12 Things About Mountain Bike Magazines Want To Stop Doing
Oi! Cease it!
The response to our ‘Ten things the bike industry needs to stop doing’ characteristic a few years in the past has been superb, with readers outraged and in settlement in equal measures. So, simply because we like giving the hornets’ nest a prod each every so often, we thought we’d reply to one of many feedback on there from cynic_al who advised we have to do a ‘Ten issues magazines must cease doing’. Provided that his article by no means appeared, we’ve taken it on ourselves to get the ‘Mirror of Reality’ out and see if we will admit to a couple failings right here and amongst our friends. We hope you get pleasure from it…
Dust Rag. They received’t be bothering you any extra
Quantity One: It’s 2020
Harping on concerning the Glory Retro Years. So as to keep in mind the glory days of Tinker and Tomac and chainstay-mounted U-brakes, it’s worthwhile to be at the least 45 years outdated, which makes you a little bit of a has-been already. These had been the times of cantilever brakes that didn’t work, tyres made from laborious plastic and pudding bowl helmets. Get with it, grandad! There’s significantly better stuff happening proper now.
It’s John Tomac, not a deity, OK?
Quantity Two: Deifying Riders.
It’s not all about Peaty, Peron and MacAskill ? Simply because they’re the quickest this week, or they’ve the most effective #shredits doesn’t imply it’s a must to characteristic them Each Single Function. It’s not that there aren’t a load of different nice personalities and bike riders, racers and bike folks on the market. The place’s the John Peel fanzine model to the Top40 of the shiny magazines?
Quantity Three: The Mouthpiece
Being the mouthpiece of the bike corporations. Seeing everybody come out with the identical press launch with the identical data on the identical day is getting a bit boring. Don’t you do any correct journalism any extra? The place are the scoops and the trade insider leaks?
Quantity 4: Not Everybody Has A Bike Journo Shed
Assuming everybody has a motorbike shed stuffed with prime shelf spares to play with. It’s all very nicely so that you can discuss concerning the deserves of various 12 pace chains, or to play with three totally different widths of carbon bars. Most of us are driving round on ten pace Deore. And the following time somebody says ‘Oh, I simply reached into the enormous field of free tyres and swapped treads on my carbon rims…’
Oh this outdated stuff? I simply hold it round as a result of I like the color of the packing containers
Quantity 5: The place Are The Girls?
Ignoring ladies. There are many feminine mountain bikers on the market, so why aren’t there any in your pages and employees rosters? If half of the mountain bikes are being purchased by ladies, they don’t wish to see sweaty blokes on each web page. And don’t get us began by noticing how white everyone seems to be…
Bloke, bloke, bloke, lass, bloke, bloke, bloke, bloke…
Quantity Six: Too A lot Glamour
At all times focussing on the unique areas. No, we’re not all off to Whistler this summer time like you’re. We’re going tenting in Wales. Having magazines stuffed with unique sunsets over locations we’re by no means going to go to isn’t inspiring, it’s miserable!
That’s not Scotland! I wish to see photographs of the place I dwell
Quantity Seven: Not Sufficient Glamour
At all times that includes some boring woods or a quarry in England. The place’s the shiny journal inspiration? We don’t wish to see the identical Surrey corners or Lee Quarry drops. We would like unique sunsets in Whistler to encourage us! There’s sufficient boring driving to be seen out the window.
That’s not Whistler! The place’s the glamour in that?
Quantity Eight: Going With The Requirements
Ignoring the worth of issues. Nobody buys a brand new bike yearly. How are you going to evaluate six totally different SuperBoost wheelsets after we’re all on 142mm (that you just instructed us then was the most effective wheel commonplace on this planet…) Do extra £500 bike assessments and overlook the £500 handlebars and GPS models…
Ooh, no, it’s all about Tremendous Additional Enhance now, didn’t you hear?
Quantity 9: What a waste
Ignoring the environmental influence of our sport. Sure, we’re driving push bikes, however what concerning the uncooked supplies used, the carbon fibre we will’t recycle and the limitless journeys within the firm VW T6 up and down the M4 to do all of these shoots at BikePark Wales? To not point out flying off to California and the Alps just a few occasions a 12 months to get that one shot…
However the place does all of it go?
Quantity Ten: You Print Magazines On Paper?
Printing magazines on paper. Don’t that the world’s gone on-line? Why are you continue to chopping down bushes to print stuff months after we might have simply learn it on an iPad display whereas concurrently watching Superstar Bake-off?
That’s a whole lot of wallpaper…
Quantity Eleven: Catch My Drift, Moto-Bro?
Speaking such as you’re from California/the Pacific Northwest/14 years outdated. ‘We’re stoked to see the gnarly trails being shredded by the sick cool dudes, man. Steeze’. You’re from Kent, you numbskull.