Fifty Plus (50+) - Outside Magazine - Rage Against Your Machine

Just got my copy of the March issue of Outside. Tom Vanderbilt rides along with "super commuter" Joe Simonetti for his 3+ hour ride from West Chester to Central Park. It details the dangers of riding / commuting by bike and brings to light many of the horror stories we too frequently hear, read and experience.
I enjoy Outside for taking me places within their articles and have taken a number of their suggestions for trips.
I appreciate the focus of a piece like this and hope examining the dangers of riding and the conflicts of sharing the rode with drivers helps to raise the awareness and understanding of all, especially those in two ton suv's.
The weather's breaking. Get a good ride in this weekend.
Larry

Funny, I got a free subscription as a result of an order with Poorformance Bike, and thought it was a pretty worthless rag. Every issue featured trips I'd never take: hiking in Katmandu, hang gliding in the Andes, crap like that. By the end of the subscription period, I was just throwing them away, unopened. I think there was one good article on Lance during that time, but the wife threw it out before I got around to reading it.

I agree that many of the articles are pretty exotic, but I like stretching my knowledge base and discovering places I didn't know about. I have taken trips based on information from Outside and other sources. I've found the information to be pretty reliable. Anyway, the article on biking takes a pretty strong stand on the state of cycling on our roads and the psychological mind set of some drivers.

I find I have an attention span of about 18 months when it comes to magazine subscriptions. I often enjoy them at first, but after a while find I'm having to force myself to read them, and then not bothering to do even that. Outside was no exception.

During the time I was reading them they 'did' have some interesting articles, but I grew weary of the fact that their target demographic was apparently someone with a helluva lot more disposable income than me. What finally finished me off was when they ran a bike issue with the tagline "We review bikes for every budget." The cheapest bike they covered was $3,000. :rolleyes:

...target demographic was apparently someone with a helluva lot more disposable income than me...

...and how. Mind you, I like Outside (and Men's Journal) but when I read these articles about people that haul off for weeks at a time to go mountain climbing (or whatever the activity is), I wonder: Where'd they get the money to pay for all that? If they have jobs, how are they able to swing that much vacation time? I mean, granted - if the article is about Kelly Slater, I get it: He's a pro surfer; he has the time and the funds. It's these other guys that I don't get.

Mind you, I'm not being critical of those in the article, but I wonder what sort of details are missing.

I guess my point was Connell's. The magazine seemed to be geared toward independently wealthy <30, single males. It's too bad that by the time they get to what might have been an interesting article like the commuter, they've already chased off anyone who might read it. After all, what 25 y.o. millionaire wants to read about the travails of commuting, by bike no less?

Funny, I got a free subscription as a result of an order with Poorformance Bike, and thought it was a pretty worthless rag. Every issue featured trips I'd never take: hiking in Katmandu, hang gliding in the Andes, crap like that. By the end of the subscription period, I was just throwing them away, unopened. I think there was one good article on Lance during that time, but the wife threw it out before I got around to reading it.

Oh so thats how I got a subscription, my wife and I both get that rag and couldn't figure out how we did. I agree its all about trips and gear I can't even begin to afford. Even so there have been some interesting articles I have enjoyed. The commuting article was pretty good, not slanted to far either way IMHO but I hope the subscription runs out soon. I guess I'll have to check closer next time I order something from Performance or Nashbar.

^^^

...Nashbar sub here.

Yeah, even the articles are about rich people. I quit the article when it stated he has a crash-pad and a place to shower in Manhattan.

Sure his commute is uber-long but...

Outside is somewhat like Playboy. Places you will never go and peaks you will never reach. But you keep dreaming.

Hey! How come Nashbar hasn't treated me with a free mag subscription?

Personally I think everyone should try surfing from the wave created when the ice falls off a glacier.

I have known a few of these adventure junkies over the years and none of them were independently wealthy. They would work ski resorts or whatever to save up for the next great adventure. Do it and start all over again.

Hey! How come Nashbar hasn't treated me with a free mag subscription?

You can have mine. :D They pretty much automatically go in the trash, for all the above mentioned reaons. I guess I'm just not one of the Beautiful People. I finally figured out it was a Nashbar purchase that triggered the subscription.

I like Outside and Men's Journal, even though they advertise watches that cost more than my car. I can't afford to take those trips (or buy a lot of that overpriced gear), but I don't mind knowing about them.

Outside is somewhat like Playboy. Places you will never go and peaks you will never reach. But you keep dreaming.

You nailed it!

I came across this forum doing a search for the Outside Mag article Rage Against Your Machine. I find it interesting that a group of what I presume to be outside oriented, fit, individuals hate a magazine like Outside. Yes, I do agree that there are some esoteric items in the magazine, but there are great articles. Not all of them are 13K Abercrombie & Kent excursions, they offer ways to find the company that offers the deal overseas so you can go direct. There are always 2 or 3 of the articles that I find intriguing. Curious, what do you folks read?

Curious, what do you folks read?

This: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/thecyclingvagabond

One Man's Journey In The Pursuit Of Whatever He Finds
5,972 km (3,711 miles) so far after 104 days from March 1, 2011 to ???

Topic: Bicycle Touring
Categories: Tour diaries, Equipment lists, Expedition touring bikes, Offroad, 6-12 months, World
Locales: Asia, South Korea, China, Tibet, Nepal, India
Year: 2011

Outside, like all specialty magazines, is primarily interested in selling stuff. That's why it is full of ads. But that said, if you enjoy the articles, well, then, you enjoy them. If paging through the magazine stimulates you to get out for some sort of trip, so much the better. But if you feel like you're missing out on something because your life is very different from those who go on all these trips and the articles make you dissatisfied with yourself, then if would not be a good idea to read this magazine. I occasionally sit in Barnes and Noble over a cup of tea and page through an issue, but this may happen once or twice a year. No harm done. I certainly would not pay for and issue. Best to get out and live one's life rather than read about others living theirs.

Curious, what do you folks read?

Books...........

I peruse Outside and Bicycling. I occasionally find something interesting. But, I am almost 72, with a wife who right now has some pretty difficult medical problems as regards chronic pain. The last thing I am going to do is to take some jungle adventure in Costa Rica (does CR have jungles?) or whitewatering down some remote river. Even when we were younger, finances and having two children with profound disabilities NEVER allowed me an opportunity to do something like that.

The best we could do was some camping trips, one summer as a forest ranger in the High Sierras, and family bicycling and the like. Right now, I feel blessed to ride my bicycle 125 miles per week, swim 4-5 days per week, do resistance exercises and stretching. We recently have been able to take a couple of cruises. The kinds of activities portrayed in Outside are so far beyind my realm of reality as to make me feel like Walter Mitty.

I am definitely NOT the target market for Outside. I am not exactly sure who is.

I started this thread a few months back and was a little surprised to see it still alive. Agreed that many of the articles are well beyond my skills, abilities and financial resources. I still loved being stretched, learning about travel and experiences beyond my knowledge base and have taken a few of the less exotic trips.
I'm curious about why you're researching the article.
Larry

...and how. Mind you, I like Outside (and Men's Journal) but when I read these articles about people that haul off for weeks at a time to go mountain climbing (or whatever the activity is), I wonder: Where'd they get the money to pay for all that? If they have jobs, how are they able to swing that much vacation time? I mean, granted - if the article is about Kelly Slater, I get it: He's a pro surfer; he has the time and the funds. It's these other guys that I don't get.

Mind you, I'm not being critical of those in the article, but I wonder what sort of details are missing.

I have wondered the same things about Outside magazine, and Bicycling Magazine, for that matter. I work for a living, and I am dealing with an elderly parent situation. It is very unlikely I will be taking weeks or months off to go hiking or mountain climbing in exotic places around the world anytime soon.

My best guess as to who is doing this: Young people who have trust funds, or who became incredibly wealthy in one of the real estate or technology bubbles. (They cashed out quickly, before it all took a dirt nap)

Bicycling Magazine assumes that everyone:
-Rides a $5,000.00 bike, made from some exotic spaceship material.
-Is easily able to travel to coastal California, or Europe, to ride.
-Has a very expensive "kit" for every day of the week.
-Isn't bound by such things as a job, that interferes with riding.
-has a percentage of body fat that is just too small to be accurately measured.

Sorry for the rant. Kind of got carried away there. :o

These days, the only magazine I actually seem to look forward to is Wired.
Geekdom at its finest.

@Champlaincycler, yes, thank you, we all read books, maybe you could read one on how to stay on topic, play nice, and not be condescending. If you only read about current events published in a book I am surprised you know about the invention of the internet. Are you friends with Al Gore?

What IS this bigotry about SUVs? It doesn't matter what size the vehicle is. If you get hit, you're dead. End of subject. I have more problems with people in little "rice burners" than I do with SUVs. The SUVs seem to take a wide berth when passing me more than any of the other vehicles out there.
Such is the environmental movement. These people have such a pent up bigotry toward SUVs it is amazing. Get over it already.

Oh, and my Ford Excursion diesel averages 17 mpg, not the 6-7 they just LOVE to spout. There are NO SUVs that EVER averaged 6-7 mpg. Sheesh!!!
And the environmentalists wonder why no one trusts a thing they say any more.

Shut up and go plant more evidence of "endangered species" so you can get more land closed to recreationists...............

What IS this bigotry about SUVs?

Did I miss something? I didn't see any mention of SUVs... (It must have been in the article that I didn't read.)

I enjoy reading Outside when I go to the dentist or when I have a short flight. It's a lot better than many publications one might find on short notice. I don't want a script though...

Outside is one of my favorites. I don't subscribe but rather peruse the index to see if this month's issue interests me. More than half do so I probably end up paying close to the annual subscription price.

I do have to agree that it's great on flights.

ok, you need to lighten up a bit.......

I have received free subscriptions to both Outside and to Bicycle Magazine. For the same reasons as many others, I just stopped unwrapping them after 3 or 4 months. As for Al Gore, I am a bit on the environmentalist side and I resent having to throw away all of those glossy color photo magazines when I never asked for them. I think that it is rude for others to include me in their faulty business plan in order to sell advertising. Advertising, by the way, is what most periodicals are about now adays. I do subscribe to a few trade journals that are pertinent to what i do, but they are becoming painful due to the amount of ads. I enjoy the New Yorker when I'm in the doctors office and , if I were to get a periodical, that would probably be the one, just great writing.
As for books....... I get my cycling info from here or by reading bike books, most certainly not from bicycle magazine. I get my outdoor fix from outdoor books and novels, and I get my sailing thrill from the same. No magazines as I haven't really found one that speaks to a middle class older guy that is working longer then he planned. Oh, I also read a daily newspaper each day, sometimes two.

Now, I think its time you came clean and explain your great interest in Outside and/or Bicycle Mag. Any professional interest? Its ok if so, just let us know.

And what is this internet thing you speak of?