second issue is out, what’s the consensus? worth sticking in a free issue subscription?

Yes. I think it’s a great read, pricey but fair vfm based on content per pound spent. Low runs will make it a bit pricier anyway. I haven’t got the long-standing road bike interest to appreciate rouleur in the same way, but privateer really does remind me how much I love mountain bikes, like a just-ridden-some-ace-singletrack grin does:) but with added nostalgia.

cheers, anyone else?

Silence.. It’s the new niche-mag by the look of it.

Don’t assume it’ll arrive. I subscribed but never received issue one. I did get issue two but after 13 weeks and nine emails, issue 1 never turned up. They did manage to write to me to say they’d refund my money and cancel my subscription but will take another 28 days to return the money. However good the magazine, their customer service is truly appalling.

got the first couple of issues – quality “mag”. more of a coffee table book than a mag. well designed, good articles, nice pics. I feel bad reading it when I’m eating lunch – gets finger marks all over it!

1st issue was mostly ****-a-thon IMHO. Lack of content padded out with mediocre pictures and veiled in posh paper and surface treatments.

May work for road bikes, but IMHO too clean and pretentious for MTB. Cancelled my sub after the 1st issue.

Got the first issue, forgot to cancel the subscription before the second one turned up, which I guess was the business plan. Will be cancelling before the take the next batch of money. Not a bad coffee table magazine but not as good as The ride journal

I picked up the first issue going cheap in the local bike shop as it had some interesting looking ‘retro’ content from back in the day. It does look rather like Tym Manley ringing round some of his old mates to get it going (Brant, John Stevenson, Mike Davis).
It also smacks of wanting to jump on the coffee table mag bandwagon rather than being, err, well, any good.
I’ll agree with nbt – The Ride Journal is by far the best of the ‘posh’ mags, mainly due to the variety and quality of the people they find to write for it.

have the first two issues – really not that impressed so have cancelled my subscription. Format is good but content really is lacking. Shame really as I really rate Rouleur…

I got the first issue. It sent me to sleep. I won’t be buying issue two unfortunately as I think the concept is ok.

It’s an attempt at something a bit different. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t so well. Defo worth a look to make your own mind up.

Wiggle still had a few of the first issue available at the weekend.

I agree with two comments above The Ride Journal is the only mag that I look forward to and can happily read over a few days.

Wiggle also have a couple of issues of the The Ride Journal at 6 or 7 quid.

I’m just not sure that the MTB world can be portrayed in the same editorial light as the road world.

I love Rouluer magazine and look forward to its arrival and regularly re-read back issues.

Both issues of Privateer, whilst being well produced, are lacking in something that makes me want to revisit them.

Rouluer for the road and The Ride Journal for the soul.

clubber – Member
I got the first issue. It sent me to sleep. I won’t be buying issue two unfortunately as I think the concept is ok.

Completely agree, I like the idea but I think the reality was that it was a bit rubbish. Not a massive fan of rouleur either both much more style than substance. Otoh the ride seems to achieve both really well.

Got the first issue free on the direct debit deal and it was okay. I really enjoy rouleur magazine but again I don’t think the heritage think works as well in mtb. Anyway my d/d was never processed and issue 2 didn’t turn up. Which I’m not really that bothered about.

I’ve enjoy the first two, but i’m not sure i’d want the next two to be the same.
But i must say the full face shots of some chaps riding in wales was taking the piss abit.
They can’t have run out of inspiring trail photos already.

Its good, but nowhere near as good as The Ride Journal.

I quite like it – enjoyed the stuff about titanium, and the article about Orange in the current issue. Really liked the piece about the Megavalanche (think it was by Jenn Hopkins) in the first issue.

Downsides? Too much about the retro “scene” in both issues – I quite like reading about the origins of mtb, but not bothered about the geeky anoracky types hanging onto the past.

Also it’s 9 quid….9 quid!

Yeah 9 quid, I mean bloody hell, that’s nearly 2 whole copies of MBR! 🙄

I liked both issues a lot. Really well written, great pics – even the welsh portraits didn’t really offend me, frankly I’d rather have 8 nicely shot photos that ad to the copy, than 8 pages of Wiggle ads.

YMMV etc etc

And it DOES smell great.

ok cheers had a similar response last time i asked, think i’ll stick with the ride for mtb and wait for privateer to get bit more bedded in. Only have couple copies of rouleur but really enjoyed them

The Ride, The Ride, The Ride. You need no more. It’s published when it’s ready and not to a deadline from what I understand and is written by lots of interesting people who change every issue.

Privateer (just finished reading the second and found it a struggle even though it was given to me) is a MTB coffee table mag based on a roadie format for posh people who wear Rapha IMHO. I know I’m a simpleton but the articles are too long and I kept loosing interest.

(Sorry Biff, it’s very pretty though and beautifully laid out :O)

Saying that, subscribe, bung them on a shelf unread and flog them for mega money in a few years time ?!?!?!?!?

(waves – hello John)

biff? surely there aren’t enough pics of willys for biff to be editor?

Editor? Heaven forbid! Design, image editor and art director all rolled into one.

Not a willy to be seen.

Click.heard about this mag a few times soo googled it and found this thread/comments- I saw this mag in nwmtb shop and flicked through then coughed when I saw the price.

has it got any better? I bought the first issue and both wanted and expected to like it but unfortunately it literally sent me to sleep.

Beardy weirdy bullshit personified.
NO NEED!

has it got any better?

Well, I’m not renewing my subscrption…

Found it got a bit, well, boring really.. 🙁

Like I said earlier, it’s good, but it’s no Ride Journal IMHO.

I haven’t even bothered to open the last couple of issues. I guess they’re succeeding at making the magazine they want to make though.

The latest one has a couple of things I have found worth reading but I too will not be renewing. There just isn’t enough in it to justify the cost. I’ll stick with Rouleur for the moment but that is becoming a bit of an indulgence if I’m honest.

thealbion is the best cycling mag out there (bmx) and its free too!

i like privateer (imo its the *chough* best magazine currently avalible for me)…. the others inc STW have to cover all levels of rider from beginner to experanced so i only tend to read one or two bits that apply to me. Privateer on the other hand caters for riders that have bin there and done that, dont need a review of a 14yr olds jump bike or part(s) in every issue. The stories and reviews are always from a new and exciting angle not just a this 200words on the spec the frame / 200 words on the parts spec and this is how it rides in the remaing 50 words liek some future baised mags.

Its the only mag i look forward to the heavy clunk through the letter box.

and i’m not in my 40’s or have a beard.

The stories and reviews are always from a new
and exciting angle

Really? I thought the opposite – same old just with lots more words. volume doesn’t make up for quality.

Maybe issues 2+ were better?

Maybe issues 2+ were better?

they were, yes, but whether they were that much better is debatable. Mrs NBT certainly enjoyed issues 3 and 4 more than issue 1. Haven’t read any of them myself, can’t be bothered reading magazines anymore

TheDoctor, my thoughts exactly