Which bike mag?

Gobs

Browsing a friends copy of MBR over Xmas it made me realise I'd like to keep up to date with things more via a mag subscription. MBR seemed fine but a little stale. I'm just a normal rider, no clubs or competitions etc, any recommendations?

angry_bird

MBR is alright if you want to hear about how the orange 5 is the best thing ever to grace the earth. Having said that I got a subscription from the parents last Xmas and I don't mind it too much.

Personally can't be arsed with MBUK these days, occasionally WMB but I think I prefer Dirt above the others. If I'm in the mood for a mag it's the one I'll go and look for.

Beatmaker

I generally read Dirt and dip in and out of WMB and Singletrack. I like WMB for the gear content, but sometimes find the features a little samey, which is more a reflection on my riding style changing, as opposed to the mag. Dirt def has the most features that inspire me to grab a bike and ride though.

Gobs

....the guy was building up an Orange 5 too as a Xmas pressie to himself. Brilliant

cooldad

Ask Supersonic for an unbiased opinion.

delcol

i think mbr wmb and mbuk have all gone poo lately.
been buying all 3 for the past 6 years and seen the quality in all the mags drop..
ino single track is for the older guys, i never been able to get into it,
and i never really sat down to read dirt always just flicked through it..

stuisnew

Mbuk has got worse in recent years imho. Wmb is my favourite although you have to accept the odd duff issue as with any magazine. Never been a fan of mbr and when I pick it up and give it another chance i'm instantly reminded why I don't like it.

MountainMonster

I pick up a copy of Dirt every month here from one of 3 shops in Austria that sell it. Super expensive for us here, but I find the 10 euros per copy worth it in my opinion.

I would recommend some other ones, but I don't know any others that are in English.

Matt88

ive suscribed to wmb for the gear reviews (and a pair of mt500 knee pads ) and i also pick up a copy of singletrack mag when i see it for the articles, which never fail to make me want to ride!

Not really fans of the others, though i get them if they have a ride guide near to where i live.

Northwind

The parts of Dirt that I can read without having my eyeballs explode are usually good.

MountainMonster

You oldies need to have your eyes checked, even the small font I can read decently.

DCR00

i subscribe to MBR and i reckon its pretty decent (if you ignore the Orange 5 love in)

i bought a copy of Singletrack today and it's quite good. More focused on where to ride as opposed to bikes and parts, from the single issue ive flicked through anyway.

at the end of the day, i buy a bike mag to drool over bikes, so it doesn't really matter which mag it is, as long as it has some tasty bikes in it

Northwind

MountainMonster wrote:

You oldies need to have your eyes checked, even the small font I can read decently.

It's not the size, it's the colours. Blue on magenta ffs! Spindly white on black is their new favourite, especially if they can make it be at 90 degrees to the page.

I like the small text, it means there's more content but when they combine it with daft colours and their weedy font, it's not helpful.

MountainMonster

I havn't really had too many problems with it, I actually like it in a way. Gets you more "engaged" with the magazine, rather than just staring at it.

angry_bird

MountainMonster wrote:

I havn't really had too many problems with it, I actually like it in a way. Gets you more "engaged" with the magazine, rather than just staring at it.

Yeah I like that about it. I prefer the content of dirt too, and unlike MBUK it doesn't seem as if it's trying too hard to be cool.

stubs

A mate has a digital sub for Bike magazine from the USA and while its enthusiasm and adverts sometimes get a bit wearing its made up for by its stunning trail features, tests on droolworthy bikes and lots of photos of Willow Koerber and Darcy Turrene. Plus they did a cracking article on Danny Hart recently. Think he paid about $1 an issue for a years sub.

DCR00

was it Mountain Bike Action ?

stubs

DCR00 wrote:

was it Mountain Bike Action ?

I think thats aimed at me?

Bike Magazine http://www.bikemag.com/ he got it because he was bored in a motel room with no porn channel wanted something to read on his ipoo and it was the cheapest thing he could find.

Anonymous

Surely you read any or all Future Pub mags

But I don't do physical magazines. Get a flicking through and chucked out, waste really much like a newspaper.

Excellent online bike mag however - http://www.imbikemag.com/

.blitz

mbr and wmb are absolute pants IMO
Singletrack yawn zzzzzzzz
mbuk teetering on the brink
Dirt aka the curate's egg

Try the online mags Wideopen IMB and Decline

bails87

WMB is good for gear reviews, more so if they're reviewing something that you're specifically interested in.

I like Singletrack though, I only buy mags occasionally so don't get them often enough to get bored, but as said above, Singletrack is the one that makes me want to go out riding.

supersonic

They all have different target audiences.

MBUK is aimed at a younger audience primarily, but with a wide range of disciplines involved: however these is a focus towards jumping/play bikes/harder hitting machines.

WMB is aimed at the more mature reader, and is product focused - it reviews more items than any other mag, but branches out into tech features too. It covers more of the trail bike rider, but from beginner to expert, depending on the issue.

MBR is like WMB but is targeted at the more affluent rider.

Dirt and Singletrack seem more about the essence of riding than the kit itself.

As with all mags you are going to get issues that suit you, and ones that dont, even in their targets. I get WMB and MBUK every month, MBR maybe 3 times a year, and have bought Dirt and ST about half a dozen times each - they don't really appeal to me as I tend to like more product driven mags.

Chunkers1980

You seen this months MBUK - the Fully test?? 7 bikes I think all with the same rating bar 1. Seems odd. Oh as well as the XTR+ mech review telling you it would be good for a 1 x 9 setup. ha ha.

supersonic

Lol, no, not seen that! Didn't think it was out yet!