Colorado Kid

I was at the doctor's office the other day, the "New" Bicycling Magazine was there. (Don't see in many place anymore.) Has anyone seen this since it got sold and moved to NYC? It seemed better then the old rag. What do you think?

RubeRad

I got a few in the mail, I'm not sure why. It seems like they're really trying hard to diversify their readership, lots of focus on women, riders of color, etc.

I never really liked it that much to begin with, so I don't know if it's better or worse (for me).

Before it was too many techy reviews of overpriced bikes and gear, and too many articles about optimizing 'performance' (Tips to Destroy Hills! Increase your Endurance! etc)

Now it's too many techy reviews of overpriced bikes and gear, and too many human interest stories about random people that happen to have bikes.

Miele Man

For many years even before the move to NYC Bicycling magazine has been referred to by many bicyclists as "BUYcycling magazine since the purpose of the magazine seems to be to sell stuff.

How I miss the days when Bicycling magazine had infrormative articles about things like touring and how to set up your bicycle for the best fit or for climbing st cetera.

Cheers

pdlamb

I subscribed to Buycycling for three or four years. Reviews, I learned to ignore them after a few months. But the problem with Bicycling seems to be the same as for most hobby/skill magazines: there's only a few years' of content. So you learn to spin (or how fast to grind) up a hill, learn to do sprints or intervals during training, etc. Unless you don't have a long term memory, you'll see an article on how to climb hills faster every six months, and pretty soon you start thinking, "I've read this before." Same thing happens with woodworking (how to make a dovetail joint, there's only a few viable ways), bird watching (once you've learned what sparrows are in your area and how to distinguish them, you're just double-checking yourself the next time that article comes around), and even cooking (learn how to braise meat once, you're pretty much done). Of course you can read new recipes in new magazine issues -- or I can look at a bookshelf of cookbooks.

And so you're left with reviews. Reading about how new design X is far more vertically compliant and laterally stiff than last year's design -- it's enough to develop critical thinking skills in the most ardent political activist/twitter echo chamber reader. (Maybe we should subsidize hobby magazines for just that reason!) So you buy one magazine every year for the hobby you're interested in to see what's changed since the last one you paged through. (Wider tires! Gravel bikes!)

well biked

The magazine I miss from "bitd" is Mountain Bike Action. Mountain biking was my absolute passion for a very long time and I looked forward to MBA like no other magazine. I had a subscription to Bicycling and a couple of other magazines over the years, but again, the only one that really brings back fond memories for me is Mountain Bike Action.

It still exists, but I probably haven't read it in at least fifteen years, I just don't read magazines anymore. It would be interesting to pick up a copy and see how it compares to the old issues.

Darth Lefty 

Enthusiast press is pretty much the same regardless of topic. When they set out to do Real Journalism it really hurts their bottom line and they have to teach themselves occasionally, like the time Motorcycling declared cheaper helmets safer than SNELL 2005, lost helmet advertising, and ultimately fired the reporter.

I like club magazines better. Model Aviation was better in every way than Model Airplane News, at least in the late 80s to early 90s when I was getting them.

Chinghis

I picked up an MBA a few months ago. Zap Espinosa is still there, now writing guest editorials. It was very nostalgic.

well biked

Wow, that's cool. I really liked Richard Cunningham's stuff

esmith2039

Picked up a few months from the library last week. Didn't realize it changed but now that you mention it. Good mixture of the cheaper and way expensive bikes, equipment etc. It's ok but I won't get a subscription since the library is free.

Papa Tom

Poor print mags. There's so much available online these days, I just can't bring myself to pay $$$ for a magazine as thick as a quarter. As an author of (paper) books, I should be more sensitive to those who stick their necks out and commit to paper; however, I find the wealth of Internet articles and reviews written by plain folks so much more informative and interesting than almost anything I have ever read in any ad-supported/influenced cycling magazine.

2old

Don't know if they've succumbed, but many mags charge for "reviews" now. Also, they reduced issues to six per year. I haven't been a fan for many years.

Darth Lefty 

Just heard that Dirt Rag went belly up

well biked

Yeah, I saw that. I subscribed to DirtRag years ago. Maurice Tierney was an institution.

Miele Man

Yes! Plus many times if you do buy a magazine for a certain article you'll find that the article is chopped up into pretty small segments and those segments are dwarfed by the amount of advertising on the page that article segment is on.

Another thing is that there are no so many videos online that show you exactly how to do something.

I can't remember when I last bought a new bicycling magazine but I think it was in the very early 1990s.

Cheers

RidingMatthew

i used to have a bicycling times subscription but it folded they gave me Dirt Rag to continue. I canceled the subscription after their smart alec response to the new editor's response to a letter to the editor.