I have been unable to access the Bike Magic forum since last Friday I think . The home page and other sub sections are still running but not the forum . Is this just my computer or is it just down for maintainance or could it be the end of the road ?

*breaks radio silence for important update*

Your not the only one Neil. The last few posts were on argument territory and had a few agressive/anti social at best words in them and then the forum disappeared. I tweeted BM but was not dignified a reply.

I therefore believe BikeMagic is….. Dead.

The sad thing is that virtually nobody seems to give a sh1t

That place was dying the last time I went on it about 10 years ago!

Agree with dbw, ever since they changed the format imo.
First forum I signed up for and a few of my suggestions were implemented in the early days 🙂

Whilst it’s dying I am getting a Database Error when trying to access the forum, looks like summit broken to me.

I used to frequent BM years ago, but it sadly disappeared up its own fundament.

Who was scrapping Kryton?
The scrap between the French resident and the forest dweller took the shine off it for me a couple of years back, be about right if another scrap kills it right off.

The sad thing is that virtually nobody seems to give a sh1t

If anyone gave a shit it wouldn’t be dying 🙂

Thats a shame. Been quiet there for some time. It will be missed sorta.
Oldnick is that you from jedi skills day? We had an awesome ride after the course with jedi and his mate Atkins.Crashes and tree hitting included.

now that was a day 🙂

All died when they got rid of Mike Davis IMO, and essentially replaced original writing, reviews and articles on the ‘front’ page with the odd cut and paste of industry press releases.

Back in the day when it was brant/scoop/mike running it, it was a really good site, and I’m sure thats what subsequently brought people in to the forums.

I used to visit BM years ago for info etc. Never really used the forum at all. The reviews and info etc- all seemed to gradually slow down so I naturally stop visiting (prob 2005-06ish).

Sad really if true.

Is BM owned by Immediate Media? They’ve just bought the Future cycling titles. Could be about to close Bike Magic.

BM is owned by Factory media.

Old nick – I may have missed a response from the originator but me and “tree dweller” had replied about two separate subjects. I believe it may have been the nature of the words used that lead to the plug being pulled but it was by no means beyond response no 1 yet. Unless it’s an incredible coincidence, I guess BM got fed up. AFAIK no warnings have been communicated.

It sure was jedi. One I wont forget. A few of us from BM on a skills day had a blast mate.Quinny
edited for quinny incase jedi wondering who the hell I am. 😀

Ah yes Quinny .high5

oldnick – Member

The scrap between the French resident and the forest dweller took the shine off it for me a couple of years back, be about right if another scrap kills it right off.

+1

But mike D leaving was probably the final nail. Oh and perhaps the continuous facelifting.

With the lack of use I very much doubt that the forum was worth the hassle in the end.

just had a quick google – Immediate Media was formed by a merger of Magicalia (that used to own BikeMagic, Golf Magic etc) and BBC Magazines. The group still owns the *magic brands (apart from bikemagic that is owned by Factory Media) but has now purchased What Mountain Bike, Bike Radar, Cycling Plus, Road Cycling and a load of related websites.

…Which I think means that the old parent company to BikeMagic now owns many of the main cycling magazine brands with the exception of SingleTrack, Cycling Weekly and BikeMagic which is pretty much dead anyway. Meanwhile STW are launching their first new brand in the form of Grit Cx and Factory Media will need to write off their entire investment in BikeMagic as there’s no market for it now and it’s almost impossible to scale given the lack of a print edition.

Quinny old boy! Jup, it’s that oldnick 🙂
Jedi, I’m hoping to see you later this year with a few mates, how many/few to book a session out?

Oldnick if there are spare places I’d be keen to join…?

Trying to remember the last time I used Bike Magic… not going to miss it, though its death would mean the end to the perfect example of why STW doesn’t need sub-forums.

On a related note.Future publishing (WMB and MBUK) has just been sold to
an investment company for £24 million.And they state

“The disposal of the portfolio of Sport and Craft titles to Immediate Media for up to £24m is a key step in the new strategy to transform Future into a more simplified business, focussing on core verticals with an emphasis on the consumer technology market”

I have no chuffin idea what a core vertcal is but simplified business emphasising consumer technology does’nt sound like ‘we really like mountain biking’ and want to keep 2 separate titles.
Mmmm.If it anything like what Factory Media have done to Dirt,Ride,Dig,White Lines,Boards,Snowboard Uk they are knackered 🙁

Basically it means being a better vehicle for advertising…

(not really but that’s what they’re trying to achieve)

Bikes are generally too difficult to write about from a common group of writers which is what Future are doing now – eg they want one writer to be able to write about all their core verticals’ products – be that TVs, Bikes, whatever.

One thing I noticed about MBUK over the last few issues has been mostly big photos, ads and big photo reviews. I know its always been quite review/ad heavy but within a few minutes I’d literally finished with it. No wonder they seal it up more and more.

From

forest

to

tree

in less than 10 hours – everything that’s wrong with this world…

they want one writer to be able to write about all their core verticals’ products

So, essentially more ‘slightly reword the press release’ journalism

In that case hopefully the bike mags are better off out of it!

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/future-sells-bike-titles-to-immediate-media-co/016443

All died when they got rid of Mike Davis IMO, and essentially replaced original writing, reviews and articles on the ‘front’ page with the odd cut and paste of industry press releases.
Back in the day when it was brant/scoop/mike running it, it was a really good site, and I’m sure thats what subsequently brought people in to the forums.

^^this

Its back up….