Bicycling Magazine

[Eugene]

I have every issue of Bicycling magazine since its inception here in SA and have generally enjoyed reading it, but of late I have been disappointed.

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Most articles seem to be taken from the American sister magazine with no attempt to give them an SA flavour. There is a full article in the October issue of some major league baseball player that has taken up triathlon. ?cmon, this is the RSA, not the <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />USAon>, I want to read about our own athletes, not some yank that us South Africans have never heard of.

 

I have seen bike reviews of models not even available in South Africaon>. Read the article on the BH Speedrom in the Sept issue and you will see that the review came straight out of the American magazine.

 

Cartoons/drawings are used more and more instead of decent photos. I suppose artists are cheaper than photographers in the USAon>

 

The magazine is getting thinner and thinner, but the price is going up.

 

If I want an American magazine, I will go to my local Paper Weight shop and get a back issue for half the price of Bicycling R(U)SA.

[markStockton]

Agreed, I'm not sure I'm going to renew my subscription.

 

On the plus side Ride is a great read. 

 

[splat]

Also finding it a bit light in the pants.

I am finished with it after a few days.

 

Got the online version of MBR from Zinio to fill the gaps.

[KeithB]

I think this is true of all Touchline mags - MensHealth, Runner, etc.   Often just the US articles with oftentimes NO attempt at all to even try and give a local flavour.  

 

Bicycling is the last one I have been hanging in with - but that's about to bite the dust, can't see that I will renew .....

[Aedon]

Let my subscription lapse more than a year ago when,  they deducted from my credit card but "Werent able to find ever having received your renewal."

Ride is the mag to go for, not one hassle in more than a year.

[FanieFiets]

I pay R 85-00 for my subscription but dont even know if it is worth it. Mine is up this month...still have to decide. 

[Spinnekop]

Must say......

Not worth it.

 

I save up and buy Procycling every now and again. 

Much more info

The actually have tech stuff, features and decent testing!

Actual photos.  Real photos!

 

The mag takes me a while to get through....

 

 

 

[BMCfan]

i got a subscription for chrismast present last year!

this year i'll ask father christmas for a ride mag sub as i'm also not happy with the usa read!

[desmondalie]

The same articles are recycled all the time, it just gets new titles but the info stays the same ie. Get race ready in four weeks OR How to lose 5kg in 4 weeks, etc.

 

Mu sub expired a while ago and I will probably not renew it agian.

[Red Zone]

I had the cheep discovery subscription. let that lapse, was totaly bored with the mag.

 

12 weeks to your best 94.7 then 12 weeks to your best Argus, then 8 weeks then 4, the mag stays basicaly the same from year to year. you can get all the new tech and bike news online anyway. They need to reinvent the mag with more local content and "lifestyle" stuff

[barrykm]

I agree with Eugene's original post - Bicycling SA magazine is becoming increasingly disappointing. 

 

Ride SA is way ahead in my view although it could do with more formal bike and equipment reviews 

[Bike Mob]

I made the switch to RIDE.

Dont even miss Bicycling any more...

[DawieO]

Worst was the article referring to local eateries in the US somewhere!!

Eish disappointing when my ex-favorite magazine has become virtually irrelevant to me.

[Weekend_Warrior]

I get bicycling and Mens Health only because i got it on Vitality mall at a good price i think R85 and R105 and i actually dont even read them coz there is not much going on in either. 

 

I have bought the ride mag a couple times but have not really compaired the two.

 

I am going to email this link to touchline media and then lets see if they respond. 

[porky]

Bicycling was always just a "pretty little magazine" with about as much meat as a cheese sandwich, aimed at the entry level market who just wanted to know if it was cool to wear white socks with a red bike.!! 

 

Personally, I think Ride is just as pathetic, but thats just me.!

 

For their mass markets they are probably fine, but if you are even in the least remotely serious, the magazine is just a waste of time.

 

Lately it seems they have also been useing the old publishers trick of printing on thicker and thicker paper to make the magazine look bulky with the same or less content.

........and frankly that content is about as inspiring as a gem squash.!

 

Save your bucks and buy Pro-cycling or Cycle sport every second or third month and see what a serious cycling magazine is all about.

 

[Piernas Flacas]

Typical Bicycling Mag covers:

 

Jan: 5 ways to ride faster

Feb: 7 ways to ride better

Mar: 8 ways for effective riding

Apr: 20 ways to ride faster, better and more effectively