[Closed] Cranked MTB mag any good?

Yep, very. I backed the original kickstarter and wasn't disappointed. What I was disappointed by was forgetting to to renew the sub, so I've missed a couple.

Got every issue, love it. It's not a normal magazine, you have to make time to read and enjoy it properly. Really long, in depth articles that stand up to being reread.

The next issue (#8) will be awesome - I'm in it.

Seriously, it's a very good magazine - similar to the now defunct Privateer and the direction Singletrack looks like its going in. Quality paper, long form articles, brilliant photography (pretty much a given, since Seb Rogers edits it). Well worth the price of a sub alongside ST.

Like tom i backed it on kickstarter and been very pleased with each issue, it's the only mag i actually keep and it sits alongside my collection of Privateer.

I usually crack open a new bottle of Balvenie with each issue so beware

LoL @ Soma!

Cool thanks all! I'll give it a go!

Another fan here. Enjoyed Privateer a lot and was sad to see it's demise, Cranked fills the void nicely and I actually like it more.

Just wish Dirt was still around to cover the racing scene and downhill stuff. I don't get on well with their website, hopefully the new owners might make it a pleasant experience.

But back to Cranked, give it a whirl the first seven issues have been great, looking forward to issue eight.

Yep really good interesting reading. Only magazine I keep.

never heard of that, but then i don't buy any bike mags any more (sorry singletrack).

photos and layout look glorious, but whats the quality of writing like?

Am another kickstarter-backer, renewed my sub and really enjoy it (usually on the bog or in the bath) fine time, like the idea of a booze with it too (great idea somafunk)

£12 an issue?

It's a really good magazine. It's expensive but there's a lot more content in it compared to most magazines, and both the quality of writing and the magazine itself is good.

I hope Singletrack go in a similar direction too.

I checked issue #4 against a MBUK I bought to read on a train journey and checked the amount of content against each other. Cranked had more content £ for £ by quite a margin so even though £12 per issue (delivered, in a genius little box) sounds like a lot it's actually cheaper than the monthlies. The added bonus is that the articles are A: very well written and B: not about the latest product so won't date anywhere near as much.

I like Cranked, a lot!

£12?

Sometimes it's well worth paying quite a lot of money for stuff brant, as you know!

Another endorsement for Cranked. Also the frame stickers and tees are awesome.

brant - Member
£12?

You could get a pair of slacks for that .

Or a coffee tamper

Excellent magazine well worth the money, i live in eire so limited choice of UK mags anyway then overpriced by conversion to Euro, so this n cranked by subscription is my best value.
Awaiting the next issue, good read for my night shifts.

i like it but not had a copy for a while - do they not automatically renew the sub?

I love every single issue. Quality writing, very inspiring stuff. None of the "how to ride" and "the best riding shorts" nonsense.

I'm subscribed but don't get a chance to read it all before the next one turns up.

Must just be me then. I bought the first issue and thought it was quite good, but not amazing, and certainly not worth £12 an issue.

Thanks all for the feedback!

£12 is the price delivered to your door (in the UK). The cover price is £10 and a UK sub is priced so we cover the postage.

Subs should automatically renew. If you have a subs query drop us a line and we'll do our best to resolve it

Seb - are you planning on updating the value bundle now the new issue is out. Bought the first 4 then forgot to carry on. Your value bundles are currently 1-3 and 4-6, I'd need 5-7? 🙄

Cheers

Hi Rik,
We've no plans to offer a 5-7 bundle. Sorry.
Everyone wants a different permutation. When I get some time I'll look into offering bundles based on the number of single issues in the shopping cart...but at the moment we're flat out getting ready for the London Bike Show. We'll have back issues there, if that helps?

Also backed it on Kickstarter and bought a few issues, but have failed miserably to be a regular subscriber. I need to rectify this soon.

Sorry Seb. 😉

I bought the first four issues but didn't really get on with it. I think the point where I decided it wasn't for me was when I bought an issue specifically because they were going to cover gearboxes. I was expecting a review of the current market with some nice technical explanations of the concepts, advantages, and limitations.

It turned out it was a one page essay by someone who had ridden one ten years ago and the conclusion was that until they performed as well as an slx derailleur they should be ignored.

i pay about 14 or so quid (this year's sub with the weak pound really hurt) per issue for surfers journal, its a US subscription based mag that limits the amount of advertisers, called sponsors, to 6.

its beautiful quality paper, the design is gorgeous and the articles both varied and in-depth. i heard it described recently as not so much a magazine but each issue being a curated book. as a subscriber you also get free access to every article they've published as a pdf.

ive been a subscriber for probably 10 or so years now and i regularly go to my back issues and find articles to revisit or that i've forgotten and discover again.

point is, i would pay 12quid for a similar quality bike mag, that covered all aspects of riding a bike ideally, if i could find one.

Anything described as 'curated' - I'm oot.

Nothing in Cranked is curated (or dropped, for that matter)

Ordered issue 8 the moment the email came through saying it was out ( cooking the family dinner with one hand and ordering with the other; proper multitasking).
It's a great mag that fills the void left by the likes of The Ride and Privateer.

whats the size of font like really struggling with STW on the latest issue 🙁

Maybe I should give issue 2 a go. Maybe I was just trying to fill the hole left by The Ride. Problem is I gave my copy of issue 1 to a mate and I'd forever be annoyed at not having it.

I'm a fan. Supported blind on kickstarter because I like that this type of thing exists, that bike journalism/writing/imaging has another place to play rather than selling ads and trying to find different ways of describing how another 7 bikes handle in yet another sub 600 / 750/ 1000/ dream hard tail/ trail bike/ enduro sled/ all-day-epic cushion/knife.

I'm glad I did. Some have been better than others, but it gives what I wanted - more space for more thought. I thought the depression piece was very good. Don't always read them cover to cover, but (or because) they all get kept, for occasional picking and leafing, alongside a stack of Surfers Path.

Just ordered issues 1-3 after reading this thread. If it's not for me I'm sure someone on here will buy them to complete their collection 😉

Page 101 in the latest issue is a cracker 😉

More seriously, I read everything in it before being my normal tediously narcissistic self and seeing how my words have been laid out. Fair play to Seb for starting a print mag when the prevailing wisdom was no one was reading print. Same goes to the STW team as well.

Alex - Member
Page 101 in the latest issue is a cracker

😆

Agreed 🙂

Right, sub purchased. Now, Sebcranked, what chance a bundle on issues 6, 7 and 8?

I wouldn't recommend it. Just bought issue 7 and now going to have to buy all 6 back orders and 8 and a subscription out of my "new frame" fund. How inconsiderate of Cranked.

The thing with bundles is that everyone will always want a different combination to the one(s) we offer. As the mag grows and our back issue library expands, this is an issue that's only going to get worse! There are no plans to expand on the bundles we currently offer, although we might look at replacing them at some point in the future with some kind of discount for multiple single issue purchases...

What's the delivery time for the back issue bundles? Waiting patiently here.....

I ordered 1-3 about a week ago, really looking forward to getting these, the mags look great! How long should they take to deliver? not got them through yet 🙁

I've been a subscriber since issue 1 (missed the kickstarter somehow).

It's ace, I was reading the erosion article on the loo this very morning.

[quote=jonnyboi ]What's the delivery time for the back issue bundles? Waiting patiently here.....

As Seb is at the Bike show in That London and (from his Instagram feed etc) has been running around like a blue arsed fly getting ready for it, I'd expect tjhem to be dispatched next week. I may be wrong, I'm not involved apart from being a kickstarter backer and subscriber ever since.

I don't want to hijack Chipps and Mark's forum, so... if you have any concerns about an order that hasn't arrived (they should still be shipping as usual while we're at the show), please drop me a line to seb at cranked dot c c and I'll look into it...