I also subscribed in the 5 for the price of 4 offer at the start. Had rarely read a mag in a few years as nithing much interesting. It appealed to me as even then I was a middle aged mincer....
Doesn't seem like almost 10 years though!
Bike Forum
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The 1st ever ST magazine
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Posted 1 year ago #
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issue six judging by that photo was my first, bought in a little newsagents in Musselburgh
What really stuck out for me was the amount of guff that was missing from the cover, now you have to subscribe to enjoy that level of neatness
Posted 1 year ago # -
ahhh the early days.
+ the early shows were a lot of fun; especially maniac "Vin Diesel" bus drivers on the way home after a bike show at Islington and selling magazines one-at-a-time to people.+ losing the van at the NEC and the finding it still full of magazines
+ had some great rides up in calderdale and even considered moving there until I moved straight past and on up to scotland
+ going to a really early trade bike show at the NEC with ink-jet printed GoFAR business cards and bluffing our way into the show - the organising body (pro bike shop) claimed that "The Internet" would never feature in UK cycling.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I subscribed for a few years from about Issue 4. Got back orders back to 2, but 1 was sold out. I recall one having a whole heap of pages duplicated and a matching heap of pages missing. Think it was #6.
I asked my mum for the subscription for Xmas or Birthday -
write the check to Gofar Enterprises, that's 'Gofar' space 'Enterprises'
So of course she wrote the cheque to 'Gofar Space Enterprises'. Cue Tip-Ex - the cheque was still cashed
I enjoyed it most when it was small, rustic and local - saddle stitched not perfect bound! I stopped subscribing when it went more international; I recall a photo special having about 2 pages of UK riding and the rest were shots from places I could never go. That wasn't for me.
Posted 1 year ago # -
How is Shaun these days?
Hope you guys sorted your differences out.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Nice to hear some of the story behind the mag! Am also now sober, and less 'upset'!
Posted 1 year ago # -
But come on.... there are seven people banned.. 7. That's not even double figures! In fact the banned list has never hit double figures... EVER!
8 now you big hairy flange twiddler.....
??
Posted 1 year ago # -
chuckle @ boxelder
Posted 1 year ago # -
I remember the conversation with Chipps, Mark, Shaun & Brant on bikemagic where they were discussing the possibility of doing the mag, I also remember a printed promise of the ads to content ratio, one of those things happened
I still fondly remember the early days, meeting up with some great folk, the 'characters', the shear shock of meeting 'beer' at Woburn & finding out he was actually just a decent funny guy, sitting on the STW stand at Mayhem 04 & Chipps & Mark not really talking to anyone.I do miss driving to see 'ad man matt' as he is now known, when he run one of the best shops in the business, to pick up a copy of STW, still got issue one, although minus the cover now
Keep it up guys, the mag & the forum has evolved, but then it always had to to be viable.
Cheers.
Posted 1 year ago # -
For the fellow n00bs (I subscribed around issue 30), this might be a useful bit of background reading:
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://Gofar-mtb.com
I chuffin' love the internet.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Posted 1 year ago #
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Nothing changes, people still moaning about not getting their magazine on time
Posted 1 year ago # -
i have bought and still got every single issue.
i am a sad ****.............
Posted 1 year ago # -
OMG - I'm still using this disc caliper on my FSR:
http://web.archive.org/web/20001029185752/www.gofar-mtb.com/Reviews/64.1.html
Do you want a full review now lads?
Cunningly photographed on an inside-out Polaris top, and I think that may indeed be the photoshoot which overheated and broke one of my Lumicycle cans. Ah, those were the days...
Posted 1 year ago # -
"Have been a subscriber since issue one when 500 was the minimum number of subscribers required to make the whole thing float. I wonder how many there are now."
Me too, i wonder how many of the original 500 are still subscribing?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I also remember a printed promise of the ads to content ratio, one of those things happened
Eh? The ad ratio has consistently stayed well below our maximum target. The mag currently has 33% set aside for ads as a maximum. Typically in the other mags you will the ratio is between 45 and 55%. :-p
Posted 1 year ago # -
i started subscribing on issue 3 or 4; but have copies from issue 2.
my old mate pete showed me the first issue and i really enjoyed it.
i stopped my subscription on issue 51 as i found the magazine getting more "140mm hardtaily" instead of the "100mm just bimbling along with the occasional blast" type of riding that i tend to do.hope that makes sense?
Posted 1 year ago # -
...or those like me who stopped and then restarted.
Actually, you're probably also right about the reason I stopped (and considering stopping again), farmer giles. Just don't really identify with a lot of the stuff in the mag now - is it just turning into "another MTB mag"?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Sub no. just under 700, still got them all as insulation in the loft somewhere. I vaguely remember there was a call on the GoFar forum for subs to get things moving, and as I wasn't married and was childless at that point it seemed worth a punt for £15.
There's always something worth reading in every issue, that's good enough for me, plus it keeps this place going.. work would be far less pleasant without it.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Eh? The ad ratio has consistently stayed well below our maximum target. The mag currently has 33% set aside for ads as a maximum. Typically in the other mags you will the ratio is between 45 and 55%. :-
Wasn't 25% the figure banded about back in the day for what its worth.
Posted 1 year ago # -
As per Speshpaul, 25% was the original number, I'm sure it was printed in one of the first magazines to, I'll see if I can dig it out.
Cheers.Posted 1 year ago # -
Aye, that's me on the cover of Issue 1.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Wasn't 25% the figure banded about back in the day for what its worth.
It was, but the early issues didn't get close to that, hence them looking really good. You can't run a magazine without income though.
Posted 1 year ago # -
yes, I seem to recall touting about 50 copies of the mag round Edinburgh; also my work had sent me, with a hire estate car, down to London and back on the launch weekend - or close to it. Slight detour saw me collect several boxes of mags from Mark on way down, try to flog some of them at the Panasonic trade show I attended, then drop off several boxes round the Lakes on the way back... happy days.
Doctor Rad - hello there fella !!
Callum
Posted 1 year ago # -
I remeber seeing it in a bike shop in Edinburgh (the one near the junction of Bellevue and East Claremont Street, down the road from Broughton Street)
That'll be our shop!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Nice thread. That's it, I'm subscribing. Now what to put in that hipflask?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I was grabbed by Mark and 2 ladies at one of the Sleepless events at Trentham. IIRC, they were giving out mags at the previous months (6 wks previous?) Red Bull 24hr at W. Brom (forgot the name of the course now!), and signing up people for subs at a reduced rate at trentham, that must have been the 3rd issue.I signed up on the day.
Christ how time flies. Still subscribing, the mag had a dip a few years ago, when I think it lost its focus, but it is getting a little better again now, though I still think there are some really rubbish articles in it - broken thumb this month - rubbish.Alan.
Posted 1 year ago # -
2unfit2ride - Member
Takes me back a bitIf you weren't so posh that you stayed at 'the Inn' you may have got a sneak preview of your copies before they were sent out; winks, touches nose, know what I mean...
Posted 1 year ago # -
Me, posh? If you say so, but I think you'll find it's all relative depending on where in the world you live
Ahh, Andy, you still in touch? I must make the effort to get out more Posted 1 year ago #
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