Not much to excite this issue, been a few this way recently.
Considering canceling my sub.

STILL haven't got my subs issue 👿

For anyone who wants to have a go at submitting words.

I'm looking for people to write 200 ish words on the "Joy of filth", you know getting the most out of grim conditions.

If you fancy a go don't post it here, email me dave@singletrackworld.com if it makes a point well it goes in the mag….

Would an article on adventure racing (both 24hr and expedition length) and the biking elements/endurance part of that be of any interest ? I write a fair few articles for other mags here (endurance sport, multisport, V02Max and Wilderness) so have a few things that might be or general interest to 'bikers'. My background is XC racing but generally i just like to ride my bikes a lot, everywhere 🙂 Just seems (through organising events now) that theres a lot of biking people wanting to do a bit more ?

And while I'm on that subject, have a look at Spoke which is a NZ magazine. I like it even though some of the content isn't 'me'. Good photography, articles, info – has come a long way and is brilliant.

I liked this issue, but then I always do. I'm not sure people realise how much effort goes into each article – the Oregon piece Dave Smith and I have in there this month was a metric f*ck-ton of work; sure, it was punctuated by bike riding and beer drinking, but I know a lot of effort and energy went into it from both of us. The other articles in there are no different I'm sure.

Cheers for your comments all. We do read them all and we're always looking to move the magazine towards things that will interest many of our readers. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we don't, but we do try – and we do listen.

If anyone's still waiting for a reply to an email they've send in the last couple of months, I'm still wading through 470 or so unread emails at the moment, so I hope to get back to you soon. Feel free to give us a call too if you're not getting an answer quickly enough. Unfortunately it's a busy time here, what with Eurobike, Interbike and the London Cycle show in the middle of deadline time again. Talking of which, come and say hello at the Cycle show if you're around in London in October. It's always good to hear everyone's comments in person. If you can't make it, then our email addresses are all in the mag, or around here.

The front cover is over exposed by about two and a half stops. That's the point a which my expertise ends.
Haven't read much more yet – looks like there is enough to read, just lots of interviews.

Having read the summary on the website before I received issue 52 through the post.
And I quote
[/i]'it’s been a particularly difficult issue to do due to various people being unavailable to contribute'
I did think then that the magazine wasn't going to be very good this month, what with being full of interviews. having now received it I was saddly correct.

Seems to me it was never planned for an interview edition, but put together out of desperation to fill the pages?
Yes people do take holiday's in July/August…did this really come as a surprise..

As a general comment it seems over the past 3 or 4 editions things appear to be getting a little stale at STW towers.

As said above – Don't let the quality and/or standards slip due to the increase in copies per year

School report persona: Must try harder!

Its possible to go mountain biking with an autistic child, well at least some hardy off roading! I have never seen one of these they are only availible in the USA, I want one!!!
Then maybe I would have an interesting article:)

Mostly fair enough comments. But thought I'd correct one or two incorrect assumptions…

"The front cover is over exposed by about two and a half stops."

It was printed bady. The original pic was bang on for exposure. We'll be having words with our printers.

"Seems to me it was never planned for an interview edition"

Issue 52 as the "Interview Issue" has been on the board (and in media packs etc) since January 2009.

It was printed bady. The original pic was bang on for exposure. We'll be having words with our printers.

I'd say that applies to quite a lot of the magazine, not just the cover. I know Steve Makin's a good photographer but that gallery looked rubbish.

what's the theme for issue 53?

The gradual change from ridin' bikes and interesting articles of early copies of the mag seem to have gradually morphed into big forked jump bikes and more clique referenced writing which to be honest doesn't really do a lot for me. The mag is now less of a draw, and I have to admit that I have a flick through in my local independent newsagent first before deciding whether to buy it when years ago when you could actually find it, it was an automatic buy. I rather suspect that the drive to publishing more issues a year has meant that the content has suffered (or maybe changed) a bit.

ssue 52 as the "Interview Issue" has been on the board (and in media packs etc) since January 2009.

You would have thought in all that time someone would have realised it was a bad idea 😉

Mine arrived yesterday, but I had a bleary-eyed rummage through at about 1:30 this morning.

Observations: interviews are good for me to get a 'heads-up' on who's who and what they do in the cycling world, so that's the learning taken care of.

Articles on the beer-vacation in the States: once digested, that article may prove to be the clincher for a future holiday destination, so that's the 'insoiration' sorted.

As I said, "bleary-eyed rummage", so cannot comment further except to point out that there seemed to be a sense-of-humour bypass relating to the pictures! Usually, outwith the Gallery at least, all pics seem to be accompanied by quips and puns. However, I sensed a complete lack of that this month, which suggested to me that either Chipps' absence made everyone else miserable, OR that Chipps is the comedic dynamo in STW HQ.

Which is the truth? We deserve to be told.

Flipping 'eck! Im surprised the mag keeps going with all these negative comments. I personally like this issue, if anything it reminds me more of 'The Ride' mag. Its just something a bit different to usual and thats no bad thing now and again.

Got to agree on some points tho – I'd prefer to see just one overseas article per issue and more UK adventures with a couple of these written by the folk I see on here. But for that to happen I suppose decent articles need to be submitted……I can only guess that they are few and far between. FWIW If I was to write one, it would probably take 6 months and the results wouldn't be so great.

Only flicked through it and read the odd article which is what I do all mags really not just STW. Didn't mind it but not convinced having the whole mag as pretty much interviews was a great idea, maybe a supplement or a group of them in subsection but not a whole mag.

Well the issue number 53 surely should have an article about the BBB? no 😉

juan – Member

Well the issue number 53 surely should have an article about the BBB? no

was anyone from ST @ BBB? Has anyone from BBB submitted an article?

Properly sat down a read mine last night. I thought it was a pretty solid issue to be honest, found the interviews were all interesting, especially liked the multi part SRAM one, liked Dan's Beer Adventure, and the Norwegian one, even enjoyed the 4X bike reviews even though I'm never going to get one. Not clever enough to spot the photograph issue on the front cover. I'd give it a solid 8/10

"all pics seem to be accompanied by quips and puns."

yep, sorry about their absence.. that's usually my job but i was doing a lot of other jobs at the time when the captions get done!

captions will return for ST53 🙂

the theme will be "The Joy Of Filth" btw.

Haven't received my issue yet.

Any chance of the next 3 or 4 themes? That way any of us tempted to put pen to paper for the first time have chance to get the crayons out…

Well there you go – I have just submitted my first ever piece to the mag. Have kind of given up hope of ever having a photo published so let's see how Dave gets on with my writing instead ay 🙂

I think loads of you should have a go – it's only 200 words after all!

So what's the score with submitting articles then? Stick it in Word and attach it to an email or is there some other format?

To be fair, if quite a few people write articles it could be an interesting web feature at the very least…

attached word doc is good for columns/articles.

200 words is fine in an email

Benji Haworth – Moderator
"all pics seem to be accompanied by quips and puns."

yep, sorry about their absence.. that's usually my job but i was doing a lot of other jobs at the time when the captions get done!

captions will return for ST53

the theme will be "The Joy Of Filth" btw.

Tut tut CarryonmagSTW resorting to Innuendo and smut

Cannot wait 😉

Smut?

Tribute to best graphic novel ever

Like others I'm a bit of a serial mag buyer.

I want STW to be good cause it was the magazine that was closest to mags of old that I liked e.g. MTB world when it first started up. Obviously interests & tastes eb and flow and I don't expect to like all the issues. But like others I'm starting to see the cumulative effect of stuff in the mag that annoys me sufficiently to consider cancelling my sub (I was one of the people that pre-sub'd the first issue so you guys could get going…).

Things that I'm liking less as time goes on include:
– the clique referenced writing that someone else also mentioned which is over the place, especially annoying in the reviews when you just want to know if stuff works or not
– STW deciding they are downhillers – leave it to Dirt they do it better
– naff girly articles – this month's Bike Mag is a good e.g of an intelligent, interesting female slanted contribution
– 'pics of my summer' – not interested, they're crap, I can do that myself, show me something that inspires me to ride
– those 'fitness' columns – thankfully not in this month – full of self-referential stuff taking up inches of copy and not offering any useful advice at all

I do think mags suffer when they go to more issues, and would be quite happy to see a return to bimonthly if the quality went back up. There's still plenty to like afterall – the design and photograpic quality remains much better than most of the other mags. I appreciate that loads of work goes into all the production so am hoping that STW will continue to read and listen to reader commentary. 🙂

issue 52 is incredible, because it contains half a dozen photos with me in them…

Has anyone from BBB submitted an article?

They have not asked but I am sure that would be doable…

The long term test bikes are a waste of time, the articles on them rarely do more than give a short, relatively superficial review followed by a list of kit swaps designed to meet the reviewers own unique preferences. These bikes all seem to be basically fine, none of them age badly, they all do roughly what they are designed to do, none of them break or undergo any kind of significant change over time – so why bother?

It's funny, a lot of this comes down to personal preference, I'm completely bored by the "foreign holiday" articles, they can get very formulaic. However this is probably because I'm not looking for a holiday destination….

I'm starting to think that the main riding activities of STW's target market just aren't that exciting. So the magazine is doomed to either document what most of us do most of the time, which is hard to make interesting or exciting, or go off at odd, slightly forced tangents into areas that others do better, such as DH covered by DIRT.

I liked most of this month. I too don't like articles on foreign places as they generally aren't relevant to me. I'd much prefer them to have more ideas for things to do in the UK (Cairngorm super loop, Northumberland – Scotland route, more "do in a day" rides, etc). I'm sure people would be happy to show STW writers around their patch. And more larger (as in number) tyre reviews 🙂

I still find the mag to be the most relevant to me and generally like the style.

What probably makes a good mag for me is, UK riding stories (esp more 'odd-ball stuff like bivvying), gear reviews and maybe some stuff about slightly older bikes – not everybody buys a new bike every time they change.
A mag full of interviews? Nah.

I liked the Beer and biking article and overall I like the mag.
However, if you're going to have an interview edition might I suggest that interesting characters from the industry are selected?
Who really enjoyed the interview with the WTB guy, or the bike cleaner chemical dude? Seriously boring stuff.
Give us the shaun palmers, the jeff wotsisname from intense or rik the welder. Get rid of Ferrino, his colleague Joe Graney sounds like much more fun.

I think we all just go throgh phases with mags – about six months ago I was getting but not getting into singletrack now I am. Dont think anything really changed it was just what I was upto at the time. Dont really like the cheggers plays pop style graphics used at the moment, prefered the look of some of the early issues more. Gallery is a bit Calderdale / Staff heavy.

What sort of flith you wanting?

STILL not arrived! 🙁

Some of my "brothers" are taking lawfull industrial action to save the peoples Post Office 🙂

just a couple of observations after a couple of train journeys yesterday. ST #52 is an interview issue, however the interviews seems to consist of printing questions and answers without a great deal of colouring in. I also read some bits of Pro Cycling yesterday (journey home) which had an interview with the Schleck brothers. In terms of putting across an interview this was a much better effort with a significant level of background, context and explanation. Although I did worry my fellow commuters would be worrying about a man in lycra reading a magazie full of pictures of skinny blokes….

Other thought based on STW #51 is that it is in danger of becoming a local magazine for local people.

I'll keep submitting the odd article when I think I can pull something half decent together, maybe one will get published one day.

Will keep subscribing because the whole STW thing deserves to succeed and its interesting to watch the whole enterprise develop.

cheers

Matthew

and now I'm going to ride my bike in the sun 🙂