[Closed] Open letter to the management: Why so much CX stuff in a MTB mag?

Dirt keeps reviewing 29'ers too.

Shocking.

I remember my first beer....

And here: for when the mods remove this from THIS forum:
http://www.sillygrin.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4585

beer, now he was a character

The mods can't be bought...

Can't say it bothers me, tbh.
Cross is fun.

I'd quite like it if they started including roadie stuff too.
S'all bikes innit?

Baaa,Baa, Baaa All the mags gone CX. I agree, i wanna read ATB bikes,on big hills or big Jumps ? Not Paunchy road bikes and Lycra,dont do it again, do a feature on Retro bikes or something, not another sport.

Wow about 18 pages on CX out of 146 and you get wound up like this. I'm looking forward to reading the CX articles 😀

Is it an mtb exclusively an mtb mag?
Singletrack is great fun on a rigid bike with narrow tyres.

I like reading the ST mag, and as a mug for bike mags I get loads every month, which is no doubt a waste of money, however I do find Cycling Plus and Cycling Active keep my attention longer than MBR and WMB these days

I quite liked it, and I've never ridden a CX bike in my life.

I'd rather read about cx than big jumps

Crikey. 😐

Top trolling

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Are you Doddy from MBUK?

.

The way I see it they're all bikes for playing around on in the mud. It doesn't really matter what tag you want to apply to them. I like the fact that ST have no hangups about that. That they can appreciate bikes for what they are, and see where they cross over in their uses.

I like the CX stuff. It reminds me just how much more suitable my 150mm carbon fibre all mountain skills compensator is for off road riding............. 😉

It beats all those articles abiut how to take a picture of your ride. I'm not interested in cameras. As far as I am concerned they are reviewing off road bikes.

Last December: ST = 116 pages
December before that = 116 pages

This year 148 pages. 18 featuring cx.

MTB content is higher in this December issue than it has for, well, ever.

I have no interest in cyclocross or cyclocross bikes whatsoever. So I would prefer those pages to be used for something else. But I do understand that 100% of the articles in each issue will not appeal to me.

Did you not notice that Singletrack lost its 'Mountain Bike Magazine' tag at around about Issue 72?

Besides, Led Zep are on BBC2 at the moment so it's hardly the time to be worrying about mag content... 8)

If you don't like the content don't buy the mag and don't read it.
It's not difficult to do this.
You could always start your own mag and have total editorial control of the content?

I'd be quite happy if ST replaced the cyclocross stuff with Led Zep!!! 😀

I'd be quite happy if ST replaced the cyclocross stuff with Led Zep!!

I'd be looking at cancelling my subscription then 😉

Isn't Singletrack written by bearded, slightly overweight, mid 40's, plaid shirt types?

They love cyclocross that lot. Low risk, quirky crap bikes that should have died out when mountain bikes were invented. Cross is the new fixie isn't it?

[I]crotchrocket
29er - uncool
650b - cool
CX - cool
Hybrid - uncool
Roadies - tepid
singlespeed - cool
1x9 - cool
1x10 - uncool
1x11 - cool[/i]

Maybe editorial thought it would be cooler than featuring 29ers? ;o)

Isn't Singletrack written by bearded, slightly overweight, mid 40's, plaid shirt types?

Utter rubbish, they don't have beards.

As an open letter to your self, we've never banned anyone for saying they didn't like an article in the mag. We've not even hinted we would ban you so not sure why you thought you needed to mention that on here and on your club forum.

If you don't like the content don't buy the mag and don't read it.
It's not difficult to do this.
You could always start your own mag and have total editorial control of the content?

Bit binary, innit? Reader should be able to both buy the mag, yet proffer suggestions for change if they feel it needs it.

....whether the owners have to listen is another matter. I hear they spend most their time lounging around in [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/wellits-one-way-to-fend-off-the-cold ]onesies[/url], and combing each others beards.

Try viewing it not as CX, but as 29er's with drop bars, and hey presto, all mountain bikes again with added 90's John Tomac credibility.

I bought a magazine called "Men Only" once.
Imagine how short changed I felt when I saw the pictures inside.

I ride Singletrack on my CX bike

I bought a magazine called "Men Only" once.

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Imagine how short changed I felt when I saw the pictures inside.

[img] [/img]

+1 for the OP. CX is so utterly pointless I can only assume its continued existence is due to the complete lack of imagination on the part of its participants. All of them without exception. CX bikes are the reason we invented MTBs. I mean CX bikes are so utterly ill designed and equipped for the job of riding off road that you're either riding across a muddy field or your carrying your bike. All a bit pointless really, much like those endurance MTB races like SITS or whatever. Muddy fields in Hampshire were meant for raves not riding bikes.

That said the way that trail centre design is going these days and the way most people ride I can see that a CX bike might well be the best tool for the job. So perhaps it's prevalence in STW might be an accurate reflection of the readership?

18 pages! Awesome Ill be getting a copy! Being back blame the dog do more really good one page articles, drop the camera articles and bivvy stuff and its sorted!

It was the random nature of Singletrack I really liked when I started reading it (II was a late starter issue six or something) it wasn't so mass produced. But it's lost that a bit for me now, so I dropped the sub and now bit the mag based on a flick through in the supermarket.

Its better than the other mags though, I'm never going to jump off a five foot drop, and if I was I'll look at the same magazine from the year before!

GT, that's a bit like saying the Olympic XC course is what xc riding is like or we all ride like the guys in Seasons or the red bull rampage!! Racing is different to riding trails, CX opens the door to trails that would be dull on a 150 mm bike or even my 100f/S but Ive ridden MTB trails on it and although slower I e had a good time isn't that the point!

I enjoyed the CX content, firstly it's bikes, secondly there's articles about nutters on bikes hurting themselves and having great fun bouncing themselves off scenic parts of the countryside in adverse weather conditions , so what's not to like? 🙂
Maybe the OP needs to be just a little more open minded, he might enjoy life more! 😈

Baaa,Baa, Baaa All the mags gone CX. I agree, i wanna read ATB bikes,on big hills or big Jumps ? Not Paunchy road bikes and Lycra,dont do it again, do a feature on Retro bikes or something, [u]not another sport[/u].

now that, is a brilliant idea.

i think it would be ace if singletrack had one article every month about a totally different sport, i'd love to read/see about something interesting that's happened in the paragliding world cup, or the lawnmower racing, or a climbing expedition to Greenland, or whatever.

the articles wouldn't even have to be bang-up-the-minute-fresh-hot, they could probably buy them cheap from other magazines...

but if they do this, it was my idea, and i want a free T-shirt 🙂

If I could only have one bike, it'd be a CX.

As it is, I have CX, MTB, road even (whisper) a track bike. It's all bikes, it's all good reading. Personally I thought this issue was one of the best ever - some lovely photography and a good mix of articles.

weeble - Member

I ride Singletrack on my CX bike

...and I 'race' cx on my mountain bike too. Yay! 😀

well, the article has kind of made me want a CX bike.

over zealous modding

removing the idiots and their moronic posts designed just to troll and draw attention to themselves you mean?

until last month I hadn't bought ST for around 6 months as I got fed up with them describing the trails and weather. however I enjoined the last issue and I was very disappointed when the new issue wasn't in smiths yesterday!

can wait to read it (mainly as it will feature cx racing and the 3peaks)!!!

bet you where one of 'them' who slagged off the olympic xc course before the event too?

Yeah OP! You tell it to The Man! teh CX is bobbins.

Oh... hang on.
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Oooh look MTB, CX and a Fat Bike all playing nicely together.

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I wouldn't mind a bit of cx or road stuff appearing every now and again actually.

ahwiles - Member

but if they do this, it was my idea, and i want a free T-shirt

They used to do something similar, called 'Fish out of Water' or somesuch. I used to enjoy that one but it wasn't the most popular article. I'd enjoy the occasional MTB Journo doing some bouldering/scrambling/wild swimming/kayaking/coasteering/white water canoeing/quad biking/crochet classes/bmx/chainless downhill/hang gliding/whatever. We all enjoy a new challenge now and again don't we? 8)