Bicycling-The magazine

[ArmOnFire]

<RANT>

So I just got my January/ February issue, in November!

I hate this, if there ever is a time when I need new bike viewing material, it's in those months, not now!

WTF!!!

Why do most bike mags do this?

And it was the "SEX" issue?!!?

OK, I'm not really complaining about that, but what direction is this mag trying to go in?

I like "BIKE", but they seem a little anti-roadie, still a great mag though. Great photos in there.

</RANT> >:(

[Quo Fan]

Bicycling used to be a roadie mag, and Mountain Bike was, well, a mountain bike mag. Then Rodale Press saw slumping revenue, and decided to make Mountain Bike a supplement to Bicycling mag. Bicycling is still predominantly a road mag, and I subscribe only to get Mountain Bike. I haven't read the mags, yet, so I don't know what the sex issue is all about.

I am a mountain biker, not a roadie, so I subscribe to Bike, Mountain Bike Action, and Bicycling/Mountain Bike.

My .02

[AA]

I like "BIKE", but they seem a little anti-roadie, still a great mag though. Great photos in there.




Funny you mention that. I bought an issue of Bike a few months back (impulse buy at the book store). There must have been at least 5 negative references to spandex, xc riding and roadies as if these were blights on the cycling comunity. It just struck me as odd that it would be so prevalent in a mountain biking mag. I only get 2 cycling magazines at home, Dirt Rag & Singletracks. I have never seen any of this type of negativity Dirt Rag. Even if the editors of Bike dont like the xc / roadie crowd they could help their circulation by not degrading it.

[MTBME]

I've been getting Bicycling at home now for 15 years or so. Mostly out of habit. It seems like the same old stuff recycled over and over. At this point I'm only interested in the new product reviews. Otherwise how else do you keep up with what's out there. I've recently decided to let that subscription drop and will look to get dirt rag on the coffee table. (That is if the wife lets me keep anything on her precious coffee table) >:(

[minkhiller]

All Dirt Rag has nowadays is crappy pictures submitted by radair. ::)

[matts5517]

I recomend for everyone to get a subscription to mountain bike action mag you wont be sorry ask anyone who reads it.

[Luckybikes]

Yea i like Mountain biike action the most out of all te mags other than dirt Rag

[bike187]

definitely want to sign up for MBA. my other biking mags are kinda bland. if anyone who already has a subscription and gets one of those little cards with special deals on rates for subscribers, could i have it? i'm broke as is so any money i save will be good.

there's a biking magazine out of england that you can find in big magazine shops that is awesome. it's like $60 for a 1 year subscription over here though, so it's not in my budget right now. if i had the money, and only got one mag, that would be it. it's more diverse magazine with articles on more disciplines of MTBing. i forget the name of it, i've only bought an issue once, it was about $8.00 but much bigger then normal biking mags over here and less ads

[ArmOnFire]

Posted by: YETI187 Posted on: Today at 09:55:59pm

there's a biking magazine out of england that you can find in big magazine shops that is awesome. it's like $60 for a 1 year subscription over here though, so it's not in my budget right now. if i had the money, and only got one mag, that would be it. it's more diverse magazine with articles on more disciplines of MTBing. i forget the name of it, i've only bought an issue once, it was about $8.00 but much bigger then normal biking mags over here and less ads

Yeah, that UK mag is good, I've gotten it at Barnes & Noble before. I think it is called "Mountain Bike UK" www.mbuk.com.

I don't really like MBA, for whatever reason, they all seem to be the same, but you can get it at WalMart!

;D

[sizlinseagulsoup]

I always loved Mountain Bike... cleanest layout, some pretty funky articles (MBA always looked like an ugly high-school project to me).

About the time Mountain Bike went down corporate hell, I gave up reading bike mags altogether (minus flipping through the pages of The Ride and Dirt Rag while in the bike-shop bathroom). Bike forums render magazines useless. Photos of places I can actually afford to ride, decent product reviews (and rants about poor customer service), the news is more current, and forums never lie about what month it is.

Anyone else feel the same?

[Quo Fan]

The UK mag is called Mountain Biking and is available from Barnes and Noble.

[AA]

Mountain Bike Action hmmmm.......

did you ever notice that all the bikes get good reviews?

I personally dont think that it is worth the paper it is printed on, just my .02

[pk]

Shameless plug:

Give a subscription of dirt rag to yourself or a friend, and NEMBA will get a buck. The 'zine ain't bad either! ;D

pk

[bdee]

BIKE is kinda anti roadie, but in a tongue in cheek kind of way. I've been reading it for most of it's existence and they really aren't anti roadie per se - Ferrentino certainly isn't, but then again sometimes it seems like he's only kept around to placate the XC crowd. The only complaint I would have with BIKE is the constant barrage of North Shore coverage (people do ride elsewhere - they are getting a little better actually mentioning the east more). They do deliver consistently beautiful photos and decent reviews and writing.

In many ways it comes down to what you want in a mag (shootouts and technical speak or personal story/politics/adventure travle etc. type of writing - or a mix of all of it) - good thing there are so many choices ;D.

I personally don't care too much for MBA, to me it's dry and boring and I don't ride in CA (where a lot of the bikes are tested). Dirt Rag still is my favorite - since '95 and just keeps getting better.