had sorted out their wardrobe malfunctions. They then proceeded to wistfully look over the wall, pretending I suspect to be soaking up the glorious countryside around them, however, unfortunately, Jase and myself had witnessed the full horror.

The worst thing about the whole sorry incident was the fact that after the gate, there was a smorgasbord of potential bummers, all waiting for their turn.

not a good place to get a mechanical problem then??? 😆

I think I read the first Ferrentino article, thought he was a tool and never read another one

‘+’1

which article?

premier members get to write boobies as much as they like and never get banned for doing so. hell watch this:

boobies, darcy’s boobies, boooooobies, yetis nipples, BOOOOOBIES. boobies, darcy’s boobies, boooooobies, yetis nipples, BOOOOOBIES. boobies, darcy’s boobies, boooooobies, yetis nipples, BOOOOOBIES. boobies, darcy’s boobies, boooooobies, yetis nipples, BOOOOOBIES. boobies, darcy’s boobies, boooooobies, yetis nipples, BOOOOOBIES.

I’ll lob my two-pennies in….

Yesterday I posted off my DDI to re-subscribe after a lapse of about 7years. Reasons being:
In the last year I’ve got back into my biking and refound the love I have for my bikes and the rides.
The last two issues of STW Ive picked up at WHS have been different to the rest and whilst not connecting with all of the articles, they are (generally)well written and the photography is art.
ALL the other mags – MBR WMB MBUK yadda yadda are soooo up for massaging the prostrates of the bike industry marketeers….
I used to read Mike Ferrentino back in the 90’s and I like.

Personally speaking, WTF is this 29er movement???!!! Since getting back into the sport, I’ve been assaulted with all things big wheel in all the other publications and I’m saddened that the bike industry has gone down the slippery slope of generating sales from an existing market base. The other mags have gone for it hook line and sinker, but at least they’ll continue to get their trade week/day invites to Horse shite creek et al. It seems to me that STW have not gone all out 29er and so they get my money.

My mum died last week too. It’s all bollox anyway.

Disgruntled ‘Big Hitters’ wander the internet

Marvellous work, Binners – mods should make it a sticky. 😀

29er is, like, soooo 2011-12 maaaan. It’s soooo where it’s at. You can, like, totally ride the same trails you are riding now, but on a 29er!!!! 😛

Can’t you see the point?

(Yes, it is all bollox anyway matey. 😉 Just riding round in circles for fun and reading vaguely entertaining (or simply uninspiring) stuff on thin paper (or distracting screens) that gets thrown away eventually, (or simply deleted) 😉 )

Joined up right at the beginning – and loved the first couple of years. It has had some bad times, but ST has lost the ‘difference’ that it had at the beginning – it is not bad, but I would like to it return more to its roots. However bills have to be paid – and the past was never as good as you remember.