Rouleur, any good?

mrjinx

As a Rapha customer I have received a Exclusive Offer for the Rouleur magazine its £21 per quarter. Anyone read the mag ?is it worth the money?

rick_chasey

It's very good.

Whether it's worth the money depends on how much you have!

trailstar

i would put it in my "coffee table" magazine collection. Its a keeper for sure, lovely quality, good photography and generally great writing.

godihatehills

so 3 issues at 7 quid - £2 discount is not bad...
if you like what you read Ive got the complete set for sale..... for a price obviously

daviesee

Rick Chasey wrote:

It's very good.

Whether it's worth the money depends on how much you have!

+1

I am about to renew but had to think about it.

inkyfingers

I'd say it's well worth it, but you need to understand what you're buying first.

Without sounding patronising, it would suit someone who reads a lot of books and journals, but might not suit somebody who only ever reads cycling weekly. It's completely unlike any other other cycling magazine, some of the articles are very wordy, and often go into great depth on a relatively obscure subject matter, It would interest somebody who loves every aspect of cycling, almost bordering on obsession. It's more like a book that you get every two months than a cycling mag which you pick up and read on the train on the way home from work. I've always loved cycling and reading so for me it's a perfect way to while away time with a pot of coffee and a couple of chocolate digestives.

mrjinx

Thats it then, i only read the Beano!

Harry B

inkyfingers wrote:

Without sounding patronising, it would suit someone who reads a lot of books and journals, but might not suit somebody who only ever reads cycling weekly. It's completely unlike any other other cycling magazine, some of the articles are very wordy, and often go into great depth on a relatively obscure subject matter, It would interest somebody who loves every aspect of cycling, almost bordering on obsession. It's more like a book that you get every two months than a cycling mag which you pick up and read on the train on the way home from work. I've always loved cycling and reading so for me it's a perfect way to while away time with a pot of coffee and a couple of chocolate digestives.

Agreed. I hate it :oops:

mrushton

Too expensive for me but it has some fantastic articles. It doesn't contain articles about your 'first 50' or 'eat less fat', it celebrates the history and the future of the race bike. The article on the TdF motorcycle police was excellent as has been the Bianchi history. As above, it's a 'serious' magazine and you find yourself going back to it. Also v.well written. Worth getting a couple of copies to see if you like it

grantus

Some interesting articles and great photography however I also found lots of it all a bit pretentious so didn't renew my subs.

JonEdwards

Variable would be my comment (based on a sample of 2)

I really enjoyed the TdF issue this summer, and on that basis bought the next copy, which should have really appealed to me being based around assorted kit manufacturers. Actually it came across as a load of pretentious w.nk, and it didn't actually tell me anything I didn't already know (De Rosa and Look make nice frames). Nice pics though (if you like arty, grainy b&w shots).

"The Ride Journal" has so far been excellent though.

AndyF16

mrushton wrote:

The article on the TdF motorcycle police was excellent

Any chance you could tell me which issue that was in please, and if you know whether back issues are available from anywhere?

Chip \'oyler

JonEdwards wrote:

Variable would be my comment (based on a sample of 2)

I really enjoyed the TdF issue this summer, and on that basis bought the next copy, which should have really appealed to me being based around assorted kit manufacturers. Actually it came across as a load of pretentious w.nk, and it didn't actually tell me anything I didn't already know (De Rosa and Look make nice frames). Nice pics though (if you like arty, grainy b&w shots).

"The Ride Journal" has so far been excellent though.

You obviously didn't read it too well cos it was Time not Look

Stone Glider

Errr.... no, not really :oops:

AndyF16

AndyF16 wrote:

mrushton wrote:

The article on the TdF motorcycle police was excellent

Any chance you could tell me which issue that was in please, and if you know whether back issues are available from anywhere?

Couldn't get off to sleep so got the thumbs working; Issue 18 and I just managed to find a copy at Tredz online I'm particularly interested in the article on the Gendarmerie because I regularly used to work with them in my day job and found them a mixed bunch!

lastant

mrushton wrote:

...as has been the Bianchi history

Was this a one off or a piece over a series of issues?

Sure you'll know what I'm going to ask next...what issue(s)?

Sorry to get you flicking through them again and thank you...

rundle

AndyF16 wrote:

mrushton wrote:

The article on the TdF motorcycle police was excellent

Any chance you could tell me which issue that was in please, and if you know whether back issues are available from anywhere?

Back issues are on their own web-site.

inkyfingers

rundle wrote:

AndyF16 wrote:

mrushton wrote:

The article on the TdF motorcycle police was excellent

Any chance you could tell me which issue that was in please, and if you know whether back issues are available from anywhere?

Back issues are on their own web-site.

Unfortunately most are sold out. They are available on ebay......for 5 times the original cover price though.

Hoopdriver

After buying the first couple of issues, I subscribed for the next two years but found that it never really developed its own voice - if that sounds a bit odd maybe its because I've been a magazine writer for a couple of decades and you just come to know a magazine's voice - if it's any good. Rouleur never did develop one. It always felt like a collection of disparate articles loosely based around a theme, trying for some cohesion and never quite getting it.

I also found it quite pretentious, especially its photography. Some of it was - and is - extremely good, but a lot is just striving to be 'edgy' and looking like it is striving to be edgy. And while I am aware that it is based around a cycling fashion house, a lot of its personality shots (carefully styled) look a lot like a gay men's fashion mag.

The writing really varies - from the very good to very, very purple-prosed muddles. Same with some of the columnists - especially Johnny Green, whose floundering efforts at New Journalism just make me want to cringe on his behalf. Ouch.

I think it's concept is great. The idea behind it is to offer things that nobody else is offering and it does - sorta - but it just doesn't jell somehow. At least not to this reader. I didn't renew, but do keep an eye on it. i bought the kit issue last summer because i was interested in some of the manufacturers that were profiled. It was all right, but when I thought of other ways I could have spent a similar sum of money - on cycling books, say, that I might read again and again - I felt no interest in starting up a subscription. A pity. There is certainly a demand out there for what Rouleur is trying, and yet not quite succeeding, to provide.

inkyfingers

Hoopdriver wrote:

The writing really varies - from the very good to very, very purple-prosed muddles. Same with some of the columnists - especially Johnny Green, whose floundering efforts at New Journalism just make me want to cringe on his behalf. Ouch.

I've had the pleasure of meeting JG a couple of times (albeit not through cycling). I find his articles work best when I read them aloud in his voice..yes, that's probably is a bit odd isn't it. He's a colourful character, but sometimes his writing can be hard to read.

AndyF16

rundle wrote:

AndyF16 wrote:

mrushton wrote:

The article on the TdF motorcycle police was excellent

Any chance you could tell me which issue that was in please, and if you know whether back issues are available from anywhere?

Back issues are on their own web-site.

Yes but not that one or most others, but see above, messrs Tredz came to the rescue

Le Commentateur

It's pretty good. I feel it's slightly bloated nowadays at over 160 pages, but the price has hardly changed since issue 1 and as long as the chinwag is interesting and the photographs good I'll keep getting them.

If only they would use non-lining figures in the body text and attempt a bit of hyphenation to get rid of the clunky word spacing it might win an award.