Cycling Magazines

[Brett MTBer]

Its actually the American one for R36 for 9 issues - what a bargain!

[Eugene]

Bicycling went through a bad patch some time ago, but has improved somewhat of late, however, got the December issue yesterday and realised they are obviously desperate for content.

 

Am I being unreasonable to want to read about cycling in a cycling magazine. jeez, if I want to read about cars, I will buy a car magazine. Actually, I enjoyed the GT suppliment a lot more than the magazine. At least that was full of bicycles and not cars.

[Iron]

Bicycling went through a bad patch some time ago, but has improved somewhat of late, however, got the December issue yesterday and realised they are obviously desperate for content.

 

Am I being unreasonable to want to read about cycling in a cycling magazine. jeez, if I want to read about cars, I will buy a car magazine. Actually, I enjoyed the GT suppliment a lot more than the magazine. At least that was full of bicycles and not cars.

 

Too true , the only good thing about Dec issue is the GT catalogue .

[jimmy hardtail]

Does anyone here work for a bike mag? Would be interested to hear their side of the story. It seems to me that there are 3 mags trying to compete for a small market and all trying a different approach

[(Deon)]

Well I let my subscription to Mountain Bike Action go this morning. 6 years subscribed but in the last 2 years it has been "29" this and "29" that! I trusted every word that fell from Richard Cunningham's mouth, "Ask RC" but then, just one day, he was gone! Not a word where, not a word why or even how? Just gone.

 

Each issue made me think 29er sales must be slooow in the states, they are punting it like Johnny advertising his double chicken and cheese roti from last week, because "TODAY IT MUST GO, you know 'n all".

 

Goodbye MBA. I'll keep checking.. but until you change for the better, farewell.

[DJR]

Well I let my subscription to Mountain Bike Action go this morning. 6 years subscribed but in the last 2 years it has been "29" this and "29" that! I trusted every word that fell from Richard Cunningham's mouth, "Ask RC" but then, just one day, he was gone! Not a word where, not a word why or even how? Just gone.

 

Each issue made me think 29er sales must be slooow in the states, they are punting it like Johnny advertising his double chicken and cheese roti from last week, because "TODAY IT MUST GO, you know 'n all".

 

Goodbye MBA. I'll keep checking.. but until you change for the better, farewell.

 

You should start buying magazines that give you free Norco socks, thay's how I choose!

[Danger Dassie]

Well I let my subscription to Mountain Bike Action go this morning. 6 years subscribed but in the last 2 years it has been "29" this and "29" that! I trusted every word that fell from Richard Cunningham's mouth, "Ask RC" but then, just one day, he was gone! Not a word where, not a word why or even how? Just gone.

 

Each issue made me think 29er sales must be slooow in the states, they are punting it like Johnny advertising his double chicken and cheese roti from last week, because "TODAY IT MUST GO, you know 'n all".

 

Goodbye MBA. I'll keep checking.. but until you change for the better, farewell.

 

Yeah RC was there a while, I also enjoyed eccentricity of the Editor before him, Zapata Espinoza. Or 'Zap" as he was known.

 

Zap went onto Mountain Bike and I followed through on that, the editorial columns were great. Especially "Hug the Bunny" in the back section.

Then as things do, there was change.

 

http://www.ridephat.com/archiveshow.php?recordID=116

Edited November 24, 2011 by danger dassie

[Mr Legs]

Check out Rouleur and Privateer from the UK.

 

They also get boring after a while, but some of the local mags and Bicycling in particular are aimed at the newbie or the brainless.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Mr Legs

[Tumbleweed]

Yeah RC was there a while, I also enjoyed eccentricity of the Editor before him, Zapata Espinoza. Or 'Zap" as he was known.

 

Zap went onto Mountain Bike and I followed through on that, the editorial columns were great. Especially "Hug the Bunny" in the back section.

Then as things do, there was change.

 

http://www.ridephat.com/archiveshow.php?recordID=116

 

Zap is a legend! Gotta love them weird earrings!

[Tumbleweed]

Does anyone here work for a bike mag? Would be interested to hear their side of the story. It seems to me that there are 3 mags trying to compete for a small market and all trying a different approach

 

Not that I know of…

[rouxtjie]

You should start buying magazines that give you free Norco socks, thay's how I choose!

Is there any other way...think the "toy" this month was a waterproof pouch for geld and cellphone.

[Shebeen]

did anyone know that Ride was 'outsourced'?

doesn't even say so on the ride.co.za website, but i can't think of a better way to describe it.

 

Let's hope it doesn't become a Getaway on wheels, and don't EVER let them get your email addres. They will make 15 thousand duplicate copies and burn one each time you ask.

 

 

My link

Ride joins custom publishing stable

http://www.ramsaymedia.co.za/graphics/sections/view.gif comments: 0

RamsayMedia’s Custom Publishing division has taken on its first consumer title contract – the November issue of cycling magazine Ride marks the fifth title in the company’s custom publishing stable and the second new acquisition this year, following Automobil in March.

 

Owned and previously published by the Koekemoer family, manufacturers of Cyclone and Anatomic sportswear, the Ride contract was awarded to RamsayMedia because of the expertise and multiplatform solution the company can provide to grow its reach, engagement with readers and profitability, according to the division’s publisher, Neal Farrell.

 

Ride had reached the limits of what could be achieved as a family-run enterprise, said CEO Hannes Koekemoer. “For the past 14 years Ride has been a must for all cycling enthusiasts, but for us to continue to expand, we had to acknowledge our limitations as a non-publishing company,” he said. “In RamsayMedia’s hands, we are confident the brand will continue to grow and appeal to new audiences.”

 

 

 

RamsayMedia’s suite of expertise includes newsstand marketing, subscriptions fulfilment, adsales, eventing and a range of content and digital opportunities such as video, mobile, social media and interactive digital editions.

 

 

 

Ride will continue under the editorship of Adèle Tait supported by a team of contributors and will follow the current print template, but the magazine content and design will be tweaked for a mini relaunch in April next year, Farrell said. Regular webletters, apps, promotional mailers and a revamped website are also in the pipeline for 2012.

 

 

 

The title is currently unaudited but has a circulation of approximately 15 000. It sells for R33.90.

[dracs]

I wonder how many cycle lab club members there are nationally... since they each get a copy of ride included in membership I would hazard a guess that they make up a fair % of the total ride mag circualtion @15,000... Really not a big market - no wonder the quality/content sometimes lacks...

Edited November 29, 2011 by dracs

[Danger Dassie]

did anyone know that Ride was 'outsourced'?

doesn't even say so on the ride.co.za website, but i can't think of a better way to describe it.

 

It was the editorial topic one or two issues back.

Not really outsourced, it's custom published now and while the editorial staff no longer seem to be there.

It is still run by the same editor and has pretty the same contributor list.

Will be interesting to see what direction it takes from here, seemed to be very much an Anatomic supplement for a long time and I suppose to a large extent was most likely subsidised by that part of the business.

[Tumbleweed]

Hey, I'm a bit annoyed. The cellphone thingie in the November MBUK is lekker, but I see December's free gift is a "neck tube", which I'm sure they gave away about a year back...

[onetrackmind]

Hey, I'm a bit annoyed. The cellphone thingie in the November MBUK is lekker, but I see December's free gift is a "neck tube", which I'm sure they gave away about a year back...

They sent a smaller one this time, in hope...

Edited December 1, 2011 by onetrackmind