Wow, was not going to comment but someone is not really ok with been criticised… :p Though I'd say get over it as the people that pay you ie your readers are the people that have the right to criticise your work.

i got my first issue today and im impressed with the quality it looks and feels like a proper mag and the articles were good . as crazylegs says its a proper have to read mag rather than a flick back and forth. maybe thats too much for some tho 😉

I honestly thought that the previous issue was one of the best in quite some time. Only flicked through this months looks good so far.

Best MTB mag going IMO, only other things worth getting hold of (despite their expense) are Embrocation, Rouleur, and The Ride Journal.

If you don't like something, don't buy it.

Wasn't throwing poo, asking the questions which seemed reasonable, obviously you think otherwise, fair enough.

@cynic-al.

What do you want me to explain to you? Or are you being obtuse?

Here's what I was suggesting in a clear, straightforward form:

Some readers are unhappy about a perceived dwindling in the quality of a magazine. Publisher of magazine reacts angrily to public criticism. Suggestion is to meet in the middle whereby readers have some input to the content of one issue of the magazine. Readers get to see things from the publisher's point of view. Publishers get a fresh perspective on the interests of their readership.

Is that clearer?

daveatextremistsdotcouk:
God I hate this non sequitur stuff.

You love it! Washing machine.

😉

….oh and nice bit of bitching on the twitter feed.

**** forum cocks! Sometimes wonder why we bother!

*cough* getting paid *cough*

*runs*

obtuse

,Throw him in solitary….LOL

Sorry, I just always think of the Shawshank Redemption whenever I hear/read that word.

Boxelder – quantocks is a route guide

Ben's magna via was a article about the origins of a trail

Oh dear more ranting…

not seen the latest issue, not been home yet, although i did get txt the Aleigh centrefold

ST is till miles better than the other mags, imo

What's the world come to when Brant is giving customer service advice 😆

allthepies:
What's the world come to when Brant is giving customer service advice

There also appears to be four gentleman on horses outside. Can't be good.

@ stuartiec: I was making fun at my own expense.

The last issue was really good, especially the bivvy articles. The contents for the latest issue hasn't really got me going but I'll have a gander in Smiths at lunchtime next week and maybe buy it.

so if you are unhappy with being criticised about your mag,,
well isnt it the same as you doing bike tests and bikes or items being criticised you make positive and negative remarks on products

so this is the same some of the guys on here are offering their opinion

live with it learn from it,, it's not personal

Mark always was a bit of a psycho – bless him

ST doesn't have to (& can't) please everyone – folk can vote with their wallets, which is presumably what mark would prefer.

Lights test – 4 months too late

I dunno, last time I checked there was a night time race at Enduro 6 plus two big 24hr races coming up in the next few months – plenty of people will be wanting new lights for one/some of those events.

@cynic-al: you big tease.

the people that pay you ie your readers are the people that have the right to criticise your work.

Yes, but it can be done so much more constructively. This "we pay, so get to be rude" used to piss me right off when I worked as a waiter.

I honestly thought that the previous issue was one of the best in quite some time

Me too – some inspiring people in it.

Boxelder – quantocks is a route guide

Ben's magna via was a article about the origins of a trail

I know – both more interesting, because of the real folk bit and the trail origin bit

Oh dear more ranting…

What, the bit just above from Dave – Hahahaha, have you met Manwells from the classifieds? You'd get on swimmingly emac65

fair point with the lights bit crazy legs – it'll be a minority that don't have lights mind.

mbr says welcome to our world on twitter 😆 mbr aren't anywhere close to being in the same class as singletrack and deserves all the criticism they get 😆

@mbrmagazine

Ahh bless.

mbr says welcome to our world on twitter mbr aren't anywhere close to being in the same class as singletrack and deserves all the criticism they get

Aimed at a different audience and still readable for me.
Sorry

Mark just needs to calm down… 👿

I popped up to the LBS to pick up my copy today and it did literally feel 'light' compared to the regular issues…but at the end of the day there is plenty of reading material there.

Looking forward to a proper focussed read though…

Oh so this isn't a thread about lightweight kit? Arse 🙁

Don't all magazines around this time of year come out a little slimmer?

MBR @shedfire It still hurts when you've invested time, effort, sweat and sometimes blood.

Well don't write up so much bloody pish then and mark bikes down for something irrelevant.

boxelder – Member
the people that pay you ie your readers are the people that have the right to criticise your work.
Yes, but it can be done so much more constructively. This "we pay, so get to be rude" used to piss me right off when I worked as a waiter.

Shirley they make the mag as they want it to be/what they believe, then folk can buy it or **** off? (within commercial limits)

It's not like say being a big commercial law firm where you are desperate to hang on to clients and will do what you want them to.

You can't expect every issue to be the same. For there to be good issues, there must be poor issues. The overall magazine has been from launch the best available for people who know what mountain biking is about. Give the guys a break ffs.

Average issue IMHO. So that would be about 1000% better than any of the competition, apart from possibly DirtRag (which is bloody hard to get hold of now Borders is dead).

Keep up the good work STW Gents.

I think the previous 3 issues have been bloody corkers by the way.

I'm sure there are people on this thread who complaining about the size of portions in restaurants and how "that's very expensive…", and probably could do with getting out a bit more.

You can subscribe to dirtrag.

If opinion isn’t split then it’s not a good product. For my money Singletrack is the best mountain bike mag out there at the moment. Quantity doesn’t bother me, quality does. If you don’t like don’t buy it, or un-subscribe.

cynic-al,

I'm not suggesting people should expect Mark or whoever to come grovelling. I think we agree that this kind of criticism is pointless. People buy the mag through choice, and if they perceive it to be going downhill they can stop buying it. If you subscribe and then it fundamentally changes, you've got a gripe, but it hasn't.

The point I was trying to make, was that there are folk who think that because they've paid somebody, they can be rude. I think Mark might be with you on the folk can buy it or choose not to bit.

It's only £4 – I work with people who spend that on bottled water every day!

Not even opened my copy yet, its only just arrived..

But when the first response to criticism is to offer a refund and rant about customers on twitter, its a bit dissapointing..

crazy-legs – Member
Lights test – 4 months too late

I dunno, last time I checked there was a night time race at Enduro 6 plus two big 24hr races coming up in the next few months – plenty of people will be wanting new lights for one/some of those events.

Posted 19 minutes ago # Report-Post

what about the 70% that needed lights well befor xmas! including me.

shaggy – Member

If opinion isn’t split then it’s not a good product. For my money Singletrack is the best mountain bike mag out there at the moment. Quantity doesn’t bother me, quality does. If you don’t like don’t buy it, or un-subscribe

What would you know – that tripe you made up about Alaska almost had me driving to Yorkshire to demand a full refund.
😉
'spect

what about the 70% that needed lights well befor xmas! including me

Nice use of made up stats there. 😛

i used to buy every issue. i then decided to boycott one issue last year that coincided with the awful soft-porrn shot in the calender. and didn't miss the mag too much. i didn't buy the last one cos of that cover – skidding in the snow? yikes! but really, i'm mostly annoyed that the people who pay a premium price (£4.25) get anything but premium service.

Still the best mag, but noone has the right to speak to a customer like that! Mark, you should think yourself lucky your not on the wrong end of a gross misconduct dismissal for that twitter comment, I know I would be if I did similar at my company!

Elements of your job may be hard, just like everyone else on the planet but on the whole you should remember that your out riding bikes and being paid for it, so man up and take criticism as the free bonus which it really is!

i didn't buy the last one cos of that cover

Really? I mean really? 😯

Im loving the latest issue but im slightly biased as it has a few of my pics in . ha ha

Seriously though ,off the back of my mates rushing out to buy a copy to see/read about the Qs article ,I have heard nothing but praise for the mag. Even my dad read it and liked it. It aint a comic like some of the others and I like the style of writting. Having met Chipps also makes it a mag I'll keep buying. Him coming along on Oldfarts birthday ride was great.

Really? I mean really?

well i did explain that wasn't the main reason. i guess i got annoyed at seeing 'gnarly' cover pictures, normally over some canadian roots and rocks on a bike with white bombers, which never seemed to bear any relevance to anything inside. i was already feeling less than enthusiastic and then i saw that snow cover.