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Been thinking of pulling my subscription for a while now. Each month the mag only lasts an hour at most of easy-paced reading, and most of it is just isn't inspiring.
The race issue was a total crock, I actually wondered if any of the contributors had been to a race in the last ten years.
Bike reviews also getting irritating, last months test of Ti hardtails for fashion monkeys, and this month's test of 4x bikes that made them all sound awful to ride.
Yes, I'd love to contribute, I even have some ideas that are probably worthy of more than just a blog post. Must get round to actually writing those...
I haven't read the latest, but I find ST typically tends to miss the mark when it becomes somewhat lost in its own uniquely irreverant and 'down-to-earth' ethos...
There's a fine line between doing this well - and producing an engaging magazine, or simply ending up with endless pages of waffle that are of little or no interest to anyone.
Unfortunately, most of the time I find it tends towards the latter. 🙁
I didn't think I would enjoy it because of the interviews, but actually did. I get the impression that most of the contributors riding is changing/evolving (at least thats the impression the mag gives) to more jumpy/dh/all mountain stuff (seen in articles, types of bikes reviewed and long-term bikes). Personally I would prefer a more xc bias; if i wanted jumpy/dh I would buy mbuk.
WTF was that primary school summer holiday collage? Sorry, waste of paper.
First of all "No, I certainly couldn't do any better but I'm going to comment anyway!"
The interviews were quite interesting but a bit lightwieght, the SRAM one seemed to be full of 'oooh we can't tell you just yet-isms', the designer bloke didn't seem to have much to say, and the Danny Mackaskill one could have been more informative too.
Obligatory 'foreign trip' article was good, nice to read about other places.
Long term tests, don't seem to be saying much these days
4x bikes, nice review and food for thought about what 'we' use and why
Readers pics, don't really bother me, there's bike photos aplenty on the web - maybe better to have a readers phots section on the site - then comments/feedback can be given ?
Overall, I still find stw a good inspiring read but the special issue thing does seem to be getting, well a bit "Special"
Anyway, it's still the only mag I buy and for me the only one that makes you want to ride rather than buy stuff 🙂
Haven't even opened it yet, 'cos it hasn't arrived yet.
This is due to the posties being on strike yet again
Does the 'summer in pictures' article have some fancy fade in/out to it? Or was my copy just shitly printed?
Every month my fave bit is the Mike Ferrentino (is that the right name?) column. This month I too opened the mag and felt underwhelmed.... probably because I hate reading interviews. Interviews are the bits I always leave out so a "interview special" was never going to float my boat. . Mr F was his normal high quality self and it redeemed the issue for me.
Singletrack issues are very marmite and this one, sadly, is one of the "hate it" variety.
I subscribe so I can help pay for the website, where would we be without it?
TBH........
I've only ever bought ST 3 times, and aquired a few more old copies of mates.
The photography is/was shocking, think the lowest of the lows was a picture of a rider in the peak district that looked like it was taken from miles away with a camera phone/disposable then blown upto A3. I couldn't even identify the track, and I lived there at the time!
As for the idea of them reviewing DH bikes, why?
a) Thats not your target audience
b) having seen that video of one of them riding a kona (stinky?) over some rocks, I'm less than convinced your in a position to comment on them anyway!
c) Even DIRT, a magazine almost entirely devoted to the things admits they'r both subjective and depenant on the combination of rider/shock/fork.
I've been pretty underwhelmed by the mag for the last two or three years to be honest. When it started it looked fresh and completely different to everything else printed in this country, but after a few years, it looks like there's only so many ways you can rewrite the same few articles, and shoot the same pics.
Having said that, Ed-O's product tests seem a cut above the rest, and I quite like the other bits he's written as well.
Have to agree a bit with Rich.
The fork test also puzzled me. They test forks with 3 types of bolt through axle yet never once describe how the different axle systems work or the relative merits / drawbacks of each type. Some of us still run regular QR forks and might like to learn something!
Then elsewhere in one of the reviews there was mention of "breaking" (used in context of pulling a handlebar mounted lever to slow a bike down)....
Has anyone on here considered that they are no longer the target audience of the magazine?
Since first getting into STW, my riding has evolved (generally away from MTBing, as it so happens, as it appears has that of the main and key contributors to the magazine, whose riding preferences have changed.
I think the magazine has improved over time (though I do wince at some of the language and grammar), but also it has stopped speaking to me in the way that it used to. Now, I'm much more interested in, say Rouleur, or The Ride, as they capture much more of what speaks to me about cycling.
It's a case of "it's not you, it's me". And so, I cease to be the target audience, with the result that I'm less drawn to it (though I seem to retain my sub in support of an independent cycling publication).
I'd like to comment but my direct debit doesn't appear to have worked 🙁
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been said before but it does
s still all big bore exhausts and go-faster stripes.
fwiw I still like stw and have also gone back to mbuk after a good few years of not buying it. I am always amazed at how the producers of any mag can dream up the ideas month after month
I seem to buy most of the MTB mags out of habit these days and that includes ST.
The last few that I've brought haven't got their hooks into me like ST mag used to and to be honest the 'lets pat our mates on the back' angle that they've always had seems to have got even worse since the mag went monthly.
If I manage to get a grip on my habit I think ST will be the first one I drop.
The only problem with cutting my habit back is my riding buddies in the US (who I send my mags to after I've read them) will be forced to start buying US MTB mags and they are, on the whole, really awful.
My subs copy just arrived today and I've just had a flick through it. 5 million interviews - I'm not inspired to sit down and read it really. Looks dull. Thought about cancelling my subscription after the lest issue, and I'll do the same this time but probably won't cancel again. Doesn't look a great read to be honest.
[i]This was the Interview Issue in the whole themes scheme of things.[/i]
Sticking all the interviews in one issues really isn't the greatest idea in the world.
Maybe the fact that the singletrack mag arrived the day after cycling plus and rouler mags didn't do it any favours. Both much better mags in my opinion.
Mine hasn't turned up yet but the last few issues have been disappointing. I've subscribed to DIRT recently and the sheer enthusiasm and unpretentiousness of most of the articles makes me want to get out and ride, whereas singletrack makes me feel middle aged, dull and slightly geeky - which to be fair I am, but I'd rather not have it pointed out 😕
I reckon there's only so much you can do differently every issue. I would rather have six issues a year, quality over quantity. Leave the others to monthly issues.
We aren't monthly. 8 issues a year.
Some interesting comments. Cheers
Alright, not monthly (a bit strange how I've perceieved it as coming around a lot more often than 8 times a year), but hardly a good sign if 'just' an extra 2 months are sapping the ideas well so.
Still, at least you haven't had to resort to stories on those go-cart things (or whatever they were) again!
Have to say I recieved my first issue through the post and its missing something? Normally I find lots to catch my attention ... But its flat this month
I've only had a flick through this month's so far, and read the Norway article. It immediately struck me how many interviews there were, and I'm sorry to say that typically they don't excite me much.
There also seemed to be less photo pages (apart from that collection of all the small images). And were there less of the 1-2 page short articles too? In fact come to think of it, isn't there even less reviews than normal?
At least there isn't a fitness article!
I like reading the articles about the big rides, like the Norway one, but it's always good to balance it out with a UK based one too. I also really generally enjoy the photography and often the short articles - eg Everything Will Go which was great.
Please note that all this has been based on a [i]skim[/i] through.
I'll give praise as appropriate later if I'm wrong. 😉
It immediately struck me how many interviews there were......
To be fair they've sold it as an interview issue this month, though in my ever-so-humble opinion its one that seems to lack the usual effort.
I have enjoyed some of the more heart felt articles (maybe because I'm a girl?) the man and boy one was very touching, a couple of issues ago I think. My husband is a step Dad too and riding together can help bond a relationship. You cant please all the people all of the time, but ST on the whole does a good job. I have contacted ST a couple of times about maybe running a small article on disabled riders and people who build special custom built bikes for them etc ( as we have an autistic son and found getting a bike for off road XC riding near impossible). It would be something different and very inspirational but thus far have had no reply (tut tut). Keep up the good work.
I wish they'd stop banging on about 4X and downhill - not target audience.
How about an issue of reader contributed stories - then get feedback on that? I'd rather read about what real people get up to than read interviews of randoms.
Seems everyone is too busy grooming beards at STW towers...........
kept me awake on a rush hour train ride
It would be interesting to see some considered response from the magazine's editor / staff.
They do print stories from us mere mortals. A few years ago they printed one of mine.
So if you don't try you'll never know if it could be you.
Oh and I don't have a beard.
Should I try and bribe ST to print a story about disability, or threaten to cut off some beards!
To be honest, I actually enjoyed the interviews this month, sorry folks, but I did.
Usually after reading I,ve felt the need to drop whatever I was doing and go ride but for the last couple of months is been a bit of a dissapointment.
This though, is sadly true, this is one of the things that first attracted me to ST.
I am hoping though that Chipps trip will make for a cracking issue.
[i]To be honest, I actually enjoyed the interviews this month, sorry folks, but I did.[/i]
No need to apologise, I'm sure people will like it.
Just had another look through it and I'm struggling to find an article I want to read - bolt thru forks, 4x bikes, limitless interviews, I'm not getting this issue at all.
Loulabella you should come up to Ae Forest this Saturday for the all-abilities bike day and write an article yourself. I am sure with your perspective it would be very interesting.
as slowjo, I subscribe to help finance this place. There's 4 unopened ones on the shelf. I'll get round to reading them one day no doubt.
As someone who is aiming to get into teaching cycling for a living, an article about cycling for the less abled and possibly the disadvantaged would be of interest to me.
The problem with most of us on her is that we are a very small cross section of society, white, middle-aged, middle class etc.
As i aim to get into teaching/promoting cycling to different sectors of society i would be very interested in how various groups/organisations are going about this.
Of course, this is a somewhat different matter to mtb'ing and possibly not appropriate to the mag.
Not much to excite this issue, been a few this way recently.
Considering canceling my sub.
STILL haven't got my subs issue 👿
For anyone who wants to have a go at submitting words.
I'm looking for people to write 200 ish words on the "Joy of filth", you know getting the most out of grim conditions.
If you fancy a go don't post it here, email me dave@singletrackworld.com if it makes a point well it goes in the mag....
Would an article on adventure racing (both 24hr and expedition length) and the biking elements/endurance part of that be of any interest ? I write a fair few articles for other mags here (endurance sport, multisport, V02Max and Wilderness) so have a few things that might be or general interest to 'bikers'. My background is XC racing but generally i just like to ride my bikes a lot, everywhere 🙂 Just seems (through organising events now) that theres a lot of biking people wanting to do a bit more ?
And while I'm on that subject, have a look at Spoke which is a NZ magazine. I like it even though some of the content isn't 'me'. Good photography, articles, info - has come a long way and is brilliant.
I liked this issue, but then I always do. I'm not sure people realise how much effort goes into each article - the Oregon piece Dave Smith and I have in there this month was a metric f*ck-ton of work; sure, it was punctuated by bike riding and beer drinking, but I know a lot of effort and energy went into it from both of us. The other articles in there are no different I'm sure.
Cheers for your comments all. We do read them all and we're always looking to move the magazine towards things that will interest many of our readers. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we don't, but we do try - and we do listen.
If anyone's still waiting for a reply to an email they've send in the last couple of months, I'm still wading through 470 or so unread emails at the moment, so I hope to get back to you soon. Feel free to give us a call too if you're not getting an answer quickly enough. Unfortunately it's a busy time here, what with Eurobike, Interbike and the London Cycle show in the middle of deadline time again. Talking of which, come and say hello at the Cycle show if you're around in London in October. It's always good to hear everyone's comments in person. If you can't make it, then our email addresses are all in the mag, or around here.
The front cover is over exposed by about two and a half stops. That's the point a which my expertise ends.
Haven't read much more yet - looks like there is enough to read, just lots of interviews.
Having read the summary on the website before I received issue 52 through the post.
And I quote
[/i]'it’s been a particularly difficult issue to do due to various people being unavailable to contribute'[i]
I did think then that the magazine wasn't going to be very good this month, what with being full of interviews. having now received it I was saddly correct.
Seems to me it was never planned for an interview edition, but put together out of desperation to fill the pages?
Yes people do take holiday's in July/August...did this really come as a surprise..
As a general comment it seems over the past 3 or 4 editions things appear to be getting a little stale at STW towers.
As said above - Don't let the quality and/or standards slip due to the increase in copies per year
School report persona: Must try harder!
Its possible to go mountain biking with an autistic child, well at least some hardy off roading! I have never seen one of these they are only availible in the USA, I want one!!!
Then maybe I would have an interesting article:)[img] 
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