tuba@ur-tut.UUCP (Jon Krueger) (09/10/85)
I'm thinking of subscibing to "Bicycling", are there others? What magazines are oriented toward the tourist? Has anyone found a magazine that they can positively recommend? I'm interested in any comments from netland. -- -- Jon Krueger UUCP: ...seismo!rochester!ur-tut!tuba BITNET: TUBA@UORDBV USMAIL: University of Rochester Taylor Hall Rocheseter, NY 14627 (716) 275-2811
becky@cylixd.UUCP (Becky Bates) (09/12/85)
> I'm thinking of subscibing to "Bicycling", are there others? What > magazines are oriented toward the tourist? Has anyone found a magazine > that they can positively recommend? I'm interested in any comments > from netland. > > -- > > -- Jon Krueger > UUCP: ...seismo!rochester!ur-tut!tuba > BITNET: TUBA@UORDBV > USMAIL: University of Rochester > Taylor Hall > Rocheseter, NY 14627 > (716) 275-2811 Yes Jon there is an excellant and very new magazine called BICYCLE RIDER and is dedicated to the tourist. I will get you the address and post it. The magazine calls itself the Grand Touring Magazine and has articles on some of the most exquisite places in the world to cycle. The photography is very well done and beyond that there are articles informing you of new products, problems, and opinions about cycling. They are still fairly new so the technical stuff is not as good as it needs to be. I read Bicycling for the technical and training tips and Bicycle Rider for the trip info. and new product features. I think with time this magazine will be just as good as Bicycling. It is nice to finally have a magazine that doesn't assume that because you are into cycling you naturally go into racing. Bicycle Rider even pokes fun at the triathlon and racers that would rather look at their bike computer or water proof super tri-watch rather than look at the beautiful scenery that is passing by their wheels. I want no flames because I admire and respect racers and tri. people just as much as tourists, but I personally want to enjoy my sport without any worry about time. Touring is wonderful, and training takes miles and miles of cycling with just a slight push to make your cadence average around 16 - 18 mph to complete those centuries before it gets dark outside. Hope this has helped you didnt' mean to get into such a long discussion. Becky Bates !ihnp4!akgua!cylixd!becky
keesan@bbncc5.UUCP (Morris M. Keesan) (09/13/85)
I second the recommendation of "Bicycle Rider" magazine, based on the one
issue I've seen. They are definitely aimed at the non-competitive cyclist.
I think they have a subtitle something like "The Grand Touring Magazine".
The address for subscriptions is
Bicycle Rider
29901 Agoura Rd.
Agoura, CA 91301
Subscriptions are $15.98/yr. (9 issues/yr), but they seem to have a push on
currently for "charter subscribers", and if you write to them you might be
able to get them to offer you the deal we got, which is one trial issue free,
and then nine more for the standard price if you like the trial issue.
I never liked "Bicycling" magazine much, because of their strong
racing slant. For example, a recent issue had a story listed on the cover as
"Commuting: Quality Miles". The article turns out to be about two people who
use their commuting time to train for racing.
--
Morris M. Keesan
keesan@bbn-unix.ARPA
{decvax,ihnp4,etc.}!bbncca!keesanwagner@uw-june (Dave Wagner) (09/15/85)
I agree whole-heartedly with Becky Bates about "Bicycle Rider" magazine.
It is a great magazine for the tourist. The entire magazine seems to
consist of tour summaries (with terrific photos - if you've ever read
"Arizona Highways", you know what I'm talking about) and product reviews
(bikes, touring equipment, etc.) Also, I don't know if this will last
as the magazine gets more established, but the paper stock is really
superior and the cover stock is out-of-this-world-glossy (the magazine
is mailed in a plastic wrapper to protect it!) So you see,
they are sparing no effort to make it a really high-class magazine.
Oh, by the way, they don't limit themselves to paved-road tours, either.
They have mountain bike reviews and tours.
I'm dropping my subscription to "Bicycling" now. "Bicycling" lost their
technical appeal to me when they spun off the "Bike Tech" newsletter
(a total rip-off!) and now there's no reason to subscribe to them at all
unless you are into racing. Too bad for them...
Dave Wagner
University of Washington Comp Sci Department
wagner@washington.arpa
{ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!uw-beaver!uw-wally!wagner
"The surest thing there is is we are riders,
And though none too successful at it, guiders,
Through everything presented, land and tide
And now the very air, of what we ride."
- Frostdiego@cca.UUCP (Diego Gonzalez) (09/16/85)
> . . . > I never liked "Bicycling" magazine much, because of their strong > racing slant. For example, a recent issue had a story listed on the cover as > "Commuting: Quality Miles". The article turns out to be about two people who > use their commuting time to train for racing. > -- > Morris M. Keesan I do not wish to impugn Mr. Keesan's opinions. However, I must object that I have not found "Bicycling" to have a particular racing slant. In general, "Bicycling" has been wherever news was being made in human-powered vehicles. I suppose that every specialty magazine does have its focus. About ten years ago (I was coming "down" from competitive running), I stumbled on some back issues of "Bicycling". I read them from cover to cover. After some (then) 15 years of casual dabbling with bicycles and always having thought that some day I'd have time to get "serious", this magazine was a real inspiration. I liked the equipment reviews, comparisons of bikes and accessories, and the technical articles on repair and maintenance. I should say that my interest was primarily as a "sport" cyclist. I am not devoted to a particular type of cycling. I most usually rode on weekends and holidays. I've done some bike-packing on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. I think day trips are fun and, if I could pick an area that I think might suit, might try some longer term touring (although I much prefer unloaded biking). Nowadays, I have the opportunity to commute to work by bike (20 miles round trip) which I do in reasonable weather a couple of times a week. I have two nice bikes, a road-racer and a tourer, that I keep in good condition. I have also built a special extra-small bike for my wife who is a very casual cyclist lately (our young son has put a crimp in both our riding (and tennis) activities this past year or so). I have relied on "Bicycling" for news of new products and comparison reports for all these bikes, and now many friends ask me for advice or information when looking at bikes or upgrades. I have also enjoyed a great deal the features on touring and commuting in "Bicycling" magazine. I think that there have always been quite a few of these. Only in the past year or two, since the popularity of bicycle racing has begun to grow in the U. S. has the magazine printed any appreciable articles on racing. And, while it's true that few of us will become world-class cyclists, I think it enhances our pleasure at any level of riding to have better pedaling technique and fitness. As for racing -- well, who doesn't like to go fast? Okay, I admit that some don't. The thing is, though, that cycle racing is a very colorful and exciting event. It has a strong impact on the average American who's got little idea what cycling can be. Like, we're not Mario Andretti every time we get into the family car. Cycle racing is raising public consciousness and that's good for all of us. Equipment and safety and traffic rules are also getting better. (We still need better educational programs, though.) Bicycling represents all riders, and therefore prints articles to inform and entertain those with racing interests. To the credit of its publishers, however, the magazine continues to print articles on touring, general training and fitness, and commuting as well as features on off-road cycling. What I'm trying to say is that having looked at other cycling magazines, I think "Bicycling" has a significant edge. They have recognized bicycle "experts" on their advisory, review, and writing staff. They have experience in the bicycle world. And, more than any other magazine, they are not trading on the bicycle boom. They have been here all along. They have supported bicycling when almost no one was interested except a few of us fanatics. If you're not convinced, get copies from a newsstand (or your public library) for a few months. Try it and I think you'll like it.
fred@varian.UUCP (Fred Klink) (09/19/85)
> I'm dropping my subscription to "Bicycling" now. "Bicycling" lost their > technical appeal to me when they spun off the "Bike Tech" newsletter > (a total rip-off!) and now there's no reason to subscribe to them at all > unless you are into racing. Too bad for them... On the contrary, there's no reason to subscribe to Bicycling if you're into racing. Their race coverage is spotty and months out of date. Their "training" articles may be OK but they're so repetitive that reading one issue a year gives you most of the information they'll publish. I subscribed to Bicycling (nee Bike World) for a dozen years and dropped it two years ago because they offered little of value to me as someone who's "into racing". I guess there's no reason to subscribe to Bicycling at all! For racing, Winning and Velo-News are the best low cost sources although both are little late with full race coverage. The European magazines still lead in terms of photo coverage and in-depth articles. A friend of mine brought me a copy of Sprint International (France) published the week after the Tour de France (8/1). It had a separate article for each stage with multiple color photos on every page and complete day by day stage and GC results in the back. I'm still waiting for Winning to publish their Tour de France coverage.
wagner@uw-june (Dave Wagner) (09/26/85)
> > (me:) > > I'm dropping my subscription to "Bicycling" now. "Bicycling" lost their > > technical appeal to me when they spun off the "Bike Tech" newsletter > > (a total rip-off!) and now there's no reason to subscribe to them at all > > unless you are into racing. Too bad for them... > > (fred@varian:) > On the contrary, there's no reason to subscribe to Bicycling if you're into > racing. Their race coverage is spotty and months out of date. Their > "training" articles may be OK but they're so repetitive that reading one > issue a year gives you most of the information they'll publish. I subscribed > to Bicycling (nee Bike World) for a dozen years and dropped it two years ago > because they offered little of value to me as someone who's "into racing". > I guess there's no reason to subscribe to Bicycling at all! > > For racing, Winning and Velo-News are the best low cost sources although both > are little late with full race coverage. The European magazines still lead > in terms of photo coverage and in-depth articles. A friend of mine brought > me a copy of Sprint International (France) published the week after the Tour > de France (8/1). It had a separate article for each stage with multiple color > photos on every page and complete day by day stage and GC results in the back. > I'm still waiting for Winning to publish their Tour de France coverage. > Yeah, you're right. I didn't mean they concentrate on race coverage, I meant that they concentrate on how to go fast. What I really should have said was, "now there's no reason to subscribe to them at all unless you are into TRIATHLONS". I think that the people at Bicycling have observed that triathloning is the big thing now, and so they're trying to capitalize on it. In doing so, they've completely forgotten about all the recreational riders and tourists who've been subscribing for years. Dammit, there's a magazine called Triathlete for those people; why can't a magazine called Bicycling be about bicycling only! That's why I dropped them. Dave Wagner University of Washington Comp Sci Department wagner@washington.arpa {ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!uw-beaver!uw-wally!wagner "The surest thing there is is we are riders, And though none too successful at it, guiders, Through everything presented, land and tide And now the very air, of what we ride." - Frost