Author Topic: The Cycle World thread , wherein we discuss all things CW related . (Read 8965 times)

LowRyter · « **on:** March 17, 2018, 11:34:38 AM »

Got the latest issue in the mail. Wow. Totally different book. In fact it's a bound "library-worthy print piece that you'll want to keep forever."

It's a quarterly now for $12 at the newstand. This is my last issue, not sure I'll shell out $18 for 4 issues.

Sheepdog · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2018, 11:43:57 AM »

It seems odd that we've given up on printed media so easily. Mea culpa...I have my book collection pared down to a single bookcase. The last time I went to Books-a-Million I bought a box of greeting cards. I suppose that we have become so accustomed to change that outrage has become passé...

cookiemech · « **Reply #2 on:** March 17, 2018, 03:17:01 PM »

My last issue as well. Geez, and I've been a subscriber as long as I can remember . . .

And they claim in the paper covering the actual magazine that if I send them $18 (actually $17.97 for the next four issues) that I'll "save" $53.91. Hmmm . . . think they don't realize that I can still do simple math. Since the new cover price is $12 (oh, gosh, maybe $11.97), the real "savings" is more like $30.

Not only that, but the fine print inside the new magazine says that they don't guarantee a specific number of issues per year, but only that if you pay for a year's worth, you get whatever they deem to be a year's worth. What'll that be come July? Three issues?

The editorial page also promises (among other things) Peter Egan. Yet there's no Egan article I can find in this issue. He's the main reason I continued my subscription after much of the content failed to interest me.

Suits me if they go down the drain after this first fat quarterly issue.

Vince in Milwaukee · « **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2018, 03:29:52 PM »

I've let my subscription to Cycle World lapse, and the one for Motorcyclist is right behind it. I have a new favorite, that I know has been discussed here before - Road Runner, Motorcycle Tour and Travel. Relatively thick, nice glossy paper, and interesting articles about places I would like to visit some day. Six issues a year for the princely sum of $20. Why I didn't drop the other two years ago, and pick up this one is beyond me.

Wildguzzi.com · « **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2018, 03:29:52 PM »

cloudbase · « **Reply #4 on:** March 17, 2018, 03:59:43 PM »

I won't be renewing my subscription, either. Not sure about MC, but will definitely keep Rider.

Lannis · « **Reply #5 on:** March 17, 2018, 04:04:39 PM »

I'm such a good subscriber that they included an offer of a year for $11.97, I'll give it a try.

Lannis

twowings · « **Reply #6 on:** March 17, 2018, 05:48:44 PM »

Haven't opened it yet but looks like more quantity and perhaps quality as opposed to the 1-hour 'read it and done' skinny monthly content...I'll reserve judgement on whether it merits a subscription 'til I see the content of the new format...

bad Chad · « **Reply #7 on:** March 18, 2018, 09:24:06 AM »

Got mine too. I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon here and say this will not last. It's still basically an hour read, their isn't a lot of interesting content at all. Very few adds, expesive paper for sure, but I went through it I found a whole lot of blank white paper. Unless it gets a ton better, I won't bother to renew.

Johncolleary · « **Reply #8 on:** March 18, 2018, 09:30:16 AM »

Rider, Roadracing world and Motorcycle Consumer News is all I subscribe to any more.

bad Chad · « **Reply #9 on:** March 18, 2018, 09:54:03 AM »

I just signed up for Motorcycle Classics for $20. It's thick, glossy and full interesting bikes old and new.

Gliderjohn · « **Reply #10 on:** March 18, 2018, 10:40:07 AM »

Think I will be also dropping Cycle World and Motorcyclist. Definitely will keep Rider and probably MCNs but the jury is still out on that. Will have to look into Road Runner. "Flying" magazine is starting to become a shell of it's former self also although "Soaring" magazine has improved greatly in the last year or so.
GliderJohn

dxhall · « **Reply #11 on:** March 18, 2018, 12:22:02 PM »

We're seeing a real sea change in special interest paper magazines. I think one of best sources of the kind of motorcycle news that once came from magazines is Common Tread from Revziila. For the musicians among us, the articles on Reverb are among the best out there - there's one on Reverb right now which contains a lengthy interview with Ted McCarty, who ran Gibson from the late 40s through the mid 60s.

I think the trend is for special interest internet vendors to become the purveyors of news in their area of sales. Not just puff pieces about the stuff they sell - real news about general stuff in their area. Revzilla doesn't sell motorcycles - but they routinely review new bikes, just as the magazines once did. They don't do "sport bike shoot out at Willow Springs" junk, either.

Half-page advertisements in paper magazines? Phfff. A four-page interview with the guy who developed the Les Paul? That will get any guitar player's interest, and get him to your website.

Better enjoy your paper magazines while you can. I've dropped all of mine.

Rough Edge racing · « **Reply #12 on:** March 18, 2018, 12:55:31 PM »

No need for books, I just read what you guys say.......I have very limited experience with newer bikes...So limited the newest bike I have ridden recently besides my 96 Ducati is a friend's 06 Buell Ulysses...

LowRyter · « **Reply #13 on:** March 18, 2018, 01:07:17 PM »

Road & Track was the first and now CW.

It looks like all the monthly stuff have been ghetto'd to Motorcyclist and Car & Driver.

You would think that 4 issues of CW and 4-6 of R&T annually, that Peter Egan could have a few more columns. At least we still get Catterson.

vstevens · « **Reply #14 on:** March 18, 2018, 02:11:35 PM »

I get cycle world and motorcycle news. CW is bimonthly now , I think, (last one was Jan-Feb) and it's full of adverts. MCN is a good read, no advertisements at all. I pay a little more but I enjoy reading without all the ads.

Chuck in Indiana · « **Reply #15 on:** March 18, 2018, 02:23:09 PM »

I don't subscribe to any, and haven't for a long time. All I *really* care about is Guzzi, and I get more info on them here in one day than a year's worth of magazines. <shrug>

LowRyter · « **Reply #16 on:** March 18, 2018, 02:39:13 PM »

Quote from: vstevens on March 18, 2018, 02:11:35 PM

I get cycle world and motorcycle news. CW is bimonthly now , I think, (last one was Jan-Feb) and it's full of adverts. MCN is a good read, no advertisements at all. I pay a little more but I enjoy reading without all the ads.

CW is now quarterly.

twowings · « **Reply #17 on:** March 18, 2018, 03:03:50 PM »

Motorcycle Classics is the one for me...

bad Chad · « **Reply #18 on:** March 18, 2018, 03:21:09 PM »

I just signed up for Motorcycle Classics for $20. It's thick, glossy and full interesting bikes old and new.

oldbike54 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 18, 2018, 04:08:34 PM »

Always enjoyed reading Kevin Cameron and Peter Egan , but now it seems i'll just wait for their books to be updated . Freddie Spencer wrote a couple of articles for CW a few years back , he is a surprisingly good writer , but haven't seen anything more from him . I do miss the old CW , but that disappeared about 4 years back . Oh well , nothing lasts forever .

Dusty

rocker59 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 18, 2018, 04:27:12 PM »

Quote from: Chuck in Indiana on March 18, 2018, 02:23:09 PM

I don't subscribe to any, and haven't for a long time. All I *really* care about is Guzzi, and I get more info on them here in one day than a year's worth of magazines. <shrug>

Motormike · « **Reply #21 on:** March 18, 2018, 06:19:10 PM »

After taking Motorcyclist and CW for years, I'm down to just MCN and Rider. I miss Egan though. Some of his columns made me laugh out loud. He writes with a wonderful, down-to-earth style and "gets" motorcycling better than anyone I've read.

neverquit · « **Reply #22 on:** March 18, 2018, 08:35:31 PM »

I got my issue in the mail yesterday. I'm terribly disappointed, lots of large pictures so they don't need to pay anyone to write much anymore. Hey, I sent in money and signed up for 2 or 3 years, 12 issues per year, now they say I'll get one every quarter. Where's my refund for all the missing issues.
The material is light weight and basically useless. I spent maybe 5 minutes looking at it and then pitched it into the trash. They don't have a section for letters to the editor probably because they didn't want to hear all the complaints.
The magazine Motorcyclist went the same way last year and they must have been inspired by that failure.

stonelover · « **Reply #23 on:** March 19, 2018, 11:35:40 AM »

The new format has put Cycle World and Motorcyclist on my "Do Not Renew" list. I'll stick with Rider. Don't really need a coffee table magazine.

jbell · « **Reply #24 on:** March 19, 2018, 12:01:48 PM »

I have a multi year subscription going with CW, so will let it run on. I'm sure they will tweak the format and content as they go along. For all the Peter Egan fans, I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago and he took some time to chat with me (as he'll do with everyone he meets). A genuine nice guy with endless entertaining stories but will take the time to listen to yours. While not an invalid, his health is not at 100%. Kevin Cameron's articles remind me how ignorant I am but I still try to decipher them. All print media is changing, some to our likes and some not. It's a cruel, cruel world for ludites.

craigclu · « **Reply #25 on:** March 19, 2018, 01:23:28 PM »

I normally don't quickly warm to over-stylized, re-invented publications. A good example being Automobile... I also squirm when I see magazines attempt to make pages artsy with the over-use of dead space at the price of under-sized fonts for the provided text. For some reason, the new Cycle World didn't strike me in a negative way and the photography printing, paper stock and general layout felt like it all was put together in a pleasant, easy to read manner. It's a stressful time for printed media providers and the reduced budgets they're functioning under. The typos, grammatical snafus, regurgitating of factory press releases and careless editing show in all the cycle publications in recent years. I hope that the quarterly pace can help in CW's case and I hate to see these industry rags dwindle away for us and I'd hope for their support by the cycle crowd.

Lannis · « **Reply #26 on:** March 19, 2018, 01:27:54 PM »

Quote from: craigclu on March 19, 2018, 01:23:28 PM

For some reason, the new Cycle World didn't strike me in a negative way and the photography printing, paper stock and general layout felt like it all was put together in a pleasant, easy to read manner.

I was the same way. That and the big discount they're offering convinced me to give it a shot ....

Lannis

Toecutter · « **Reply #27 on:** March 19, 2018, 01:44:57 PM »

I'm still firmly in the "prefer to turn actual pages" camp, and my bookcases are full. The only sub I have though, is Mother Earth News. Motorcycle mags get purchased, very rarely, IF they have an article I am interested in. Not many do.

JACoH · « **Reply #28 on:** March 19, 2018, 05:34:41 PM »

And did you notice the story about the Honda CL72 at Baja where it was equipped with GIRDLING shocks and REYNOLDS chains?!
One would think an old renowned motorcycle magazine that has had millions of advertisements over the years would know of Girling shocks and Renold chains!
Joe Parkhurst is rolling over in his grave.

twowings · « **Reply #29 on:** March 19, 2018, 07:00:11 PM »

I just subscribed to this one...time will tell if I made a good decision...

http://italianmotormagazine.com/ITALIAN_MOTOR/Italian_motorcycle_magazine_-_ITALIAN_MOTOR_MAGAZINE.html

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Author Topic: The Cycle World thread , wherein we discuss all things CW related . (Read 8965 times)

Wildguzzi.com

twowings

Rough Edge racing

twowings

oldbike54

twowings