Picked up the latest copy of MBUK yesterday. Wasn't particularly bothered about the freebies, but I'm absolutely astounded at how crap they are.
A horrible, itchy, short lanyard (which seems to come free every other month), and a silly little box that's supposed to be a wallet, but doesn't even close properly.
Kinda reminds me of the cheap tat that comes with my 5-year-old daughters Barbie comics.
What's the worst cover-mounted freebie you've ever come across?
they sound better value than the magazine.
Who was it that did the plastic rain cape thing? MBR? It was more like a split bin bag!
Ah yes, I still have that rain cape at the bottom of my camelbak I think... if it's survived 18 months of sitting there
Mint sauce keyring.
Its a copy of a jimmy wallet http://www.globalbike.co.uk/products/Jimi-Wallets.html
Which I thought could have been better executed but it now live sin my camelback to keep my leather wallet in better condition and my money dry.
Mint sauce keyring
Can I borrow it?
Yep,the rain cape was MBR, I also still have one lurking in the bottom of a bag somewhere.
They also did a clip on red LED light that worked for about a minute.
In their defence, the MBR bottle opener that lives on my campervan keyring has seen a lot of action though.
😆 @ tomhoward!
I remember a fair while back getting some tyre levers and a multi-tool from one of the magazines, they were both made of cheese and served no purpose other than adding weight to my pack.
My missus worked for BBC wine magazine, they decided to send out samples of wine as a freebie in a sachet stuck to the mag inside the polythene outer, nice idea until you realise that Royal mail use franking machines that burst the sachets with red wine soaked mags being delivered!
they gave that one up 🙂
PC Zone once provided a "mouse cleaner" as a free gift. It was a hard plastic thing with a short handle and a small dimpled ball on the end.
This was back in the days when computer mice had balls inside them. The idea was that you took the ball out of your mouse, stuck in the cleaner and twiddled it around a bit to get the gunk off the rollers.
Except it did nothing of the sort. I think that PC Zone actually ended up apologising for supplying such a cruddy free gift and promising that their next one would be better.
FTW I once found an old 'top shelf' mag in the work, you do not want to know what was on the cover but the OPs statement of (ever come across) would be apt. 😆
you do not want to know what was on the cover
After that comment, I know I dont want to to know, but am morbidly curious..
MBUK flip-flops. Haven't bought an MTB mag for years and get them 2nd hand; after seeing the flip-flops I swore never to read that particular rag again.
I miss Doddy's gurning.
you do not want to know what was on the cover
I'd be more concerned about what holding the pages together
You buy MBUK?
The free t shirt that never arrives.....yes STW I'm looking at you.
You buy MBUK?
Only for the freebies...
The free t shirt that never arrives.....yes STW I'm looking at you
don't forget the discount card
Slightly OT - how easy is it to cancel a mag subscription? I'm thinking of doing one for STW and Dirt but I can't see any T&C's on cancellation.
i considering cancelling the STW sub as I never got the discount card. its been a long time now, renewing subs should get the goodies as well as new subscribers i think.
I'm thinking about writing to Dirt Magazine with a special offer.
They send me the mag proof 24 hours before each print deadline, and pay me £1 for every spelling mistake, typo, grammatical error and glaring non-fact I find. It helps them and a nice little earner for me...
Discount card? an urban myth, surely?
To be fair MBUK is a comic.
PC Zone once provided a "mouse cleaner" as a free gift. It was a hard plastic thing with a short handle and a small dimpled ball on the end.This was back in the days when computer mice had balls inside them. The idea was that you took the ball out of your mouse, stuck in the cleaner and twiddled it around a bit to get the gunk off the rollers.
Except it did nothing of the sort. I think that PC Zone actually ended up apologising for supplying such a cruddy free gift and promising that their next one would be better.
I miss those days when you had to clean your mouse, it was like squeezing a good plook or getting a particularily big dry bogey out..
I seem to remember MBUK gave out some free Mint Sauce beermats...
That is no go hels - going rate is about £1.50 a page. Pay peanuts, get ...
edlong - MemberThey also did a clip on red LED light that worked for about a minute.
I've had 2 sets of those from the future rag, both still working well and pretty handy.
Occasionally you get something half decent- I use the Wiggle shoe bags frinstance- but it's mostly free because it's crap. The MBR allen key is genuinely the worst tool ever made, actually beats those flat spanner things you used to get with bikes.
falkirk-mark - Member
FTW I once found an old 'top shelf' mag in the work, you do not want to know what was on the cover but the OPs statement of (ever come across) would be apt.
Can I borrow it?
Well, they clearly have monkeys, the magazine is rife with errors. But I guess the readers neither notice nor care.
davosaurusrex - Member
To be fair MBUK is a comic.
It's a catalogue innit? 😆
MBUK once gave away AIDS, but it broke before you even took it out of the packet.
I got some 'socks' free from MBUK or MBR, which are so small that they won't even fit my friend's freakishly small pixie feet (so small that she buys child size shoes).
OTOH, the MBUK bottle opener from about 5 years back is still on my key ring, and the bullet valve caps from about 10 years ago are still on my bike 🙂
MBUK flip-flops. Haven't bought an MTB mag for years and get them 2nd hand; after seeing the flip-flops I swore never to read that particular rag again.
How could I have forgotten the flip-flops? They were about as bad as this months freebie.
I'm thinking about writing to Dirt Magazine with a special offer.They send me the mag proof 24 hours before each print deadline, and pay me £1 for every spelling mistake, typo, grammatical error and glaring non-fact I find. It helps them and a nice little earner for me...
To be fair to Dirt - the number of spelling mistakes has decreased considerably over the last year or so. There are still some articles that read like a drunken diatribe, but that's part of the charm with Dirt - it's written by people who are daft about bikes turning their hand to creating a magazine, as opposed to some other mags (What MTB and MBR specifically) that seem to be written by proper journalists who are only half-interested and just resort to cut'n'pasting press releases.
[b]Picked up the latest copy of MBUK yesterday. [/b][s]Wasn't particularly bothered about the freebies, but I'm absolutely astounded at how crap they are.A horrible, itchy, short lanyard (which seems to come free every other month), and a silly little box that's supposed to be a wallet, but doesn't even close properly.[/s]
[b]Kinda reminds me of [/b][s]the cheap tat that comes with[/s][b] my 5-year-old daughters Barbie comics.[/b]
FTFY.
The MBR rain cape is by far the worst free gift I've ever seen on a bike mag, if you exclude the Evans catalogue that they all used to bundle in.
However, the MBR bottle opener that is the size of a credit card is easily the best as it lives permanently in my wallet.
Kinda reminds me of the cheap tat that comes with my 5-year-old daughters Barbie comics.
What's the worst cover-mounted freebie you've ever come across?
Do grown ups really buy magazines?
The Mint Sauce calendar used to be the reason to live! They were amazing! 🙂
A wood working magazine gave away a piece of wood so you could make your own pencil.
Broke my last free MBUK Milk tyre lever earlier this year - must have been 10 years old.
Only threw the Mint coasters away last month when I moved house 😀
Rust got to the bottle opener though and the wallet fell apart.
Still using the rear light on the tourer and all the free socks fit fine. 🙂
The cape was the worst - less than useless.
I miss Doddy's gurning.
It's all about the "pout and stare" these days - check his twitter profile pic....
MBR bottle opener was defo the bestest.
Out of interest: does anyone know anyone who's ever bought those mags where you build an actual size model of an F-16, or a U boat, in 6000 weekly installments?
Every time I see them advertised I wonder who the hell would even contemplate buying them? I've come to the conclusion that it has to be some form of convoluted tax evasion vehicle. Anyone....?
I (well my dad did for me) did about 20 yrs ago. Built an airfix tornado 🙂
Probably cost as much as a real one!
Out of interest: does anyone know anyone who's ever bought those mags where you build an actual size model of an F-16, or a U boat, in 6000 weekly installments?
Free with Issue 1: the sole of the captain's left shoe*
Special Introductory Issue Price - just 50p**
.
.
(* Heel to follow in later issue).
(** Standard Price: £9)
A newsagent mate told me once that, with those series things, the number of people buying each issue dropped off rapidly - when it got too low the publisher just cancelled it and if anyone moaned they sent them a refund. Still very profitable.
Mint sauce keyring
Can I borrow it?
No. I'm going to use it to make some cufflinks that may end up looking more like roadkill than a cartoon sheep and then attempt to rip off some poor saps who think sheep shaped cufflinks would be a good idea*
*they were cufflinks weren't they?
No. I'm going to use it to make some cufflinks
Oooh I may be interested in a pair. How much and will I have them by christmas? 🙂
Depends. Which Christmas?
Which Christmas?
Jones?
MBR bottle opener was defo the bestest.
Still have mine!
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Still got mine as well Bravissimo. Its seen some action too 😀
Not sure whether I've just forgotten or never figured out what the other slot is for...
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Its a very valid question!
Wudyajusslookatitdough.
Innit lovely. 🙂
I thought it was some sort of spoke key thingy.
Brake disc straightener?
I thought the flipflops were suprisingly robust for something you get on the front of a magazine. I have a few bottle openers from mags which are ace. That bright green "puncure pod" thing lives on albeit closed with an elastic band nowadays, and I have had loads of gear cables and energy bars/drinks oevr the years. I like the pretend Buffs, but not so fussed about the union jack one on MBUK this month.
Small freebies that are made well are best (ie small stuff you might just pay a quid or two in a bike shop for), rather than the walllets, multitools, bendy tyre levers ie all the stuff you probably have but paid a bit more for examples that actually work.
spoke key
yep still got mine with me right now . . .
worst was mbuk multi-tool, fell apart into a 100 pieces as soon a i tried to use it . . .
mbuk is a lot better nowadays
Don't think it's a spoke key- I've got a Coors Light one somewhere that has the same wee thing on the edge.
never figured out what the other slot is for...
To open ringpulls i thought, so as not to damage ones nail extensions.
That wallet thing in the September issue of MBUK has to be the worst freebie ever.
To open ringpulls i thought, so as not to damage ones nail extensions.
Yep. For the ladies.
Or at least the sort of ladies that prefer a can of Super to a bottle.
Ah, I see. Immagonna use it on my next can. I've just had a manureicare.
Yeah I've always pictured you with a French tip darcy 😉
You're clearly masturbating too much Gee2DaEss 😀
Dammit, did I forget to turn my webcam off again?
Don't judge me! It's perfectly natural. 😳
And the spaniel likes it.
Out of interest: does anyone know anyone who's ever bought those mags where you build an actual size model of an F-16, or a U boat, in 6000 weekly installments?
that was a running gag in the Museum of Everything. "Build your own lifesize France over 62,000 weekly part works..."
Bravissimo. Its seen some action too
Pretty much what it's for, no? I assume you mean the catalogue?
Did MBR not also do a flat bottle opener, that was useful...that rain cape...Also STW; WHERE IS MY DISCOUNT CARD!
I *think* I may have the only STW discount card. In. The. World. *smug face* 
I got a "credit card" sized card with my STW sub, is that the fabled discount card? Goodness knows where it is though
Tom sorry to rain on your parade, but I also have one of those discount cards! There may be more too.
'This is my STW discount card. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Without my STW discount card, I am nothing. Without me, my STW discount card is nothing.'
you lot cant be drinking too much beer (expensive wine i suspect), my bottle opener was all good till about a year ago when i realised it wouldnt open bottles anymore because it had literally worn away...rubbish
The MBR rain cap was "won" by the most pathetic crasher in our group and had to be worn in the apré ride pub
I keep my MBR rain cape in the bottom of my bag for emergencies. Hope I never need it in anger!
I still also use the flat MBR bottle opener/key ring at work. I letter stamped my name into the back of it so I get them back [s]if[/s] when lost.
I have a ST discount card. Never used it but have one.
Also have an old flat freebie bottle opener. Use it to open paint tins. Its great.
Surely the worst thing about an MBR or MBUK free gift is the magazine attached to it?
X-Ray glasses free with the Beezer in the 60's
Well chuffed with them until they split and found it was just a feather between the coloured selophane that made me think I was looking at everyones skeletal forms
In my defence I was only about six years old
I have a ST discount card. Never used it but have one.
Likewise. I've never seen the free t-shirt/socks/golden-snitch though. 😀
*sits stroking STW Premier Card whilst wearing STW t-shirt and little else*