Singletrack Mag – Lightweight Issue AGAIN (Rant content)

For the second issue running we're missing content.

What excuse this month?

Self indulgent and pointless trip to Jamaica-expensive Hotels in Lancs?

You are charging £4.25 for the mag. Please can we have some value for money.

Singletrack Officially: Thinnest MTB Mag of the Year.

Three strikes and you're out!

become a premier member to get the extra content 😉

I thought that too
Seemed to be more adverts than there used to be as well
Its so thin even the postie doesnt bother to read my copy anymore 😉

Agree, only my second subscriber issue and I'm wondering why I subscribed-only arrived today as well.

Count the ad pages and editorial content in the other mags and then reflect on the mere 30% of ads you get in Singletrack! The industry standard is at least 50%. We have a self imposed 33% maximum for ads!

I do get cross at these types of threads knowing just how hard every single member of our staff has worked on this issue in particular.

Haven't checked with my earlier copies but it does seem a bit on the light side.

I get cross when a poor mag drops through my letter box two months running.I can't wait to see the feature on roof racks in next months mag, FFS !

Closed thread coming up.

I always think to myself before I start criticising something "could I do better?" and mostly I keep my mouth shut these days.

So here's a suggestion – a Readers' Issue where all the articles and reviews are written by readers/forum dwellers. Photos too.

It could be awful, it could be great…

thats a great idea stuartie_c

emac65

refund waiting for you if you want it.
01706 813344

FFS!

Drag out an old issue and see if it really does have less content and more ads. Don't have the newest one myself but I'm not convinced.

You should try reading the latest issue of 'Bike' magazine. Probably 15 minutes of reading content in that….

Mark,you've just made my mind up for me….

stuartie_c – Member
I always think to myself before I start criticising something "could I do better?" and mostly I keep my mouth shut these days.

What a pointless statement!

I remember when you could get a penny sweet for a penny…..

Edit:

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. I agree 100% with this:

What a pointless statement!

i always have a look through magazines first at the libary (WH smiths) if there isn`t much in them i dont buy them.

What a pointless statement!

Why?

March 2010 116 pages, march 2009 132 pages, haven't counted the adverts! No one said you didn't work hard, just that it appeared a bit light on content, again.

I thought that it was a bit light in content at first, but then actually its got quite a few good "thinking" articles in it, which do out wiegh the pages of ads and component reviews in the other mags. It took me 15 minutes to read a copy of MBR and I'm still reading STW

Also nice to see its pushing the gender thing with the clothing article and putting Aliegh (Phwoarrr!!)on the main page of the Quants article.

My only gripes are the bike reviews are a bit lightweight and also last month wasn't Chipps' editorial anti upgrade or something and then the long termers article were about pretty much the blingest bikes in history? Would be nice to see the staff long term testing the bike to work article bikes, or mid range component based bikes 😈

Oh and FFS last thing I want is to eat my cornflakes with that rockstar Roland grinning at me…..he does have a FAN CLUB which is bad enough.. 🙄

You are charging £4.25 for the mag. Please can we have some value for money.

MBR is £4.20.

Bargain!

But last month had a 'lightweight' tag on the front cover, and no content too…

stuartie_c:
Why?

For example:

If an electrician wired up a light for me, and when i went to turn it on the microwave started then i would criticise him. I am not qualified to do better, but i know what he has done is wrong. The fact i could not do better is neither here nor there when i have paid him for a service on the very foundation that i cannot do it for myself.

….and of course this is not even getting into the issues of constructive criticism.

stuartie_c – Member
Why?

Because you are (presumably)not as skilled at every possible occupation as those who do it for a living, so it's meaningless comparison.

No way would I expect anyone to pay £50 for a meal I'd cooked for instance, I expect something way better.

EDIT loving the appreciation Jamie 😀

Only read a couple of bits so far but think what I've seen is great. Even liked Mike Ferrentino for once(have I got old enough now to "get" him?).

The Magna Via article is superb. But how the hell could you not know it was there – if it was down here you'd be queueing for days to ride it!

Keep it up chaps.

Strange how peoples perception can be so different cos I thought this issue was good. It's not really a magazine for flipping though while on the toilet, try sitting down with a brew and actually reading it properly and you'll see that the articles make a lot more sense that way!

I liked the B&B article – I've adopted that approach many times at races. 🙂

Its a special weight weenie edition 🙂

Aye, alright. Fair point.

But the main point I was trying to make was "can we do better?" which seems to have been lost by the focus on vilifying my (rather trite) initial statement. Constructive criticism is pretty much what I was getting at – rather than moan, how about we do something positive?

If an electrician wired up a light for me, and when i went to turn it on the microwave started then i would criticise him. I am not qualified to do better, but i know what he has done is wrong. The fact i could not do better is neither here nor there when i have paid him for a service on the very foundation that i cannot do it for myself.

God I hate this non sequitur stuff.

Oooooopsss

Tweets by singletrackmark

The articles are good but are there less of them and or are they shorter, has a thinner mag appeared after the launch of premier content? I don't know and don't have the time or inclination to research the answers, just my perception, right or wrong.

@ stuartie c: I have no idea what you mean.

Oooooopsss

http://twitter.com/singletrackmark

😆 somebody seems a bit upset.

I don't know and don't have the time or inclination to research the answers

..but feel more than comfortable throwing the poo around like a hormonal chimpanzee. Fair enough then. 😐

Dummy out the cot….

Wow, sanctimony, who could have expected that.

Oooooopsss

http://twitter.com/singletrackmark

Cot…toys…out 😀

Bought the last issue the thin one, and it was excellent,gereat pictures as usual, and good writeing,didnt buy last months What mountain bike or this months as theyre full of reprinted reviews and ADVERTS.

Havent been able to find this months copy yet,but await my free complimentry copy(not to hopeful)so wil probably buy it, to suupport this FORUM.

**** forum cocks! Sometimes wonder why we bother! Mark

Ever heard of customer service?? This guy is a PAYING customer! Who is entitled to express on a forum (which he is also helping to support by looking at adverts, which umm, you get more money from)

Jamaica article – only skimmed so far, but looks interesting and plenty long enough.
Gisburn/hotel – original musings (from a soft bugger)
Minx Girl – Always interesting to read baout the folk behind small bikey firms – girl too – bonus.
UP – article on climbs – a wee bit lightweight, but more interesting than Mbr's 10 best climbs (predictable)
Adjustable bike test – OK, a bit more detail would be good.
Good variety of products tested
Nice gallery
Ferrentino – always worth £1 to my mind
Jazz improvisation………nice……
Handlebars test – can't accuse anyone of going light there – yawn
Lights test – 4 months too late
Halifax ride guide – shortest route ever, but interesting.
Mat Hart – best training advice in any bike mag.
Quantocks ride – real folk by the looks

More ride guides might attract some – recycle them like the other mags?
Letters page – errr, no thanks

I'll keep my subs up I think – satisfied, if not dazzled.

Keep up the good work (you grumpy git(s))