gritsisgood

OK - I know from reading the forums for awhile that Bicycling magazine is not exactly "revered" in a lot of spaces but....
Amazon knows that I'm pretty "thrifty" and they send me a note every now and then when something gets "cheap" for awhile - got a note this morning that says Bicycling magazine is available (yr subscription/ 11 issues) for $5. Heck - that's only $0.45 an issue. Thought the pictures might be worth that much.... even if the riders on the cover are NEVER sitting down.... one of the great mysteries of life.
Take it for what it's worth.

Ciao!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ref...SIN=B00005NINB

KZBrian

Sounds like a good deal!

I was a subsriber 25 years ago. I have not looked at an issue for several years.

Allegheny Jet

Every month the cover has a "loose 5 lbs now!" tag. Even if you only excersized that option on even months you would still loose 30 lbs over a year. Five bucks to lose 30 lbs is a good value, that's like 4 cans of SlimFast!

Retro Grouch 

Whenever one of my grand kids has a magazine subscription school fund raiser I subscribe to Bicycling for another year. I have 14 grand children and now one great grandson so I imagine I'm on the hook for a lifetime subscription.

BengeBoy 

I complain constantly about Bicycling, but still read it.

However, if you want a *good* cycling magazine, get Bicycle Quarterly, Bicycle Times, or even Momentum.

gritsisgood

+1

I agree on Bicycle Times!
Good one.....
(But it's currently $12 for 4 issues)

Wish it would go more than quarterly....

zonatandem

Bicycling runs more car ads than Motor trend!
Have not subscribed to it for 30 years.

Artkansas 

You can get Bicycling Magazine for FREE!

and a subscription to American Bicyclist as well if you join the League of American Bicyclists for $35.

Wogster

I think I flip through issue every couple of years, bought the magazine, only once.

RonH

So that's why it keeps showing up in my mailbox.

oilman_15106

Take 5 $1 bills. Place in a pile in a safe place. Light with a match.

rschleicher

Although Bicycling Magazine's web site always shows an $11 for 11 issues (one year) offer, it seems like much better offers are readily available.

I got a 1 year subscription at one point as a freebie for buying a pair of bike shoes. And then I think I got two years for $4 (total) via ebay.

cranky old dude

I've been subscribing to Bicycling for years but I'm not renewing when my current subscription runs out. I can't name any faults of the mag, I just have a completely different philosophy about cycling than what is portrayed in the publication.

Now if I can find a good Recreational / Utility / Recumbent mag to read on a regular basis....that I would subscribe to.

tsl

This is how I get it. Although I could also read it for free at the library.

It's because of this that a very nearly checked the "Don't sent the magazine" box when I last renewed my LAB membership. But there have been some nice, longer articles lately since the change of editorial staff. So now there's something for me to read in between the "buy this thing" pieces and "stronger in 10 weeks" articles.

BluesDawg

I see Bicycling magazine a little different than many here. I see it as the default enthusiast publication for this recreational activity/sport. As such, it is the place that anyone new to the scene will go to learn about bicycling. Many of these people are interested in losing weight, getting more fit and improving their body shape. Many are also looking for basic tips about how to choose a bike, how to climb, what to eat, what to wear, where to ride, what accessories to buy etc. This is why they keep repeating the same features. Different people are reading it each time they run it. The magazine does a decent job of providing what its target audience wants. Problem for us is that we are not exactly the target audience.

billydonn

I am a relatively recent subscriber and I enjoy the publication, but can see it getting old as the formula repeats and I get more experience and knowledgable at cycling. I think the subscription is worth it for a while. But watch out for the automatic renewal thing that might be in the fine print! Sports Illustrated caught me with that one recently. You have to make a phone call to stop the subscription... bummer.

waldowales

Oh, did that automatic renewal ever hit a nerve! I canceled two magazines I had subscribed to for years when they pulled that trick. Wouldn't hesitate to do it again, either.

rck

Like tsi mentioned, I read it for free at the local library.

DnvrFox

There have been some interesting, non-racing - perfect fitness - buy this $5,000 bike - poseur types of articles in the last year or so. I skip through all of that stuff to find a couple of articles each month that I enjoy.

Amazingly, my wife loves the magazine.

trackhub

I get it for being a member of the LAB. I peruse it, rarely reading an entire issue. You haven't missed a heck of a lot. Bicycling is definitely marketed toward the (dare I say this...) "Upscale" cyclist, who simply must have the latest stuff, whether it's the latest frame material, or the latest glasses, helmet, pricey shoes, etc.

As I'm sure everyone knows, the cover shots always feature a cyclist (many claim they are actually professional models. Possible, but I don't know if there is proof of this or not.) in impossibly great physical condition, riding the most expensive bike imaginable, and always in some exotic location. A cover shot of an average-shape man or woman, over 50, commuting on a dark, bleak morning through an industrial area on an average commuter bike? Not likely.

Yes, they do seem to run an awful lot of car ads. I know, I know... Editors and writers need to eat too, and those ads pay the bills.

DougG

I think I'm getting too old for most magazines in general, which seem geared towards much younger people with shorter attention spans. A lot of the writing is more brief and with an "in your face" style and crude/slangy language (not Bicycling in particular, but most enthusiast mags in general). Back when I had some different interests, I subscribed to all sorts of car and motorcycle magazines, but with the exception of just a few, I can't even manage to page through them at a newsstand.

Fortunately our library has subscriptions to most major magazines, so I do get to do a quick readthrough of Bicycling, Car & Driver, etc. when I get a chance.

BlazingPedals

The occasional recumbent article was the only reason I put up with the rag, and then they fired the 'bent-friendly editors two months into my 2-year renewal. After promising their readership they wouldn't change, they did. (In more ways than just that.) Needless to say, my feelings of betrayal went way beyond the trivial amount of money involved. So now it's up to them to prove they deserve to be in my presence. I'll consider getting it again after they've established a new track record of being friendlier to recumbents, tandems, and other non-fred bikes for, oh, about 2 years.

frpax

My least favorite cycling mag... The only time I'll pick one up is if there's one at the doctor's office. I won't even look through one at the hews stand.

$5 is still too much.

gcottay

I agree, but found a penny on the sidewalk to bring the total down to a more reasonable $4.99.

trackhub

Anyone see the latest "Buyer's Guide" issue? It arrived just a few days ago. On page 16 is the editor's column. In this one, editor Loren Mooney carries on about how she was once embarrassed by friends on a ride, because her bike was too "retro". (It had downtube shifters. Oh, the horror..!!!) It worked just fine, but it just wasn't the latest and greatest. Naturally, this finely functioning bike, with years of service left in it, simply had to go.

This kind of says exactly what's on my mind, when it comes to Bicycling Magazine. You don't have the latest, greatest, "It came from outer space" stuff, so you can't be one of us!"

I have two things to say to this, and they are not happy birthday.

Whatever became of "The Ride" magazine? I know it was a small circulation, but did they vanish altogether?