I would.

I don’t think Mark is saying that is likely in the short term, but like a lot of us right now it seems they are facing some issues. It would be a crying shame if we ever lost this place but perhaps we can take some small steps to make that less likely.

If you can afford it and I absolutely get that lots of people can’t, maybe consider subscribing, donating or buying some merch? If you can’t or simply don’t want to, that is absolutely fine too. It would be nice to keep this thread positive, encouraging and free from negative vibes. Ta muchly 🙂👍

Yep, I’d miss it.
I’ve said this a few time, this place has helped me in so many ways, from mental health to holidays, from bikes to buying houses. The people on here, with the odd exception, are a wonderful bunch.
I’d miss it hugely if it went.

Time and again, the forum proves to be a massive wealth of knowledge and support and laughter.
I’d miss it a lot.
It’s the only bike press I look at.

Yup,I would miss it.
I like the mix in this fruitcake.

I would.

Ok, lots of “I would miss it”.
Hands in pockets if you are able.
APF

I would definitely miss the sartorial advice. Also, it’s nice to have a fantasy world to visit where mountain bikers are overweight middle-aged office workers who collect bicycles instead of riding them.

Without STW I’d have more money in the bank, fewer forks, shoes & coats and I’d get a lot more work done.

(And hell yeah I’d miss it).

As I’ve said previously; I wouldn’t miss the “magazine” side of things at all. I’m happy to pay my subs in order to keep the forum alive though (even though that means I’m subsidising bits I don’t read).

Maybe a forum-only mermbership for folk like me would be an attractive income generator ?

IIRC Mark has also said that he’d bail out STW was reduced to only being a forum. It’s not what he has in mind as his own objective and would mean letting go many of the staff.

I would miss the forum.

Have recently cancelled the print subscription (because I really can’t be arsed with the magazine – it just bores me) but will resubscribe to the web version because I enjoy the premium articles

Of the crowd I ride with – all probably peak STWers – I suspect only a few subscribe. The rest either don’t care, or get their fix from Instagram.

I wouldn’t miss the magazine as I never read it. I can access them through my sub but I find them to be incredibly dull in the most part.

I’m sure many of us would miss this place if it shut up shop but other forums/Facebook groups etc would soon fill the gap and normal service would resume.

I’m not sure. The magazine no, it doesn’t really contain much for me these days. The forum I think I would miss. I’m not as totally hooked as I used to be but I check in whenever I have spare time.

My lifetime membership was certainly bought because I loved the forum with the mag as a bonus extra.

I would – even when I felt fine.

I like the mix in this fruitcake.

An excellent way of putting it! 🤣

Just re signed up after my last membership had lapsed a few months ago, god it’s good not to have adverts again!

Browsing the Merch as I type.. Yes I’d miss it and am happy to pay for it. I haven’t read uk.re.cycling in many years 😉

It saddens me that some people don’t like the mag, but more for them than the mag creators. I find it equal measures of inspiration, motivation and a warm comfy blanket. To be read with a dram or a coffee depending on time of day. Much of what I aspire to be or do is espoused by the mag.

Conversely, despite being a regular contributor, much of the forum content is what I am but wish I wasn’t! The materialism (yes I know there are some reviews for silly money bikes in the mag, but they are I feel the outlier to the overall direction of the remainder), the bickering and point scoring, the ranting/obsession on the irrelevant we all fill it with. The Victor Meldrew doom and gloom.

I think I might be a better person without my multi-day visits to the forum. I might be more like the mag!

I’d start by making a certain gang of tight-arsed freeloaders, who are eternally banging on about their supposed socialist principles, start contributing to the platform they use to constantly gob off on with their endless moral pontificating 😉

I consider my Singletrack and my Guardian subscriptions as a sort of moral obligation as I’d miss them both enormously if they weren’t there, as I suspect would said freeloaders, despite not being prepared to put their hands in their pockets.

I bet they all dodge their rounds in the pub too. 😀

Oh… and I love the mag too. I keep it unopened until I get a suitable moment to sit and have a leisurely read. This was this Saturday morning, ticking a lot of boxes

It seems like I’m unusual in this regard, but I really like the paper magazine.  It’s streets ahead of any of the more prominent mtb mags. Less adverts, more in depth articles and generally a more quality feel. Any special interest magazine soon runs out of new things to write about without a bit of journalistic recycling but STW does better than most. But ultimately yes, its the forum and community of people on here that keeps me coming back.

I’d miss it for sure. I went through a period of not having the paper mag subscription but reactivated that 5 or 6 years ago. I’d only cancelled as young kids resulted in a growing pile of unopened magazines (STW and 1 other).

Of the crowd I ride with – all probably peak STWers – I suspect only a few subscribe

*waves*

I would miss the forum.

Not seen a hard copy of the mag for years and years.

Occasionally glanced at the digital version when I had it.

However, not being in the UK means a lot of the articles and merch offered are irrelevant to me. Having said that I just picked up my new UK debit card and will sign up when I’ve got a reliable signal/WiFi…

Would be a shame for it not to be around any more. Have been on here for the best part of 18 years.

Tight arsed freeloader here <waves>. First time in 12 years I’ve seen a compelling reason to become a member and/or buy merch. I hope the new paper options are recycled, otherwise I’ve just needlessly killed a bunch of trees.

That fry up looks good binners.

Certainly. Where else could I find such excellent pieces on world affairs, beer, pies, etc?

Yeah absolutely. I’ve said before but at this point I only buy the mag because of the forum. I don’t hate the mag, it’s just that I want to support the website and that makes the mag cheap.

Used to be, you could say there’d be another forum. THIS is already another forum, people moved here from all over. But now, forums are the past and I hate that. If this dies there might be a fb group or a discord some such bollocks that’ll achieve 1/10th of the community and useful pool of ideas. We’re at the end of this whole means of communication which, as it turns out, despite being born out of necessity and technological limitation is actually really good, and does things others don’t.

I hate the death of print and I hate the death of forums and I think this one in particular is cheap at the price. What else am I going to waste hours on, pinkbike?

(aside, it looks like we just lost yet another great niche print mag, Practical Performance Cars, which was profitable right up til the pandemic but lost just enough passing supermarket trade that it’s now on the cusp- which would be OK except that every mag that folds makes it harder for every other mag as printing costs and logistics costs increase, and so the other mags which folded are probably going to drag it down. There’s no such thing as an online magazine.)

Oooh you cheeky monkey, convinced me to spend money on something I can enjoy perfectly well for free!
But Mark’s piece is very compelling, and I do occasionally get miffed on missing out on the reviews etc. Done.

absolutely would miss it, despite no longer mountain biking much I do enjoy the forum

have just upgraded to a print subscription 🙂

I would miss the forum which inspires and infuriates in just about the right proportion. Not so keen on the mag which is much more hit and miss ironically. There are two things I can say about the mag
1 Even the articles I don’t like are obviously done to a high standard.
2 The deadline blend coffee that comes with the mag every so often is very good.

Lot of existing full members commenting. Personally it would leave a hole for me. Don’t read the mag any more and tend to live in the chat forum but more than happy for my digital subscription to double for that alone and if it keeps the mag going and people in work then bonus.

£20 a year is peanuts for the use I get and compared to most other other subscription services very cheap, I bet the cost per hour using STW compared to the cost per hour for Sky, Disney +, Netflix is tiny.

Right, I’ve put my money where my mouth is a donated the equivalent of my annual subscription.

I also don’t read the mag as I tend to road a little more due to a move. I’d miss the forum as I don’t use Facebook or twitter.
Be good if the mag opened up to maybe road, commuting, gravel, clowns on a mono wheel.

I’d miss it – I’ve had advice and assistance worth way more than the £20 a digital subscription costs and I use STW as an amalgamation of news/world views/politics.

I don’t generally read magazines nowadays hence I’ve not bothered with the print option.

Oh yeah on a slightly more negative side, like I say I’m basically buying the mag to subsidise the forum. If it comes to the point of paying purely for the forum, I’d like it to be a little… bit… better. It’s stable enough and good enough for a “thing I can persuade myself is free with the mag” but not so much for “premium forum I pay for outright”

I consider my Singletrack and my Guardian subscriptions as a sort of moral obligation

Came here to say the same. I buy the coffee and mag subs every year and buy the occasional Tee/sweat shirt. If we don’t then Independent journalism dies. It’s as simple as that.

I love the forum, and the magazine is essential bathroom reading for me. Have been a subscriber since I don’t know when, my subscriber number is 666 which makes me smile. I have never considered cancelling even though it is two years or so since I last rode an MTB (I ride an audax bike or tandem with my wife these days). I would miss it.

My world would be a much poorer place without you lot. Yes, even you!

I’ll have to have a rummage in the shop….

Great, but not surprising to see it means so much to so many people.  ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone’, lets hope that never happens!

IIRC Mark has also said that he’d bail out STW was reduced to only being a forum. It’s not what he has in mind as his own objective and would mean letting go many of the staff.

And there is the problem. It doesnt need so many Staff. A rail magazine I subscribe to , which has a circulation of around 15000, has 3 permanent members of Staff. There are Contributors who , no doubt, get a fee, and loads of Readers Photos, which are, frankly, paid a pittance. but it is still a good magazine. The last time I looked at the STW Staff list, I was astounded. I wouldnt be surprised if a daily regional paper have less Staff on the books.

Paid up. Digital only. In the top 4 or 5 places I check in most days. None of which have the STW ability to have someone who knows something useful pop up no matter how niche the subject.

Mostly paid from my first months cancellation of Netflix anyway. I spend more time here than I ever did on Netflix.

I’d miss it, definitely. I use it for all sorts. Despite the everyday pettiness it’s a great community at heart.

The last time I looked at the STW Staff list, I was astounded

Eleven folk shown in Marks update. I don’t know if that’s what you were expecting.

I would definitely miss it…..