Is it me or is the current edition better than the norm? I have enjoyed the theme more than some others as it combines relevant technical (eat or suffer) with far fetched adventurism… or something loike that.
Oh btw its really muddy innit? I haven’t been of road for a month now!

i was thinking the opposite and have done for some months… How many atricles do we need on bonking? Personally i am getting fed up with the long dranw-out written articles, I usually give up or fall asleep (which ever comes first) before I have read it out. Oh well, each to thier own…

I think its a good’un .

Are you referring to the magazine titled ‘singletrack’?
Else I hadn’t noticed that much difference between this ‘edition’ of singletrackworld.com and the last one, apart from the forum being ordered differently

I know it was a theme, but there was rather a lot of bonking articles. More international trip articles and more articles on races than usual. Combine that with a head to head of 2 out and out XC race HTs and (though this soundsa completely stupid) I felt a bit alienated by it? Can’t moan though as the content varies all the time which is what makes singletrack so much better than the rest.

I was disspointed to see only 3 members of staffs long term test bikes. Thats usually a good bit (to me anyhow) and its a bit of a shame when there has been 6 or 7 in the past

I really enjoyed this issue. Most of the articles well written and interesting, and I think the theme concept worked well. Plus there was a review of that fantastic Singular 😀

i like this issue, reminds me of the good old days of themed issue ‘Bike’ magazine

I liked it too – best for ages. I guess it appeals as long enduros are my kind of thing, so I could really empathise with some of the stories. The story about the snowy/winter race has really stuck in my mind – the advice at the end along the lines of “if you are hungry/thirsty, deal with it now – it won’t go away” is my new mantra.

I thought it was ace. Read it…..and then go and read the ‘competition.’

Well, Singletrack is one of only two MTB mags I read from cover to cover.

I’ve dabbled in most of the competition and they’re generally lacking. Either a lack of focus (IMO) in one or two, or a tendency to read as an advertising feature, not a magazine.

i felt a bit ripped off. how many articles on bonking do we need? i suppose it fills the pages

Yeh I thought this issue was very good, even the training article didn’t have the usual space filling twaddle at the beginning. Only article I didn’t like was the trip to the Ukraine or wherever it was – very badly written and I couldn’t make any sense of it.

Yep too much bonking and articles along that theme. The minus 40 article was too light on pics, I like to see pics with adventure articles.
If I’m honest £4.25 is a bit steep too.

mine was 3.99

If you can afford to spend more than £1k on a bike then an extra 25p per month more than the other mags is nothing to complain about. (I’m assuming that most people on this forum have spent more than £1k on a bike on at least one occasion?)

My copy of Evo car mag this month is £4.40. Same reasoning I’d guess.

Personally I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read, and it is far better than MBR & What MTB. I don’t even browse though MBUK these days..

I enjoyed this issue more than previous 2 or 3. By that I mean as a whole. I find there’s always good stuff just amount that varies for me. To be controversial I actually read almost all of the last MBR. Very rare.

As for knocking the polish guy’s article. Yes the English was poor. And how many of us could even write a sentence (word) in polish?

Vodka names not accepted.

If I’m honest £4.25 is a bit steep too.

For a once-every-6-week mag on excellent quality paper it’s a bargain.
New Scientist (weekly) is £3.25 on little better than newspaper.
Cycling Weekly is about £2.40 on the same.

Most monthly mags on decent paper are around about that price: the only other mag I get is Photography Monthly which is on good quality paper, that’s £3.85. Same ballpark figure.

speaker2animals I wasn’t knocking it because of poor English, I was knocking it because it was badly written, incoherent nonsense. Had the English been perfect it would still have been a poor article and to be honest after struggling through I couldn’t actually understand what it was about.

Yes agreed it is on good quality paper and paper has just gone up 10% in price so the quality may have to go anyway???
25p isnt a lot put into that context but its like Guinness the price hit £3.10 a pint so I stopped drinking it. Back on bitter £2.65 a pint. Same thing I look at the mags on the shelf MBR £3.99 I get that, still a tidy read also when I buy Singletrack at £4.25 I dont expect the first 1/3rd to be about one subject (bonking ffs). As a customer I was disappointed. I will have a flick through before I buy it next time.

It’s £3.99 in bike shops.
And much cheaper to subscribe (obviously) 🙂

This is odd but someone mentioned not even browsing through MBUK these days – I went off that mag about 5 years ago, but of late it’s certainly been the better mag when compared to What mtb & MBR. Having said that my only current subscription is Dirt.

Once you’ve subscribed you’ve paid right? Then the mags come and they’re free! That’s how I see it.

MBUK’s not bad theres a lot going on in it, snippets, tests, etc sometimes its a yoof but thats ok

rOcKeTdOg mentioned “Bike” magazine:

Good point, well made – “Bike” in it’s pomp was truly inspirational. Mark Williams, Brecon Quaddy, Howard Lees, LKJ Setright, Zed Zawada, Mac McDiarmid & Dan Walsh – great journo’s all. I acquired my first copy in 1982. October I think.
We were on holiday in Anglesey and my mum asked me if I’d like a “Comic” from the newsagent’s rack. Oh god yes, the one with the 900ss, LeMans, and BMW s1000 group test please. It ignited a long term love affair with Euro iron, and an appreciation of infectious, inspirational journalism.

Singletrack, at it’s best, reminds me of BIKE. It’s an honest appraisal of an exciting but challenging minority pastime, written with a sense of passion, honesty and enthusiasm that would make a blonde kick a hole in a stained glass window, to misquote Mr Chandler.

“SuperPlay” magazine was great as well, but that’s another matter….
Buggers off in a slightly drunken post “Reel Big Fish” at Manchester Uni state to find an emlulation of “Super Aleste” or “Ganbere Goemon”.
Happy Days.

IdleJon – Member

If you can afford to spend more than £1k on a bike then an extra 25p per month more than the other mags is nothing to complain about. (I’m assuming that most people on this forum have spent more than £1k on a bike on at least one occasion?)
Never paid a grand for a bike (including lights, bike, new brake, cranksets cables, tools, trailer, everything I have not paid a grand in total in fact) but still enjoyed this issue at the price it is (to a subscriber).
Can’t please all the people all the time I guess so I am sure I will like another one less but was dead pleased to find my first arrival of a new subscription has now been read completely. Every article and enjoyed them all one way or another, not often I can say that about any mag, doubt I would have enjoyed it less at full retail.