Dave:

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)

Actually i think i have cracked it. What you want is a gauge printed on the spine of the mag. That way it is always easy to check if the publication is the correct width.

Maybe even get the width made an ISO standard.

…and any month it falls short just stuff loads of takeaway menus in there.

German mags! always put full figures in! like magura!! they are really good! for figures!

i bought the mag for the first time (for obvious reasons!) and i thought it was good – i don't get what people are moaning about!

"i bought the mag for the first time (for obvious reasons!) and i thought it was good – i don't get what people are moaning about!"

That has to be the funniest thing I've ever read on here.
They're moaning about it not being as good (or as much of it) as there used to be.
How can you possibly know if you have nothing previous to compare it to?
Hahahaha- superb!

Oh, I nearly forgot – what are your 'obvious reasons!'?

she was in it

Oh, I nearly forgot – what are your 'obvious reasons!'?

Page 101

aleigh:

i bought the mag for the first time (for obvious reasons!) and i thought it was good – i don't get what people are moaning about!

I lol'd. Like out loud and everything.

Is this going to be one of the months top threads in that email update that STW send out?

Slightly O/T.

Why do bike mags use fugly men riders in general? Why not use attractive models for the covers etc?

Its almost like Readers Wives husbands?

Is it to add 'grittiness'?

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

hora:
Slightly O/T.

Why do bike mags use fugly men riders in general? Why not use attractive models for the covers etc?

Its almost like Readers Wives husbands?

Is it to add 'grittiness'?

Tease.

Readers wives husbands? So that would be readers then?

Dunno, perhaps they know their target market?

Maybe because they'd like to suggest that the content of the magazine is aimed at grown ups rather than hormonal 14 year olds (or idiots with the same level of development on or off a mountain bike)?

Hello folks,
Sorry I'm a bit late to this party, but I've actually been riding bikes and things, so I've only just been able to catch up with this thread.

Just to briefly touch on some of the many valid comments on this thread:

First off, the buck for the editorial content of the magazine stops with me. It's hardly fair to criticise Mark, whose main job is to juggle our sine-wave finances (which he does to great effect), on the choice or content of the magazine articles. If you don't like the content of a particular issue, then it's probably my fault. Feel free to call up and rant at me if you like. 01706 814249 is my direct line.

We do read all criticisms and suggestions sent to us (or posted on threads that we see) and, as Mark says, they're discussed in the office when we go through each issue. In terms of the advertising/editorial content, we have a much lower density of advertising compared to other UK magazine (and certainly compared to US magazines where the ratio is a set 50:50. If there are only 40 pages of ads, you get an 80 page magazine.)

The magazine was started by a few people who decided to make the magazine that they wanted to read (because there wasn't anything similar out there) and, to a large extent, that's how it's still done. We're still making it up as we go along – and we still rely hugely on suggestions and submissions from readers, or opportunities that present themselves to us while we're making the magazine. Sometimes ideas work, sometimes they don't. We're not a big publishing house (we produce one title, that's it) so we have neither the time, nor money for big focus groups, or front cover consultants (yes, they have them…) – we just look at things we can do, and photograph and write about and things that we think you might like.

In terms of the thickness of the magazine, we do rely partly on the revenue from advertising to pay for the paper and the printing of each issue. If everyone's saving their advertising money for the springtime, we sometimes might drop pages for an issue or two, to be reinstated again at the earliest opportunity. Like next issue…

Despite the photos of us riding nice bikes in sunny climes, much of the magazine production is sitting in the office until late, writing stuff – though, strangely, no one wants to see photos of that. We do work hard on Singletrack and every issue usually costs some of the staff at least a weekend spent working in the office, and a week of 10pm finishes. It's no wonder that some of us go bonkers occasionally 🙂

Anyway, keep the suggestions coming. I do regularly print articles that are suggested, or written by readers.

Cheers
Chipps

As a subscriber since edition 1 I continue to enjoy the mag, very few poor issues imo. I have thought the last couple of issues were on thinner / lighter paper but can't be arsed to check if my perception is right or not.

Im an online subscriber (the £15 cheapy option) and think thats pretty good value, .
I like the bits I read, and ignore the bits Im not interested in, not realy botherd about reviews of 30 sets of bars, lights etc. but thats me. If I was looking for bars I would…
As has been said before its a hard job writing about bikes n stuff every month and making it interesting for everyone.
Mark might have made a bit of a dick of himself, but Im sure thats better than him saying "the masses are revolting, pass another cigar", and apologised-fair-do's

Its just a matter of personal opinion whether critisism of the latest edition is fair or justified, but what i do know is that sometimes a situation occurs which causes people to take an inward look at the way they do things, and whether thats justified or not, something good normally comes out of it.

Well! What a thread. Think it's run it's course now. Thanks for all the contributions, including the down to earth staff.
Glad Mark got irate at some of the contributers-shows he's passionate about what he does but my point wasn't the adverts v content. I just think the last couple of issues have been light on pages and not up to the usual ST standard.
If the next issues better, I will continue to buy. I never mentioned that there was a lack of hard work or commitment by staffers. Just food for thought and if it brings things into focus as part of a debate, all well and good.

Oh behave!

Do people moan because they are genuinely aggrieved or do they moan because SingleTrack is one of the few publications where the people behind it are easy to contact?

The Sunday Times is a bit of a disappointment when Jay Leno does the car review but I don’t have a pop at the publisher.

I read the mag yesterday. It filled a couple of hours sat on the couch with a brew and a biscuit. Not bad for 4 quid.

Chipps – I personally don't feel that you needed to justify anything, but good on you anyway.

The Sunday Times is a bit of a disappointment when Jay Leno does the car review but I don’t have a pop at the publisher.

Or the Telegraph allows honestjohn to print blatant tripe weekly in the motoring section 🙄

Its a little harsh to rant at Chipps and the guys on the whole as I think the magazine is well written and presented, sure it may be a little light from time to time but so what? Its not some 9-5 Monday to Friday job to run a mag, or in fact anything to do with leisure/sports industry.

If you think you can do better, go off and produce your own magazine. Simple.

Any bike magazine that doesn't have the Doddy 'look, I'm trying hard' grimace in/on it has to be a good thing.

I liked this months – quite a lot to ponder over rather than just skim.

If you think you can do better, go off and produce your own magazine. Simple.

So criticism of any form, constructive or otherwise, would be banned under your regime then? 🙄

I'm only annoyed by the fact that he apologised, especially using such a shit excuse.

Personally if he'd said "yeah well – what ya gonna do about it? Nothing, you'll bitch and moan and come begging for more so get fecked" I'd have been well impressed.

Edit: This is a good indication of why I don't work with the public though.

Since the STW staff do apparently reflect on their humble reader's feedback here's my two penn'orth (is that how you spell it??):

– The last couple of issue's have seemed a bit thin

+ singletrack is still the best bike reading out there barring the ride journal, but that's not comparing like with like

– Marks rant

+ Marks apology

– Free plugs to hotels / b&bs, seems to be one per issue at the moment

I like the mag, it's the only mag I buy regularly and I enjoy it most months. What I've read of this months issue has been good, really grateful for the 3 months premier membership trial with this months issue. Like the extra content you get with the digital version.

The Sunday Times is a bit of a disappointment when Jay Leno does the car review but I don’t have a pop at the publisher.

I had to sub-edit one of his pieces once. It was one of worst-written things I've ever had to deal with. Just be grateful you don't have to read the raw versions!

Just read the Magna Via piece and, with one exception (the phrase, "enough of the nerdy amateur archæology guff," shit man, don't knock down your knowledge) and really enjoyed it.

It's pieces like that which still make ST stand out from the crowd – a slightly different angle on things which makes riding about more than how many inches suspension is the new standard and takes notice of the actual places that riding happens. Acers.

barca – like i care what you think!

magazine is aimed at grown ups rather than hormonal 14 year olds

I have 4 times that age but my development seems to have been arrested…

I have followed ST from the begining and I still think it is one of the best bike mags out there but its strength is its weakness!
What I mean is that the same crew of guys have run it all along and it is sometimes almost a personal blog for them to tell us about there world!
Which I sometimes like but every month it can become bland.
St needs more contribution from a bigger field of bike journos or people with something else to say other than bivvy's or riding round Hebden.
I haven't read all the previous posts and I dare say I won't so I hope I haven't repeated whats been said.
Why doesn't it try having guest editors and dare I say having lived in other parts of the colonies some contributions from OZ and NZ. There are alot of readers from those places who would like to share whats happening.
At the end of the day it is only mountain bikes and there is so much one person can say all the time, so spread it out and see what happens.
Long live ST but less navels more horizons!

Interesting thread.

Something good has come out of it for me at least. I've always thought the mag was a great read and I'd buy it maybe three or four times a year. The rest of the time I've been a skinflint and read other peoples cast-offs…just getting through the December '09 one atm, which has an article that got me completely lost in a dream somewhere in the USA a few evenings ago. Absolutely great piece and that article alone would've been worth the cover price for me.

This thread, particularly Marks outburst (for which I can't blame him – I'd prolly have done the same, and then kicked myself for doing so) has reminded me that there are real people behind the mag, passionate for what they do, and lucky enough to have been able to make it their career.

So now I'm gonna stop being a skinflint and subscribe. Doubt I'll be the only one to do so. 🙂

I ignored this thread because I thought it was yet another thread about lightweight gear…

I'm amazed at the unusually low ad:copy ratio (though I wouldn't mind more ads if it just makes the magazine thicker and more profitable), I'm generally very impressed by the standard of writing (so many niche magazines are appallingly low-brow and lazily edited) and I think the £35 all-singing-all-dancing subscription with downloads of dozens of back issues is fantastic value for someone that's new to the magazine. It'll be months before I've read them all.

My only gripes with this issue is that the review of the Lupine Tesla felt like a regurgitated press release and the bit about Gisburn felt like no-one had bothered to ride the routes. But minor ripples in a sea of enthusiasm and competence! I'm all too aware that magazines fundamentally exist to make you spend money on gear (and thus make money from related advertising) so it's rare to see a small magazine which dares to frequently publish articles suggesting you stop shopping and start riding. Long may it continue.

Just on the ads…I had the misfortune to be in the DRs surgery today, and was flicking through the March 2010 issue of GQ magazine, P. 61 before anything that wasn't an advert or the contents page.

I subscribe to help pay for the website. If the mag is good, it's a bonus. STW is well worth £30 quid a year.

Chipps editorial, good subject, never though about a bike wheel vs binbag fight though!!

boxelder – Member
Jamaica article – only skimmed so far, but looks interesting and plenty long enough.

Interesting, but a "once in a lifetime" trip for most of us

Gisburn/hotel – original musings (from a soft bugger)

Or a prolonged advert for hotels in the NW of England promoting themselves as bike friendly – love to know what security or drying facilities they have.

Minx Girl – Always interesting to read baout the folk behind small bikey firms – girl too – bonus.

Agree, good article, some hidden advertising no doubt

UP – article on climbs – a wee bit lightweight, but more interesting than Mbr's 10 best climbs (predictable)

Could have run for longer

Adjustable bike test – OK, a bit more detail would be good.
Good variety of products tested
Nice gallery

Agree, the bike test mentioned a lot about getting the set-up right, but then didn't really mention how to get the set up right

Ferrentino – always worth £1 to my mind

Possibly the best article in the mag this month

Jazz improvisation………nice……

WTF?? Look at me, I can play Jazz 7 ride a bike…..

Handlebars test – can't accuse anyone of going light there – yawn

apt content for an MTB magazine

Lights test – 4 months too late

obviously couldn't drop the number of lights featured so we "suffer" Two light tests in two months, as Boxelder says too late in the winter season to be of much benefit

Halifax ride guide – shortest route ever, but interesting.

Liked this, this was almost a true "local knowledge" type article

Mat Hart – best training advice in any bike mag.

Mat Joked a couple of months ago about getting told by the editor he was being too technical, this months article was again slightly lightweight, Mat, write what you want to, some of us can understand big words.

Quantocks ride – real folk by the looks

More ride guides might attract some – recycle them like the other mags?

Agree, more riding info.

Letters page – errr, no thanks

Agree, isn't this what the forum is for?

Hats off to mark for his apology, but world of difference between thinking such a statement & commititng to the written word. Nice to knwo where magazine subscribers and forum users sit in the scheme of things.

If I'd not been in hospital for the last few days I'd probably have rung subs on Monday and cancelled, but have decided to defer for a month, hopefuly next month will see delivery on time and normal content resumed.

My 10 cents to this is I sat down in the shop the other day and tried to read an old copy of Dirt Magazine…and I actually couldn't. I couldn't work out where the ads stopped and the articles started!! So I ended up just flicking through it and looking at the pictures…I prefer a lightweight mag I can read than that!

My 2p worth… I'm a subscriber and think the mag is great. As far as I'm concerned it's high quality in terms of the print, has some really excellent photography and is clearly written by enthusiasts rather than those with a commercial interest. Might not be perfect every issue but it certainly ticks a lot of boxes.

march is top notch.

magna via is exellent worth the money on its own. i love the content & is a mile away from the glossy shite i got bought a years subscription off at crimbo .

plus they ride/test & reside in some of the best riding to be found.

I think the mag is great – online and in hard copy. It's different to every other publication and the advertising ratio is very balanced. I'd suggest everyone that isn't happy with the niche filled by STW should start their own magazine forthwith. However,

Mark – I don't think your apology was required at all and it wasn't really a rant. Fair comment if nothing else – no need to apologise for that. I'd be a tad less polite in your shoes……

Chipps – fair play for giving out your direct number – but again the content has been great and the magazine is still a success and a great read. Keep up the good work!