RIDE magazine

[skipperw]

Minor rant...

 

On the cover of the latest edition, a headline reads:

Eight Essential MTB Upgrades

 

This indicates an article exploring upgrades to a mountain bike. What's worth upgrading and what's not worth upgrading.

 

However, the article is about specific upgrades to a Giant Trance. It would appear that there is a fair amount of advertorial at play too...

 

A little disappointing and misleading when the article could have been an informative piece on upgrades in general.

[Vetseun]

I probably last bought a Ride magazine 5 years ago, Was out of desperation to read something of our trip to the coast. I picked it up at the local shop last night, scanned the cover and put it back down, IMO nothing of value in that publication.

[Honkdonk]

Its kinda like DSTV - full of repeats

[Helpmytrap]

Its kinda like DSTV - full of repeats

It's clockwork every year. Especially when Argus and 94.7 are around the corner. Don't forget x/y steps to a leaner and stronger you to climb like a mountain goat.

[deanbean]

In my opinion, the Ride has gone the way of Bicycling, become irrelevant to the experienced rider, sad that, I enjoy reading Steve Shapiro's and Grant Usher's columns

[DJR]

I haven't seen Ride for a long time, so take my comment with a pinch of salt:

 

The 2014 650B Trance is the poster boy for mtbikes that can be upgraded almost without limit. On the 1 hand it can be ridden exactly as it is out of the box as a seriously good bike. At the other extreme it can be upgraded to the hilt and one can justify spending eye watering amounts of money on it to end up with a super do-it-all machine. I also would have used that as a great example if I had to write about upgrading mtbs.

[Headshot]

Havent seen the article but perhaps they should have specified it as upgrades to a trail/all mountain bike as opposed to your usual Ride readers bike of choice which is probably a hardtail 29er :-)

[No Hare]

Same thing last month with their "Tour Bicycles". Not Tour du France or Le Tour or even Tour du Magatashoek. Since I enjoy bicycle touring I bought a copy only to find it full of carbon copy mache bikes that the pro's ride.

 

Ba-humbug!

[skipperw]

The real concern is that I can't shake the feeling that these upgrades were done free of charge by the suppliers. In other words, an article that was headlined as an advisory article, ended up being an incredibly targeted piece relating to a specific bike, possibly benefiting someone in the editorial team. This is advertorial, not editorial, and in no way a piece of any value to a reader.

That being said, I am speculating.

[Aedon]

Seems a common problem with SA cycling magazines.

Most of the articles are "borrowed" from overseas mags, or as Helpmytrap says, rehash of old articles.

[ChUkKy]

I think they should put some hot gooses on bicycles in there to get the readership up, like a Pirelli calendar

[ChUkKy]

Like this...

[skipperw]

I am immediately more excited about this kind of article...

[Hackster]

Dunno about the latest issue, but if you compare Ride today with the magazine it used to be, I think it's a much improved product. Almost a different mag.

 

Ride and Tread are on my monthly buy list, given that there's content that appeals to me.

[Jace]

I used to purchase Ride and Bicycling and once even tread.. BUT.. because i have bills to pay and a family to feed and mtb comes a close 5th in my list of priorities i cant read a magazine that is focused on bikes costing R30k and give 1star to a bike that costs less than R20k (budget category).. When honestly, has anyone ever considered what markup these clowns put on the bikes - - - Naturally they can afford to throw parts at editorial staff to punt their own product....I ride a great bike, gets me up the hills and down the otherside.. I give me 5stars for trying..and the bike 5stars for keeping my upright and near as dammit to my target weight.

[Marius]

I get mine free in goodie bags, same sh#t different issue.