Magazine rubbish giveaways and subscription sweeteners!

lbalony

What are your thoughts on freebies and subscription offers.

I have just took delivery of MBR and got the crappiest chainstay protector (but their subscription offer was some Altura shorts-the ones I was eyeing up too, amazing) Went straight in the bin. But last month I got some free socks from WMB. They have been used 3 times and pretty good even if just an advert for x-fusion.

I have been waiting for about 12 months to subscribe to MBUK & WMB but they have had rubbish subscription offers. I did try and subscribe to MBUK on the day of release for the Camelbak but they had run out at lunch time grrr haha.

Does anyone else wait for decent subscription offers? I know its the Magazine thats important but I like a freebie!

What is your best and worse magazine freebie, or subscription offer?

cooldad

Is that something printed on paper?
How quaint.

The Rookie

We have 3 bikes with MBUK chainstay protectors on, socks are OK< but usually too thin for riding, and I wear the Altura shorts that were MBUK subs offer last year.

What is this MBR you talk of?

rockmonkeysc

MBR, MBUK and WMB are all pretty terrible and not worth buying. Same old bollocks every month about why you should scrap your 26" bike and buy the latest thing. I will stick with Dirt and Wideopen.

felix.london

yep - Dirt gets my (overpriced) overseas sub. Quite dig the t-shirt I got last year, just says "DIRT" all over it

Used to pickup MBR, MBUK and WMB when I came back to the UK but have given up - there's rarely anything that interests me in any of those three magazines. Although the 'hopper is rocking an MBUK chainstay protector from last year

timbo58

I'm damned if I know how they get away with 'limited offers' for subs.
A well known Road bike magazine tried to stiff me a few months back with their rather good subscription present and give me nowt, I reminded them that on application I had emailed them stating very clearly I regarded the 'freebie' as part of the contract I was agreeing to and they had acknowledged that email.

Frankly if they are offering you anything 'free' with your subscription it forms part of any subscription agreement IMHO.

lbalony

RockmonkeySC wrote:

MBR, MBUK and WMB are all pretty terrible and not worth buying. Same old **** every month about why you should scrap your 26" bike and buy the latest thing. I will stick with Dirt and Wideopen.

Never heard of Wideopen. Will have to check it out. Not to keen on Dirt tbh. But I do love MBR & WMB.

rockmonkeysc

http://wideopenmag.co.uk/

Also available in new fangled paper version as well.

felix.london

RockmonkeySC wrote:

http://wideopenmag.co.uk/

Also available in new fangled paper version as well.

Nice one. Cheers for this.

thelonegroover

WMB and MBUK seem to have exactly the same articles in. Probably due to being the same publishers. Also, if you wait a few weeks, they also appear here.

Clank

I'm reckoning that if the choice of subscription is based on the free s**t they give away, then 'reading' probably ain't high on the priority list.

It's got to be the content that counts.

Which, IMV, is where magazines let themselves down. Are you buying them because they are actually interesting, well written and well researched pieces of journalism that capture the kind of spirit and connection you feel to the sport? Or are you buying them just because they're about mountain biking?

If you're obsessing over the freebies, then I'm putting you in the latter catagory.

mpatts

Recently I got 6 issues of Runners World, and a free camelback for £16, with no subscription commitment. Given that I buy RW every month anyway, I was very pleased!

timbo58

Clank wrote:

I'm reckoning that if the choice of subscription is based on the free s**t they give away, then 'reading' probably ain't high on the priority list.

It's got to be the content that counts.

Actually fair point, however I don't 'do' subscriptions very often, as usually it's better to have a quick flick though on the newsagents shelf and then decide whether or not it has articles I'll find interesting before I buy.

If I commit myself to 6 issues/12 issues then I am doing so with the sweetener of the 'freebie' and the magazine companies know this very well.

Let's face it -if it was a pair of crappy gloves or a sponge then it wouldn't interest me -when it's something I want that would cost me as much or more than the subs to the magazine I don't look on it as a 'freebie' at all - I look on it as a free magazine subscription -I took out a classic bike one a few years ago as it came with a decent mini socket set that would have cost me £60 otherwise, the sub cost less than £30.

lbalony

Clank wrote:

I'm reckoning that if the choice of subscription is based on the free s**t they give away, then 'reading' probably ain't high on the priority list.

It's got to be the content that counts.

Which, IMV, is where magazines let themselves down. Are you buying them because they are actually interesting, well written and well researched pieces of journalism that capture the kind of spirit and connection you feel to the sport? Or are you buying them just because they're about mountain biking?

If you're obsessing over the freebies, then I'm putting you in the latter catagory.

I buy them every month because they are about mountain biking. Every magazines has its lows abd highs. I love to kerp up to date with the technology and love the reviews on bikes and advicev etc.

The reason I hang on until a goid sub cones up is simply its a freebie for what I would ge buying anyway. I would not subscribe to anything purely for a free gift unless I enjoyed it anyway. A bit like me and pizza hut! I live it but its overpriced factory pizza. But if I have a 50% off voucher i'll eat there.

oxocube1

I would never buy the Mags at shelf price but last year I saw a pretty good sub offer for MBUK so I now pay £6.79 every 3 months which I think is pretty good. You get the freebies along with the mag in the first week of every month.

Myster101

Subscribed twice, once for a pair of shorts and once for a set of superstar nano pedals. Buy the magazine every now and again anyway so was a bonus for me as there was also a discount on the magazine price (6 month subscription).

DanDax1990

I subscribed to MBUK when they were doing the offer with the Lezyne multi-tool. I was on the look out for a tool anyway and I bought the mag every month too so was a bonus.

I buy WMB and MBR every month too so when I see a decent offer I will subscribe. It's just easier and a free bonus.

Gonna give Dirt a go

concorde

There's a little secret I found out with the subscription offers which works very nicely, I cannot reveal it on here mind. 8)

felix.london

Seems the bigger/better the sub offer the crapper the actual content of the mag!

Like I say - Dirt gives you a pretty basic tee with the sub but I can literally read it from front to back and enjoy each and every article in there. The others just seem to be trying to persuade everyone to change wheel size...

lbalony

Concorde wrote:

There's a little secret I found out with the subscription offers which works very nicely, I cannot reveal it on here mind. 8)

Course you can reveal it! Go on whats the worst that can happen?

cr250noob

I got the dare2b rucksack and jacket from WMB subscription. Also got free Camelbak mule from MBR subscription.

bushu

I wish they would stop sending me MBUK.. :roll: its crap and i cant throw them away as i havent cut out all the little maps... i cancelled my DD after a year thinking that was it :shock: just please STOP!!

the lezyne multi-tool is still sweet though

milko9000

lbalony wrote:

Concorde wrote:

There's a little secret I found out with the subscription offers which works very nicely, I cannot reveal it on here mind. 8)

Course you can reveal it! Go on whats the worst that can happen?

Is it not just "subscribe, receive gift, cancel sub"?

Jolly Swagman

I think I waited until MBUK did one of their shorts offers to join.

Jolly Swagman

milko9000 wrote:

lbalony wrote:

Concorde wrote:

There's a little secret I found out with the subscription offers which works very nicely, I cannot reveal it on here mind. 8)

Course you can reveal it! Go on whats the worst that can happen?

Is it not just "subscribe, receive gift, cancel sub"?

Yup. Works well.

russyh

I am waiting for the next freebie before subscribing. The articles may be recycled but as a newbie, its allgolden for me currently!