Best MTB magazine
Author
Discussion

spdpug98

Original Poster:

1,551 posts

245 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
I've just got back into MTB'g and looking at getting a magizine subscription, what are you guys reading at the moment and what is the best MTB magazine out there.

littleandy0410

1,745 posts

227 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
What sort of riding are you doing? For general XC and leisure riding, I'd recommend MBR or What Mountain Bike magazine.

They seem to have the best reviews of bkes and products, and some interesting articles on rides etc.

sjg

7,645 posts

288 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
Singletrack and Dirt cover the spectrum of what I'm interested in without too many "these 09 full suspension bikes are way better than the 08 ones!!!" tests (MBR, What MTB, etc), or being aimed squarely at the under-16s (MBUK).

WildCards

4,061 posts

240 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
STW has the best photography.

pastrana72

1,740 posts

231 months

Monday 1st September 2008
quotequote all
I like Dirt (the magazine), well written articles, fantastic pictures, good paper.

biggrin

mat205125

17,790 posts

236 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
MBR or What Mountain Bike are the more informative, however MBUK is still the more entertaining. I do, however, take the reviews and information in MBUK with a pinch of salt. Of late, all they are interested in doing is trying to convince the reader that you need at least a £4000 bike, and must be able to "huck" a small council tower block, before you can call yourself a mountain biker. There are occasionally gems of articles in their releases however.

Check out the forum on the bikeradar website for a more rounded option. Lots of product and component reviews on their collated from all of the mountain biking monthly mags.

spdpug98

Original Poster:

1,551 posts

245 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
Should of confirmed type of riding I suppose, I am mainly riding the downhill trails at QECP in Petersfield but do spend about 50% of my riding on the New Forest with the family, although I don't want to read about that!

Thanks for the advice


Rico

7,917 posts

278 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
MBUK!!!!!!!!

hehe

Tim.s

753 posts

225 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
Rico said:
MBUK!!!!!!!!

hehe
+1 You can never have enough pairs of MBUK socks!

duff

1,037 posts

222 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
quotequote all
MBR is the best IMO. A good spread of bike reviews for all levels.

Haven't read MBUK for a while as it just seemed to be full of kids jumping off bus shelters!

WMB does a lot of product reviews but I find they way it's written a bit cheesy and they seem to get sucked in by the marketing hype of certain brands.

Singletrack has some good, well written articles and nice pictures but it does go in for the niche areas of riding - too many singlespeeds or handmade titanium for my tastes.

Edited by duff on Wednesday 3rd September 15:31

Mr_C

2,495 posts

252 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
quotequote all
duff said:
kids jumping off bus shelters!
I was doing that ten years ago!!!

Amateurs!

smile

MATRS

451 posts

306 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
quotequote all
MBR and Singletrack, you can get MBR with your Tesco points too wink

neil_bolton

17,113 posts

287 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
quotequote all
Dirt pretty much is there now its a monthly, however MBR is a useful, non-up-its-own-arse reference magazine.

MBUK is worth a look occasionally (hell, I'm even in it this month biggrin ) however its always been for the 12 year olds...

Singletrack is like an american MTB mag but with slightly better writing: I wish Chipps would give up on the whole leftfield "It's cool to be massively and radically different to the point everyone points and laughs at me at the pub after a ride" stuff...however he's always been the same...

Anyone remember RIDE?

AbarthChris

2,259 posts

238 months

Thursday 4th September 2008
quotequote all
neil_bolton said:
Dirt pretty much is there now its a monthly, however MBR is a useful, non-up-its-own-arse reference magazine.

MBUK is worth a look occasionally (hell, I'm even in it this month biggrin ) however its always been for the 12 year olds...

Singletrack is like an american MTB mag but with slightly better writing: I wish Chipps would give up on the whole leftfield "It's cool to be massively and radically different to the point everyone points and laughs at me at the pub after a ride" stuff...however he's always been the same...

Anyone remember RIDE?
No, don't remember RIDE?

How about MBi, does anyone remember that? that'll sort the newbies from the old hands smile

I love singletrack, biut i have to agree with the Chipps stuff and the singlespeed crap. The overseas riding articles are so good though and the photography is excellent. Its a bit like Evo for bikes.

I borrowed MBUK off a mate the other day, I havent bought it in years and I doubt I ever will do. ste!

neil_bolton

17,113 posts

287 months

Thursday 4th September 2008
quotequote all
AbarthChris said:
neil_bolton said:
Dirt pretty much is there now its a monthly, however MBR is a useful, non-up-its-own-arse reference magazine.

MBUK is worth a look occasionally (hell, I'm even in it this month biggrin ) however its always been for the 12 year olds...

Singletrack is like an american MTB mag but with slightly better writing: I wish Chipps would give up on the whole leftfield "It's cool to be massively and radically different to the point everyone points and laughs at me at the pub after a ride" stuff...however he's always been the same...

Anyone remember RIDE?
No, don't remember RIDE?

How about MBi, does anyone remember that? that'll sort the newbies from the old hands smile

I love singletrack, biut i have to agree with the Chipps stuff and the singlespeed crap. The overseas riding articles are so good though and the photography is excellent. Its a bit like Evo for bikes.

I borrowed MBUK off a mate the other day, I havent bought it in years and I doubt I ever will do. ste!
I certainly do remember it, and it was bloody good too - have the first edition somewhere smile

RIDE was a Future publication: essentially DIRT, but written by the MBUK lot, but waaaaaay before even Dirt was thought about; I was in it several times...

Edited by neil_bolton on Thursday 4th September 10:45

AbarthChris

2,259 posts

238 months

Thursday 4th September 2008
quotequote all
neil_bolton said:
I certainly do remember it, and it was bloody good too - have the first edition somewhere smile

RIDE was a Future publication: essentially DIRT, but written by the MBUK lot, but waaaaaay before even Dirt was thought about; I was in it several times...

Edited by neil_bolton on Thursday 4th September 10:45
Oooh get you! smile

If i saw the cover I'd probably remember, but cant think at the mo!

neil_bolton

17,113 posts

287 months

Thursday 4th September 2008
quotequote all
AbarthChris said:
neil_bolton said:
I certainly do remember it, and it was bloody good too - have the first edition somewhere smile

RIDE was a Future publication: essentially DIRT, but written by the MBUK lot, but waaaaaay before even Dirt was thought about; I was in it several times...

Edited by neil_bolton on Thursday 4th September 10:45
Oooh get you! smile

If i saw the cover I'd probably remember, but cant think at the mo!
It could have been called GRIP, I can't be entirely sure, it was bloody ages ago, when Judy DHO's ruled the roost...

AbarthChris

2,259 posts

238 months

Thursday 4th September 2008
quotequote all
neil_bolton said:
AbarthChris said:
neil_bolton said:
I certainly do remember it, and it was bloody good too - have the first edition somewhere smile

RIDE was a Future publication: essentially DIRT, but written by the MBUK lot, but waaaaaay before even Dirt was thought about; I was in it several times...

Edited by neil_bolton on Thursday 4th September 10:45
Oooh get you! smile

If i saw the cover I'd probably remember, but cant think at the mo!
It could have been called GRIP, I can't be entirely sure, it was bloody ages ago, when Judy DHO's ruled the roost...
Ah those were the days! My first pair of proper suspension forks were a pair of Rockshox Quadra 21R's - 63mm of Elastomer travel... oh yeah!

Judy DH's were huge at that time with 80mm!

sjg

7,645 posts

288 months

Thursday 4th September 2008
quotequote all
Grip was the mag that Jerry Dyer (early Dirt editor) started up when he was kicked out of his old job. Only lasted about half a dozen issues, I've got most of them somewhere in my parents' attic.

Ride was (and afaik, still is) a BMX mag.

Mr_C

2,495 posts

252 months

Thursday 4th September 2008
quotequote all
AbarthChris said:
neil_bolton said:
AbarthChris said:
neil_bolton said:
I certainly do remember it, and it was bloody good too - have the first edition somewhere smile

RIDE was a Future publication: essentially DIRT, but written by the MBUK lot, but waaaaaay before even Dirt was thought about; I was in it several times...

Edited by neil_bolton on Thursday 4th September 10:45
Oooh get you! smile

If i saw the cover I'd probably remember, but cant think at the mo!
It could have been called GRIP, I can't be entirely sure, it was bloody ages ago, when Judy DHO's ruled the roost...
Ah those were the days! My first pair of proper suspension forks were a pair of Rockshox Quadra 21R's - 63mm of Elastomer travel... oh yeah!

Judy DH's were huge at that time with 80mm!
I had some MAG 21's and some Quadra 10s!!!! 48mm travel!!!