Originally Posted by
madfiNch
Hmmm.. Interesting thread. I got a gift subscription to Bicycling from some friends for my birthday. They don't know about cycling, they only know that I do it all the time, so it was a thoughtful gift anyway... At least it didn't cost me anything!
Yeah, the same way with my mom. For the past five years she's been giving me subscriptions to Bicycling and I dont even read them. I have half a dozen or so issues still in the plastic wrap. When I first started reading them in '99 they were okay. I liked the little 'info boxes' of cycling trivia at the bottom of the pages. I always thought that was kinda cool, but then they stopped it, and it was just downhill every since. Bicycling Magazine seems aimed more towards the 'novice' rider just getting into the sport, or the 'newbie' cyclist with a little bit of bling to throw around. All the bikes they advertise and test ride are of the latest compact design, carbon abomination with the latest 10-speed Shimano, and not much else. I mean, when was the last time they mentioned something about "C-Record" or even "Shimano 600"??
If you're brand new in the sport, and have a few grand to throw around, then that magazine is for you!!
But if you've been around a little, with several years of cycling under your belt, and need informative articles on repairing your old road bike, then you need to look somewhere else. To the older rider, Bicycling is just lame. I'd rather spend the money on 'Cinelli' cork tape than a Bicycling Magazine subscription.