OK I’m going to add a little more seeing as this is actually read by the staff (another ST plus!). For me, the opinion and “philosophical” articles are generally the best – they are someone’s considered view on the subject and at least make you think, I find them normally very absorbing. I’m really not a Ferrantino fan, but at least I do read his articles, so something must be right, but he does come across a bit whingey / ultra-cynical for my tastes. Equipment reviews generally offer a good perspective, reviewers generally have actually used / broken them, the bike articles (for me) are usually the weakest, probably due to having read so many elsewhere to be fair to ST. Although where ST is great in that department is reviewing really unusual bikes; if you want to read about the latest big-name big- volume seller, well MBR’s probably promoting them. Keep it up please guys – I always look forward to publishing day.

One thing though, looking at the pics, there appears to be no mud whatsoever in Calderdale! It’s not fair!

""here comes the sciency bit"
Hmm, probably. Whats needed is probably already there and as I find it interesting I 'think' there should be more. Stuff like linking geometry/suspension rates/etc to why how the bike handles/rides etc ..

I'm with stoner on this:
I do think the mag would benefit from some sort of technical feature. It's something I would like (Being an obsessive compulsive mechanic) to see and I'd bet I'm not the only one. Something above and beyond what the other mags run, for sure. 🙂

Mark:

We compete on sales with WMTB very closely and put as much effort, time and skill in to the production.

By this I presume you mean you "sell similar amounts" – rather than try to cater to the same market?

Though of course WMTB is as much a blocking/portfolio completion title as a standalone (it fills a gap that MBUK for future that MBUK doesn't).

I do think the mag would benefit from some sort of technical feature.

Some magazine needs to pick this up and do it with Germanic levels of thoroughness. Though I'm not convinced Singletrack is the right magazine to do that, in terms of how I see it in the market.

It is increasingly puzzling me as to why Gofar Enterprises Ltd only publishes one magazine, after ten years. I think there are other markets and even other areas within the cycling market that could very easily accommodate another Singletrackesque title.

Bravo for the independents.

Yep +1 on more techie stuff, like the Torq articles. Dirt did a small piece on this, quite informative. Performance Bikes magazine relaunched itself a while back and the new mag included a lot more technical info, brought the mag back up again IMO. Even on this forum when you discuss HT frame design you have some very good designers adding their POVs.

I do think the mag would benefit from some sort of technical feature.
Some magazine needs to pick this up and do it with Germanic levels of thoroughness

So we need a bike builder with some sort of background in MTB and journalism…nah no one springs to mind 😆

Germanic levels of thoroughness

Brant? Thorough? yeravingalaff?!?!

😉

I find my self agreeing with everything Brant just said..

WTF?

🙂

can we have more of the bead of sweat running down somebodies leg stuff.
i need reminding why i don't buy the magazine.

I find my self agreeing with everything Brant just said..

…..

Some magazine needs to pick this up and do it with Germanic levels of thoroughness. Though I'm not convinced Singletrack is the right magazine to do that, in terms of how I see it in the market.

Don't listen to him. He throws poo at monkeys.

ST is a perfectly good place to stick a techie-germanic article series. Just put it at the back where the kids wont read it 😉

Ferrentino isn't my cup of tea, but I did enjoy the last one about trail ettiquette.

And as for the picture of Matt on P50; he looks like he has a single digit inside leg! IS it a weird camera angle, or is he really that short?

The training artcles were interesting, other things that would interest me are artiles that allow you to see how other people do things – tips from pro mechanics on ways to make maintenance easier, tips from the current proliferation of riding coaches on how to approach certain types of trail, tips from photographes/videographers on how to shoot riders or POV shots of trals being ridden.

I think the best article from STW was the frame building one – a real insight into an aspect of mountainbiking that is not well known

Mark said:

I'm disappointed at this. We pay a lot extra for better paper, thicker covers (including a pre-scored spine) plus two versions of the cover.

I enjoy the paper quality, and I think the print quality has improved. One of the best things you do is send me a text-free front cover for ever sub issue. Much classier.

I guess that, unless you drop the frequency of publicaiton and/or stiff us on price, you'll never get close to The Ride or Rouleur paper quality. That's going to be the benchmark for printed magazines in time: a sense of full-on luxury.

We compete on sales with WMTB very closely and put as much effort, time and skill in to the production.

I suspect you will never beat their budget. However, I would be keen to know what you perceive the be the resource differential (if any) between the Future output and ST.

I hate the term 'fanzine' that's not what we want to be at all. We may have started off in three 'bedrooms' ten years ago and we are still independent but I'd say we were never a fanzine. If we come over as one then I'm very keen to do everything to prevent that.

I suspect that it was meant as a compliment. Magazines from large publishers have a facelessness about them, a "them and us" feel that ST has never had. It's probably fair to say that ST feels more real, that the difference between writer/publisher and reader/rider is very little.

Sure, it can feel way too clubby on occasion, but that will always be the downside of something that has a sense of engagement with its readship.

Brant said:

It is increasingly puzzling me as to why Gofar Enterprises Ltd only publishes one magazine

You know, old shedfire has a point.

Bravo for the independents.

+1 😀

You know, sod it, I'm going to write something and send it to you. It won't be very good, and it won't necessarily have much to do with mountain biking, but I'll stick my money where my mouth is.

I'm a noob to both mountain biking and STW. The first issue I read/bought was #54 and it was almost enough to make me want to subscribe. If I enjoy #55 as much (haven't been able to get a copy yet at Tesco or Smiths) I'll be subscribing.

What I liked most were the main features where the biking aspect was almost incidental – they were stories of adventure and great weekends or days out. Knowing nothing about MTB'ing (yet), I didn't feel excluded from these stories due to my ignorance. By the same token, I didn't feel like STW was hand-holding in the way that C+ does.

I also liked the photography, the layout, and the quality of the paper.

My only gripe would be the number of typos and grammatical errors.

My only gripe would be the number of typos and grammatical errors.

I still think the chaps should, when up against another issue deadline, simply outsource the proofreading to various of us forum pedants. 😀

:-)To each their own – and everyone is free to read what they like. Which is cool.

Anyway, what I wanted to say was this. At SSUK08 I saw the ST wheels (rubbish ford escort estate if I rember rightly) and it had a sticker on the back that sums this all up for me – SINGLETRACK – THE LARGEST CLIQUE IN THE WORLD )or some such similar phrase.

Made me laugh – I had a copy of the mag in the car. And on the day that was bang on.

I think the magazine is pitched well (it lands square with me) and here is the other thing to note – my wife takes it to the loo for a read as well. This is high praise. High praise indeed.

Keep on doing more of your own thing – I think we like that 🙂

I dont subscirbe to ST, but i get it every month without fail from my LBS.

The magazine itself is much more finished feeling that MBUK, which is too glossy for my liking. The photography in ST is the best of any magazine and the actual word count is much higher than in MBUK (or it seems like it) Mbuk seems to be written for a reader age of around 7; and the best thing about singletrack for me is that it differs from MBUK on this score, in a good way!

I look forward to the magazine every 6 weeks, because every 6 weeks i know the cover will be nice and clean, the photography will be great and the articles superb.

Good job everyone at ST towers, keep up the great magazine!

ignore idiots like "CKT"

I liked this issue – pretty much

Don't particularly like Ferrentino's musings usually & I only got about a quarter the way through this month before moving on

The rest was all good IMO
The 'lighting roundup' was perhaps a little late in the season though

Does anyone read the Rivendell Reader?

http://www.rivbike.com/blogs/knothole_post/186

Mike Ferrentino- the best writing in the mag, from a technical POV and originality, it's the first bit I read.

Quality of paper/production values, spot on. this is really important Ride is better, but it's a 'journal.'

Some inspirational stuff- such as the Great Divide race, well written as well.

proof reading, even I notice errors.

It must be really hard keeping the new ideas flowing, but change and development is good, a static mag would become overly familiar and ultimately boring, I've subscribed since the start and still look forward to each one, and it's great to be surprised and delighted by an unexpectedly new approach, writer or feature.

Every magazine has it's good and bad issues.

I can understand a few requests on this forum asking for more kit tests but I've always liked Singletrack because it always seemed to be more focussed on just getting out and riding bikes than on reviewing overpriced bits of kit. I especially like the way the magazine looks at all aspects of off road riding, including a bit of cyclo-cross, and that while the latest trends are mentioned the main concern of any feature article is what people experience when out riding.

Lets face it, most people can't afford to upgrade their bikes on a regular basis and for a lot of people who read the magazine I'm sure its the riding that matters, not what bike they have. Thats certainly the impression I've always had from the forum. Keep reflecting that mindset in the magazine and you can't go far wrong.

+1 for Mike Ferrentino, 1st thing (after editorial) that I read. His writing in Bike is good as well, nice to have some mature thoughtful pieces.
The Torq fitness articles were good, and the anti-fitness features as well, would like to see more of that kind of thing as well as more on nutrition.
Dont like the big white space at the top of a lot of pages, seems a waste and I find it quite off putting for some reason, more clutter please.
More tech articles would be good as well.

TBH look at the competition.

Dirt is in specific race niche's and the font/layout has always wound me up. Probably look good on your table if non-cycling friends came round.
Pity as its probably got really good content.

Mbr- loves its adverts and (sell! sell! sell! new products)…

It almost feels like Ive picked up the lifestyle equivilient of the Freemans catalogue when I open up a mbr..

Whatmountainbike- is actually better….however why they fill they rear up with the same 'best of each segment' really is cheap, lazy and insulting.

Mountainbikeuk- offers value compared to mbr.

Saying all this- I havent bought a mountain bike mag in months and dont intend to start anytime soon.

I like the mag, overall. I really hope it continues to avoid falling into the trap that too many of the other mags fall into, i.e. spring is on the way so "time for that article on how to lose the winter lard", autumn is coming so "time for that big lights review", basically recycling the same type of article year on year.

Also, the place for kit reviews, news etc. is on the web IMHO: it's a much more immediate medium than waiting for a mag to come out. I'd like to see the print mag concentrate on what (IMHO) it does best: opinion, lifestyle stuff, stuff about why we ride not what we ride, trail features, inspiring photos etc. But then that's not necessarily what sells the most mags I suppose. 😉

Whatmountainbike- is actually better….however why they fill they rear up with the same 'best of each segment' really is cheap, lazy and insulting.

you do understand the phrase "WHAT MOUNTAINBIKE"(?) wasn't picked just to fill the space at the top of the cover?

This is becoming quite an interesting thread and I agree it's a credit to the mag that frank reader feedback is being taken on board.

My two pence on some of the suggestions made…

Tech articles: Maybe, but only if written in an accessible style. NO COMPARISON TABLES.

Riding tips and maintenance tips: No way, the other mags are full of them already.

Ferrentino: He can be perceptive, but for god's sake tell him to stop whinging about the internet.

Subbing standards: Not that bad. WMB make more howlers. MBUK are more contradictory.

Travel features: I like these, both the adventure and the holiday ones – although there were a couple of ropey ones last year, standards seem to have picked up.

Opinion pieces: There are too many for my liking. That one last month about knee pads was a bit thin, particularly.

The pieces I enjoy the most in ST (or any mag) are the ones that successfully share experiences or knowledge with me as a reader – not opinions.

Some items that I've thought were really good: Nick Larsen interview, the guy (Jon Woodhouse?) writing about being an MTB guide, the Great Divide race and the Iditabike from the last mag.

When it first came out-Yes. I remember it being for newstarters/lower budget builds etc. However it seems to have evolved into a dual identity and in parts is actually BETTER to read than mbr as a whole.

Having only read a couple of issues of ST (need to get the latest next time I'm in Tesco…), what I prefer about it is that it seems to be about riding, rather than just reviews like in WMB et al.

I particularly enjoy the articles about trips away riding. Jen's piece on the Great Divide was awesome.

I would love a UK magazine to pick up on some Germanic style testing of components. Perhaps no to the anal levels that they go to, but definitely more scientific than what we get currently across the board.

For example 'stiffness' of frames and forks is often talked out in reviews but we have nothing to go on other than the opinion of the rider. For example how much stiffer is a 20 mm through axle than a 9 mm QR? 15 vs 20? Bolt through fork vs bolt through fork, etc…..

I realise that I have over simplified the whole issue of stifness as an example here and I'm not suggesting that reviews are based on measurable parameter data. However I think there is a place for some articles/info on this kind of thing. I often read on the forum about people getting new bolt through forks that are 'so' much stiffer and so on, is this the case? I would be interested to know.

What MTB is particularly bad for this kind of thing and I don't believe almost anything they say as it seems based entirely on emotions rather than actual fact.

I would love a UK magazine to pick up on some Germanic style testing of components. Perhaps no to the anal levels that they go to, but definitely more scientific than what we get currently across the board.

Yes but also without the excessive use of '!' on every sentance (cough Magura!).

When a mag is running short on content I don't mind a few extra photos.

The photography has always been one of my favourite parts of the mag, and there are often lots of stunning photos posted online which don't find their way into mags – it'd be nice if a few more of them did 😉

I haven't bought the mag in a couple of months to be honest so I can't comment on the last two issues. I do like some of the extended interviews and the stories of events. (I liked the iditarod one recently).

However I really don't get along with the design of the magazine. Yes, the paper is nice but the pages seem empty, and as a result seem amateurish. I know you say you spend time making it feel luxurious but to me it looks cheap. Dirt seems miles better (I am ignoring the "style" but concentrating on layout/design).

Even though I live in the area where the mag is made it always seems like I don't fit into the "clique". I think a reader should feel included but I don't. Cycling Plus is excellent at this. I would like to write something for the mag but feel my stuff wouldn't fit in with the "in" crowd. Maybe it's because I don't ride very often, I don't know, but if I was newish to the sport or the mag I would be put off. I do buy the mag now and then as I like to give it a chance but end up a bit disappointed.

Tests are a little light on info IMHO, and seem to assume people have loads of cash, not much for the lower ranges especially with clothes and components.

I LOVED Mtb Pro (remember? I might have name wrong, it was the one Paul Smith used to write for quite often) and hope it could get to be like that mag.

Photos – I think the best photos of any magazine are in EVO (car mag). Simple but amazing. Even though it's a mag full of supercars it seems to write for everyone, good balance of tech/tests/stories/explanations and pictures. Folk with supercars buy it and enjoy it and folk like me do to. Seems to be a plain basic layout but it really isn't, it's varied and interesting but clear and professional. Excellent.

robdob just grow a big beard. Simples 😆

I can't. I have the facial hair capabilities of a 12yo. I am smooth. 🙂

In the same way you are asked to show ID for beer are we going to have to show some quality beard prowess to purchase ST?

"Sorry mate but you can't buy that magazine, that's clearly a false beard"

Some magazine needs to pick this up and do it with Germanic levels of thoroughness. Though I'm not convinced Singletrack is the right magazine to do that, in terms of how I see it in the market.

I remember the good old days when frames were stripped down weighed and all alignments measured etc…

that was the days when mtb was mtb and no sub genres and disks and shocks and……

Blimey!!! Well here is my brain dump on the topic!

What I like is the hit and miss nature of the magazine? I like the randomness of the mag in a way, I also like dirt for the same reasons really. Let me explain sort of…….

Ie MBR MBUK and WMB are quite simlar and if you read the december 08 issue it will have the same info as the 09 07 and I'm sure 2010 issues!

ST however has a huge mix of stuff each month, I dont like the bivving stuff at all, and TBH thought I cant be arsed to read this bit. But I really like the Ferrento, single page artices and the adventure stuff there was a bit a while back on a race in the himalays brilliant, man and boy brilliant jen hopkins brilliant I like the mosley interview. The training stuff is really good I think. The £100 weekend was a good read. and there is lots more as well.

I think its a thankless task some of you love the bivvy bits and hate the bits I like, we cant even agree on whats a good tyre FFS!! How will they Chaps write a mag thats seen as great by all cover to cover each time!!

The pics are good I just like the proper riding in the UK feel of the mag, and the fact is a bit off the mainstream and commerical track in the same way dirt is I see it a a bit more specialist to a more cowabunga MBUK. (I also think its Sh*te that WMB and MBUK share articles thats just poor I know Brant worked for future so no offence mate but you pay nearly a fiver and get the same article twice)

I like the writing style too and I couldnt care about spelling or the grammar its readable and is IMO a thing to be enjoyed not marked like an exam paper!

Either way keep it up chaps!! I'm in for the forseable future!! (apart form the cross bike reviews and bivving thats just tosh :wink:)

Here goes;
-Interviews – keep them few and far between (an not with riders)
-Travel/Adventure – Great, but balance foreign stuff with UK stuff (nothing worse than reading a holiday brochure with no cash)
-Reviews – Like what you're doing (tho' sometimes more useful pics would be better and more info – not convinced by the Long-termers; may as well log on to the forums to hear someone rant about their current build)
-Quality – Like the subs cover – not sure it would lose much if the mag was on less a quality paper
– Like the fitness stuff, useful without being anal. Enjoyed the mtb vs. fell runner one.
-Sometimes I do think it seems a bit self-indulgent by the staff
– Good mix of articles month on month – better than the usual seasonal stuff.
-Would like to see some cheaper stuff reviewed in grouptests
-Shave those beards off

Stuff I'd like to see?
-Maybe some tech stuff, but make it meaningful – relate it to what that means for the rider in real terms.
-Maybe some stuff on MTBO or whatever it's called now – a Polaris article for eg. Possible takes on this theme – the fun aspect and the navigational/tactics aspect.

One article/series I did enjoy from another mag was them picking and training a team up for a 24hr endurance event and following them through it all – maybe something along those lines?

Enjoying 55. Can I have one of those stickers for my car when you make a load more (and you should – everyone loves a sticker).

TR Out.

In the same way you are asked to show ID for beer are we going to have to show some quality beard prowess to purchase ST?

"Sorry mate but you can't buy that magazine, that's clearly a false beard"