I really, really didn't like Tim's chopped off finger though – page 44.

How the heck did he do that???

Cut it on Mark's tongue?

Oooh, that's sharp!

Twitter is the biggest 'up your ass crap' I've ever seen. I imagine you need a Blackberry and a specific model at that to feel 'fitted in to the wavelength' whilst updating?

The next issue should have a free bit of titanium with it for everyone to polish. Happy days 🙂

Eddie fiola – great name, for those that remember that far back 😉

How the heck did he do that???

Cleaning his disc rotas.

What was he cleaning his disc rotas with?
an angle grinder?

Ouch!!!

What was he cleaning his disc rotas with?
an angle grinder?

His fingers.

I've deleted what I've written. I can't be bothered.

That is a policy you should vigorously adhere to

That is a policy you should vigorously adhere to

Very good Steve. 😀

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/single-track-mag-page-44

@mark

nice….

After 4 months of buying most of the mtb mags I settled on STW as my one subscribed magazine because of the quality of it's articles not the quantity. IMO they are better subjects, better written and give more considered views on products than the other magazines. Some of which are blatantly biased towards there bigger rewarding manufacturers.

Keep up the good work STW Team and remember you can't please all the people all the time but you are doing a good job.

1. Don't do a reader-produced issue, it'd be shit.
2. Don't do a forum-dweller-produced issue, it'd be really shit.
3. Quality beats quantity.
4. I like it that Mark gets shouty on Twitter.
5. The last few issues have been some of the best, keep it up.

I thought it was a bit light but having had a bit of a look through it, it does seem to have a better ratio of content to adverts than all the others. And I especially enjoyed the resident grumps article. But I'll still be camping to save a few quid.

I agree with miketually. See playing on bikes is exactly that. The joy I get from it is immense, cos it ticks the same boxes that have always made me happy all my life. Playing in mud – brilliant! Remember those days playing footie on the park where there was a massive puddle, and all the sliding tackles and dives occurred on that patch? Gadgets – LOADS of gadgets, more even than my action man had. Fettling – yahoo, bikes are sometimes like a big **** airfix kit. The adrenalin thing, tick.

And for me singletrack getting delivered is a bit like when my comic came through every week. I can't say that for any other mag.

I look forward to it cos it touches on stuff over and above bog standard bike reviews. I mean ffs, how much can iread about a bike? Benji's article on history of trails – blimey, I've developed an Unhealthy obsession myself for that. The article about the posh break- something else I think when I'm out riding sometimes. Jamaica article- something I've never even thought about, hats off for that. Quantocks feature – genius, an article based on riding with forum plonkers! Nice one.

Not read the whole mag yet, but bits I have read have been good.

I disagree with all this negative crap for one, but of course each to their own.

I get the mag over here in the US, as I am working here for a couple of years. If you want to complain about adverts in mags and editorial stuff take a look at the bike mags here. My US mates can't wait to get their mitts on my Singletrack, as there is actually non biased reviews and decent content compared to the tat that is produced here.

Well, i've enjoyed it so far. A bit indifferent to interviews with clothing manufacturers, amused by the tragedy of middle age middle earth beards, hate jazz, loved the improv article, looking forward to the route guides. Seemed to be a bit light on reviews but, well, winter's always lean.

As to Mark getting shouty, well, sfw? I'df rather see someone get passionate about their product than uptight neurotic middle managers preserving 'the dignity of the company' or whatever. Dignity should not mean soullessness; there is no dignity in beige.

I'df rather see someone get passionate about their product

You can be passionate without being totally unprofessional. Slagging off customers in public is just bad news all round.

as said before.. unprofessional = evil and possibly dangerously unhinged..

string 'em up

there's definitely not many many more important things in life than daft beige etiquette

Just my opinion but the magazine is what it is, the website is what it is, Mark is what he is.
If you don't like it, don't buy it, don't look at it, ignore him.
What does it matter?
Some of you are like a bunch of pansies.
"That shouty man who part owns the magazine that I read and the website message board that I spend far too much time wasting my life using (because we do – we can't deny it) has just referred to us as something nasty (even though he is probably close to a general concensus) on another Internet message board! I'm going to squeem and squeem until I am sick! But I might keep buying the magazine but I won't tell anyone and I'll definitley keep looking at the website 'cos that's free and I might even keep being an Internet message board geek but I'll be somebody new for that".
The thing I don't get is the "Phooarr" at the picture of the lady riding a bike. No offence and I don't mean to offend but I must be missing something. Is the picture different for the occasional purchasers of the magazine than that of the subscribers?
I feel cheated out of my £4:25

It's all very Orwellian.. Only who woulda suspected that big brother would end up being a collection of your peers… (err… I mean customers)

Is th picture different for the occasional purchasers of the magazine from the subscribers?

Well, I can comment on the subscribers' edition but do you mean the one of Fearne Cotton and the 'missing saddle'. I don't normally enjoy the inherent sexism in such photograpnhy but, man, that's an awesome shot.

"Fearne and the 'missing saddle' "

Tell me more! I haven't seen that.

I thought they were talking about the Quantocks feature. I think I've got some pages missing from my magazine. I thought it seemed a little thin this time.

barca2 – Member

"Fearne and the 'missing saddle' "

Tell me more! I haven't seen that.

I thought they were talking about the Quantocks feature. I think I've got some pages missing from my magazine. I thought it seemed a little thin this time.

Must resist gag about missing pages being there but stuck together….

d'oh, too late. as usual.

I do not know if this has actually been raised yet, but has anyone actually weighed the current issue?

njee will have the full weight spec.

Just started reading the latest copy of Singletrack and i am a bit mystified why you chose Jamaica for a trip, the locals don't seem to have mountain bikes just retro things and the STW lot are the only ones with proper mtb's, I may be proved wrong once I have read the article. Doubt its a coincidence that youyr giving Norco the thumbs up seeing as they are spending a lot on advertizing in this issue, and as for twitter utterley pointless IMO only read the comments because I cliccked the link, but what a complete load of bollocks.(Twitter I mean, pointless)

Otherwise I do like the articles but i wish they would point out when reviwing stuff like wheels if they are Tubeless or not, also trying to make sense of the handlebar group test. Overall Singletrack is good & it may not lack in content but some of the articles do make you wonder what ST were thinking. I have a subscription for the mag that I have just renewed, would not cancel it, at least the ride articles don't look staged like other mags, they never seem to get muddy.

barca2 – Member
That is a policy you should vigorously adhere to

😉

. Doubt its a coincidence that youyr giving Norco the thumbs up seeing as they are spending a lot on advertizing in this issue

let's not start down that particular fallacy.
As a reviewer we don't know who is advertising in each issue or how much they've spent. Editorial content isn't altered or edited, what you read in the mag are the reviewers opinions.

I do not know if this has actually been raised yet, but has anyone actually weighed the current issue?

I believe one of the german mags are going to be publishing an in depth grouptest of magazines which will involve full weight data and graphs and everything

;o)

Doesn't the advertising dept talk to to the inhouse Journo's?

Anyway! I'm going nowhere near this particular argument- I got into trouble last time.

hora – Member

Doesn't the advertising dept talk to to the inhouse Journo's?

Have you ever visited "STW towers"? It's a few years since I was last there but even so, if there's a dozen people in the office I reckon 6 would be visitors…

Overall it is good and better than the others but I personally am not enjoying reading nearly as much as I used to. This may well be me as opposed to the mag and as such I was considering cancelling my sub. I have say that marks post is the final straw as such, I don't see it as passionate as others have said. Hopefully in 2010 I'll be to busy riding my bike for any reading!

Perhaps the ST team smoked to much gangjer in Jamaica maaan and got a bit layed back towards content! 😉

It's a bit thin yes, but I agree that the quality of features does seem to be improving.

My heart sank when I saw the jazz piece, but it was actually a pretty good read and not at all pretentious. It's interesting to read what parallels other people draw to MTBing, so long as they're not trying to be somethign they are not.

The hotels piece was a welcome change from all that bivvying nonsense, and the sort of mildly provocative content that I enjoy reading in the mag.

Have long-term bikes been dropped for good or just that month? It's not something I miss reading and when/if pagination increases I'd prefer to see more Grinder reviews in their place.

The Jamiaca feature was actually pretty long, but deservedly so. I've been ill lately and reading some old STs I've noticed that Benji does travel features really well.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into things (based on previous threads like this and comments from ST staff), but it looks to me like changes are being made and ideas bucked up.

Even Ferrentino's column was largely cheery for once. Did you slip him some Prozac?

Keep up the good work guys, I've subscribed all the others and they only lasted an hour at best…

I get several evenings out of STW, much better value!