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Nearly bought a copy of singletrack BIKE magazine, today, so glad i didnt as it was in a plastic sealed bag, 16 pages of cyclo cross BIKES, whatever next, 29ers, fixed wheel, road bikes, or anyother type of bike.
Glad i bought the railway magazine, it just features trains, steam, diesel, electric, but theyre all called trains, and all do the same job, transport you and give you enjoymnet
I really like Singletrack and look forward to reading it. Funny that this month both Dirt and Singletrack had CX articles. Really enjoyed the Dirt one and haven't read Singletrack yet. Can't really get what people are complaining about. there is only so much you can write about bikes off road. Some bits fit you better than others.
As an aside, what is all this stuff about only needing xxx amount of travel for uk riding. I have stuff that needs a downhill bike and a cx bike all within 2 miles of my house. I would hate to have one bike.
ormondroyd - MemberThat three peaks article is ace. And it's about proper nails off road cycling for seriously tough people
Also I see it as a counterpart to Chipps's Fort William endurance downhill article. And lets be honest that race was less relevant to the average STWer than a cross race is.
Think of all the wacky articles that MBUK used to do - scuba diving, bungee jumping, etc. They were all on mountain bikes so did that make them more or less relevant than a CX article?
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The start of HTN
As Mark said, our December issue usually drops 32 pages compared to the summer issues, this time we figured we'd keep the pagination at 148 and include some drop-bar off road bikes as something a little different where usually there'd be nothing. So we've not taken away any of the regular content, but we've come up with 32 pages of free extra content that you'd not normally get. Sorry if some people don't like it. They can always pretend the mag finished at page 116 like it was going to. As for the CX bandwagon, I've been racing 'cross for 15 years and organising races for five, so we didn't do it just because we thought it was all the rage. Incidentally, there was a 'cross feature in issue 1 of the magazine in 2001, so we're not abandoned our roots - more like we're sticking to them.
As Northwind points out, there are probably far more Singletrack readers that ride a 'cross bike than there are racing the Fort William downhill track, yet no one seemed to mind that feature. It's all bikes, isn't it?
Now, who's for another pedal car racing feature? That REALLY wound some people up. 🙂
Thanks for the feedback though folks. It's always appreciated, even when it's grumpy.
It's all off road, it's on bike so I can't see what the problem is. Loving the content keep it up.
Started 30 years ago on crossers found mountain bikes 10 years after, now own 3 crossers 4 mountain bikes 3 road it's good what ever the bike.+ extra to read this month 🙂
I enjoyed this issue, including the 'cross bit, more than most others in the recent past. I don't own a 'cross bike and I doubt I ever will. I only ride a cheap road bike on sufferance so I can get to work more easily. I don't ride XC race style events, own a downhill bike, spend days on bike treks or shred to the freeride max. I just enjoy riding a mountain bike, (for the record either an old Heckler or a geared Singular Swift, as I'm sure it will matter to some) be it on local muddy tracks or alpine verticality.
So on this basis many of the "specialist articles" covered over the years should have been of no interest to me. Yet, strangely, I read them all and enjoyed most. Some inspired me to think about trying something new (shock horror), others reminded me why I stopped doing things like that, many made me smile and pretty much all reminded me why I ride a bike even if I don't do it quite like that.
I buy the mag because it gives you stuff that differs from the constantly updated, rather transient, frequently shallow interweb "new shiny thing" keyboard dump. I like opinion pieces, rants, idle thoughts, nice photos and pondering on the things that surround and affect our sport even if they aren't the bit of the sport you spend most of your time inhabiting.
So please Singletrack, keep doing things that are different from the mainstream WhatMBRUK press. I, at very least, appreciate it (although more UK route guides would be good, oh, and tyre reviews 😉 ).
For me I'm after a magazine to inspire me to try new stuff, and keep my enjoyment of cycling fresh.
It might be a piece by Jedi on how to get my brain to not bottle a 2ft drop, or a bit on sleeping in a ditch or what kind of training it takes to race the TransAlp (or Rockies or whatever). I'd like to know more about trail access in other parts of the world (it's certainly much different where I'm currently living than the UK).
I want a magazine to show me stuff I'm not doing, not stuff that I am. That has been the standout quality of STW over the years.
Hasn't the 'bandwagon' appeared because cheap cross bikes appeared, people rode them, enjoyed them, and spread the word?
Thats exactly what happened to me, no interest at all until I saw a pretty orange one in a sale for 300 pounds (Genesis Day 0) and bought it, it is exactly as much fun as an MTB with the added benefit that you don't need any gnarly downhills to scare yourself on, just legs and a bit of mud (I'd never ridden out a two wheeled drift until I bought a CX bike).
Totally relevant, totally belongs in the magazine.
I dont think STW ever set out to be a gnarly DH mag. 'Singletrack' isnt it?
18 pages of CX?
I'll have to buy that then. Haven't bought the magazine in a while. Good advert this thread!
Yeah I've not bought the mag for a while but this advert and the other one about the depression article make it look a worth purchase 😉
LISTEN TO YOUR SELVES - YOU BIG BUNCH OF GIRLS! 🙄
cant wait to read this new issue.
Id personally like to read more about xc racing! or any other forms of off road racing. I must say this months Privateer is excellent (right up my street)
if your into riding bikes off road enter a local cx race(just turn up on any bike) - I reckon you'd have a great time! they aren't just circles around muddy fields. most courses take up a array of terrains and WILL test the 'best' bike handlers abilities. one thing tho...they will HURT you (you may even want to cry at some point)! if your scared you could always go plough down your local hill on your 'Enduro' bike!....(troll btw) 😉
I'd skipped over the CX articles but after reading this thread I thought I'd better go back and have a look and found them really interesting - not my thing at the moment but now inspired to have a go. So well done to the OP for highlighting this, and to STW - keep up the good work.
I think the nail was hit on the head earlier, I ride ST on my CX bike so why shouldn't they be in the mag?
If you don't like the CX articles, don't read them, they didn't put the price up to include it so nothing lost.
CX in ST is nothing new, anyone Checked out issue one recently? Ooooo look CX bikes!
If a bike is ridden off road or in the mountains then by default it is a 'mountain' bike. Ie. One of the country's finest 'mountain bike' races the 3 peaks just happends to be ridden on cross bikes.
There are things worth worrying about in this world, CXbikes in singletrack isn't one of them.
Just don't let the organizer hear you call it that Scottyroyal he wouldn't let me ride my 29er with drop handle bars and narrow tyres fitted he was adamant it was an mtb, fair play tho he offered me a pint while supporting 😉
MOAR CX! MOAR CX!
Firestarter, aye, it is obviously a cross race at heart, was playing devils advocate a bit 🙂
There are lots of MTB events/races that take place nowhere near mountains, ie MM etc. let alone actually go up them.
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For me, I'm interested to read about something different, never tried CX but I "get" why people do. (Haven't had time to read the articles though but I will do).
Excellent - something else about bikes (caveat: I wouldn't read a road bike article, all that mincing on about ettiquette and rules).
Not just written the above as I don't want to get banned, genuinely open to new stuff. Who can lend me a 'cross bike?!
Who can lend me a 'cross bike?!
No, you're suipposed to buy one.
Didn't you see all the adverts in the mag?
Singletrack is a great laugh on a cross bike, i really enjoyed this issue. A cross bike makes the boring trails near me a bit more interesting (imo)
ononeorange - Member
Excellent - something else about bikes (caveat: I wouldn't read a road bike article, all that mincing on about ettiquette and rules).
All the old roadies who follow self-imposed rules will be dead soon:
Their hearts are all the size of a rugby ball because of the drugs.
Winter takes a few each year because their shaved legs makes them susceptable to hypothermia and quite a few have died as a result of the shock of seeing discs on road bikes.
This time of year they have trouble finding old fashioned caffs too, so we always leave a couple of bars of Kendle Mint Cake hanging up in the garden for them.
Quite sad really, but that's evolution for you. 😀
As someone who has never ridden a cross bike and or has any interest in it i reall enjoyed the extra segment
... & the last thing STW should do is try and make a magazine that pleases all the people all the time. That way lies blandness and death.
They know that.
I simply don't like drop bars. But reading about them was entertaining.
Been MTB'ing 23 years...
.. riding CX 17 years..
.. riding Road 15 years..
... and DH'ing 6 years.
It's all bikes - LOVE 'EM ALL 'cos they all love you. 😀