[Closed] This months magazine

May I second that? I too enjoyed the longer features/tales of woe and unifying theme in the mag this issue.

Funny, I thought it was a bit lightweight this month. I did enjoy the bonking stuff but i'm not interested in CX, and I found the slovenian blokes article almost unreadable. Seemed to get through it a lot quicker than usual. Suppose they're never gonna please all of us every month.

Yes a good issue, with less of the middle age shoe staring "why can/can't/should i ride my bike" type stuff.
Nice one

I enjoyed all the bonking stuff.
Much better than the usual boring magazine 'I rode along here and the trails were great, then I rode here and the views were great and at the end it was a great day' articles.

my sub copy hasnt arrived yet so could you all be quiet please
ta very much

There's a magazine?

Eh?

darrell,

01706 814397 that's our subs number and Sarah will sort out your missing copy for you. They all get sent in one huge batch in order for us to get the necessary postal discounts so the most likely explanation is it's gone missing in the post. But regardless we'll get a new one sent to you as soon as you make contact.

I was hoping to read more background on the thing we mustn't talk about, you know, that thing...

I'll only like it if I win the competition.

I was a little underwhelmed with this month's, although I haven't had a really good sit down with it yet.

Obviously it's a bit of a balancing act getting the right amount of reviews / editorials / ride guides etc in and what pleases some one month won't please others.

I've subscribed though so I must think that more often than not they get it round about right and for every mag which makes me go meh, the next one will probably get read from cover to cover.

We all like different things 🙂 I found the umpteenth article on bonking a bit dull tbh. One or two articles, fine.. but 17 pages (plus another 5 for the arctic-conditions-race story which was in the same vein)!

My partner does not like Singletrack, too much for blokes with all the dodgy titles such as "Joy of Bonking" and all the pseudo names rider like to be called. She said it's like a bunch of kids talking at school and really wonder how many girls read the mag and appreciate it. But no worries, I'm buying it so no need to target a new market.

shame i cant buy it anywhere then!!

i'm yet to properly read it.
got it last week, looked at the pictures, glanced at some of the bonking tales, read the altura jacket review (and subsequently bought one as i'd been umming and ahhing about it for months!) then put it down on the coffee table... but yeah, so far i'd have to agree that it looks like a good one.

[i]She said it's like a bunch of kids talking at school[/i]

Nothing like the forum then

Was good this month - a couple of duff articles, but I liked the "bonking" theme

(That just reads sooooooo badly.....)

The joy of finding it in Halifax Tesco soon turned to dismay at the worst copy I've ever read. Reviews of 3 freak bikes, not a lot of kit and a load of stories about people not eating adequately before/during riding. Oh and an article about riding road bikes off road.

I think its now reached the point where there are NO bike magazines I (thats me, not you) like. I want to read about mountain bikes and kit and trails that us normal UK types can ride. I don't want to read about bonking, riding around in Morocco where, judging by the pics, the trails look rubbish, riding around in -40, CX and other seemingly pointless ramblings that you generally find here on the forum.

Love you lots, DBW x

I'm sorry but ST is doing a very good job of finding new themes for their articles and that's make them different from the other lots.

[i]I think its now reached the point where there are NO bike magazines I (thats me, not you) like.[/i]

So suggest something. An article, a feature, somewhere to ride, a 'challenge' or event that you'd like to see covered. Submit some pics.

She said it's like a bunch of kids talking at school

My wife thinks it's a load of self-indulgent tosh, largely because of an intro page a while ago where the editor was going on about how he's better than his friends because he's 40 but isn't married and still rides his bike.

Have to admit, I couldn't really argue.

I thought this one was particularly good too.

I particularly liked the story about thrusting £2 at an old man for food with dandelion leaves hanging out of your mouth.

I was not too sure, sort of got use to short-ish articles on a variety of topics in each issue. As a result gave the magazine a quick skim and put it down.

However, with a couple of hours to kill on the train East Anglia to Bristol last week I started to read the magazine. Must say the time just flew by even found myself reading on the tube, missing watching all the people who enjoy living in London looking so happy.

Despite my apprehension the ‘bonking’ article was very good, not that I am interested in CX again good, although the CX, and I agree with ‘Richyb Slovenian article almost unreadable but I found the nutrition article very useful.

When did it come out? Didn't find it in my local shop 🙁

great mag this month - with aspects of riding that most of us can relate to. have to say last month's wasn't great but definite return to form with the curent one. keep up the good work chaps.

Interesting split of opinion.

I thought that it was the best issue for some time - I'll admit that I had been considering not continuing my subscription as I felt that the last few issues had seemed a bit like deja vu, just feeling that the articles weren't particularly attention grabbing and seemed a bit samey compared to previous articles/issues.

The current issue just seemed to get back to what the mag had when it first came out - ie good writing about the mtbing that we (I!) love - the bonking theme was great I thought - it's something that most of us have experienced and being able to relate to the short (mainly) articles (which were well written) was great. I though that the equipment tests were better than they have been too - just more interesting than another bunch of bikes that are essentially nothing new or even all that different fundamentally despite most of the marketing. I guess that's what I felt that the mag did well at the start - it didn't just do the mainstream but rather looked at different bikes (and this isn't about nichemongering - it's just more interesting IMO hearing about new developments/ideas). On that note, I'd love to read a review about internal drive bikes (eg Rohloff, Alfine, Sram?) if any of the editorial team are reading.

On the strength of this issue, I did renew my subs (and I like the free hip flask 🙂 ) so I'm hoping that this is the start of a continued return to form.

I thought it was a good theme given a large number of the articles covered endurance events and riders who had failed! It's a nice change from "overcoming the odds" type stuff. Problem as always is the varying standard of writing, it seems as if an article will make it based on theme/pictures rather than actually being a decent read.

So those who liked the "bonking" theme didn't feel that 17 pages was overkill for what was, in effect, one article (the boundaries between the articles we're blurred to say the least).

Bonking hurts, bonking hurts, bonking hurts, drink more water and eat more carbs. And then for a change, bonking in the snow hurts and riding 'cross hurts.

Reading about bonking hurts...

Realising theres another article about it hurts...

one could argue that all cycling is just pedal, pedal, pedal, freewheel, brake, etc... Doesn't make it boring.

Hit the North was mentioned again, so I'm happy 😉

I want to read about mountain bikes and kit and trails that us normal UK types can ride. I don't want to read about bonking, riding around in Morocco where, judging by the pics, the trails look rubbish, riding around in -40, CX and other seemingly pointless ramblings that you generally find here on the forum.

I think I'd consider myself a "normal UK type", but I am probably quite likely to bonk, ride in Morocco, possibly at -40C and I might even give CX ago at some point.

OK, let me know when you have and I'll retract that statement.

Gotta say it but MBR seems more suited to what I want out of a mag these days!

Gotta say it but MBR seems more suited to what I want out of a mag these days!

What, you believe that you need a 6" Spesh full susser with riser bars and body armour to ride any offroad trails? 😉

I've said it before and I'll say it again - a price tag north of £4 is too much for me, regardless of how nice the paper it's printed on is. Please print it on cheaper stuff and make it cheaper to buy. £4.25 buys a whole book, giving far more reading time and is far more attractive when so much of the content in a bike mag is available over the net (although Singletrack is not as bad an offender as D1rt or MB*K are at this)

Well realistically, its more adequate that a road bike with knobbly tyres and drop bars or a clown bike with odd sized wheels and one gear surely?

What, you believe that you need a 6" Spesh full susser with riser bars and body armour to ride any offroad trails?[i]

Towpaths surely?

Daveyboy... heads up for you.. I'm afraid I'm currently arranging to pay a visit to Ben at Kinetics in Glasgow to spend a day riding off road recumbents with him as a fish out of water feature. I'll give you plenty of notice when that issue is due so you can avoid it. We'll be calling that issue our 'not all mountain biking is restricted to just what you do week in week out' issue. 😉

towpaths are offroad 🙂

Can you cancel my sub issue for that one too, Mark 😉

lol sure.. 🙂

printing on lower weight paper won't decrease the price that much - perhaps a few pence per issue. The cost of printing comes from the printing process, trimming, collating and delivery. The price of the paper is a fraction of the whole cost

A few pence per issue would be a start - how does it manage to be that much more than other mags? (ok only 20-30p, but quite a chunk on an item of that price)

Cheers Mark - that issue will fill me with even more anger than clown bikes and road bikes off road. 😉

As for the person who suggested I submit some ideas - I might just do that. Chipps/Mark/Matt etc - expect a mail off me sometime!