Should you subscribe to old school M/C rags?

[bad Chad]

The only one I get is Rider.  I used to get all the bigs, Cycle, then Cycle World, Motorcyclist , and a few others along the way.   Most are gone, blown quietly away as the years go by.

But the one I have found that still pushes on against the drum beat is, Rider.   It’s still doing what it’s been doing since I started pawing through the pages in the 70s.

It’s still fun to get a good magazine in the mail.  And if you’re not familiar with the experience, try it.

[twowings]

I find it expeditious to just visit the websites as I have piles 'n' piles of old mags that need another home besides mine 

[NC Steve]

I really enjoyed Rider, it seemed to be a very unbiased, non-advertising controlled bike rag.
But after I signed up for a 3 year subscription renewal, the mags stopped coming 7 months later.
I emailed and called, and could never get any response. I didn't know until now they still existed in paper form.

[JoeKirby]

Always look forward to Rider in the mail.  Mine stopped coming for awhile, I only got the online version.  Then it started again, I think it was - related.

[Gliderjohn]

From NC Steve:

I really enjoyed Rider, it seemed to be a very unbiased, non-advertising controlled bike rag.
But after I signed up for a 3 year subscription renewal, the mags stopped coming 7 months later.
I emailed and called, and could never get any response. I didn't know until now they still existed in paper form.

Same here,
GliderJohn

[kballowe]

Cycle World was my first motorcycle magazine.  Used to read it cover to cover at least three times.

Good memories.

Fast forward many years... to the age of the internet, and we have zero magazine subscriptions.

[motogoro]

I really enjoyed Rider, it seemed to be a very unbiased, non-advertising controlled bike rag.
But after I signed up for a 3 year subscription renewal, the mags stopped coming 7 months later.
I emailed and called, and could never get any response. I didn't know until now they still existed in paper form.

I had a similar experience with a one year Rider sub.  Received one printed copy, two months old, never saw another magazine in the mail.   

[Scout63]

All my faves went digital so I canceled.  I only get Motorcycle Classics which I think is great.

[nc43bsa]

The last mags I had subscriptions for were Classic Bike and Classic Racer.

They expired a couple of years ago when I tried to renew and the US distributor would not answer the phone or respond to my voice mails.

<edit> And I had Classic Bike from Issue #1.

[John Ulrich]

When Rider runs out in two years that's it.  Not a lot of value left between the covers of the others.

[Tusayan]

I find it expeditious to just visit the websites as I have piles 'n' piles of old mags that need another home besides mine 

I’ve got several stacks of vintage Cycle mags, bought up when they were 20-25 years old and widely available at swap meets etc. Plus I saved some that were sent to me by mail as a kid. Great to pull out and read with a brandy. Cycle Magazine in the 70s and 80s bordered on art, it was so good.  In comparison anything you can buy now is pretty much garbage, so I don’t get printed motorcycle magazines anymore. 

I’ve also got a whole lot of Classic Bikes, many of them bought at Sonny Angel’s shop years ago so supporting a lot of good memories.  The content and focus of that magazine never changed, an old one is pretty much the same a newer one.  They’re also good to have, stacked on shelves in a cabinet in my library.

In the present, I think the online presentation and email setup being used by Cycle World is pretty good.  It mimics getting a printed magazine in your mailbox - you don’t have to consciously look on some website to see an article, just click on a link to read something specific than catches your attention in the email.

[aklawok]

All my faves went digital so I canceled.  I only get Motorcycle Classics which I think is great.

X2....the ONLY magazine of any kind i subscribe "Ride em' don't hide em'" . Rob report motorcycling was some dreamy stuff...too bad it was discontinued!

[bad Chad]

I did find out from Ryder stop publishing for a few months during the depths of -.  But then started polishing about six months ago I guess if you email them they will extend your subscription at least they did for me.

[LowRyter]

I didn't know "Rider" was still in print.  I get e-mail updates for Rider, Cycle World and MC News-something.  I used to subscribe to the first two.   I didn't know if I get them for free or if they just owe me that from subscription. 

Reading this, I suppose they're free.

[Indypikes]

I also started getting Rider again after emailing them. My understanding is that they added a year on to existing subscriptions because of the - fallout. I would try and contact them again via email and maybe their Facebook page in order to get print copies rolling again. They may have been overwhelmed for awhile but somewhat more normal now. Worth a shot.

Motorcycle Classics remains my favorite. They never missed a beat.

[grebmrof]

I used to get them all.  Still been receiving Rider, but just shifted the subscription to my son in CO, couple of years left.  With all the internet info, I wasn't going to renew it anyway.  I really used to treasure getting those monthly rags, but all but Rider seems to be gone now.

[Kthomas]

I wasn’t a fan of digital media but a friend talked me into getting an iPad and signing up for ZINIO. I usually wait for promotional sales and then subscribe. I get all the magazines that deal with old bikes. Sometimes the platform is slightly irritating but what isn’t ? I still would rather have a hard copy but ? I have tub after tub of old magazines to go back and read . With a good case of CRS ,everything is like I’d never read it anyway. 😀

[sidecarnutz]

All my faves went digital so I canceled.  I only get Motorcycle Classics which I think is great.

Same here! Love MC classics. Often its like reliving the MCs of my youth!

[blu guzz]

i have not subscribed to a rag in at least 5 years, but i recently picked up a copy of "road runner" for the dear price of $10.  i was taken in by the pretty pictures.  i know it is old school, but holding a full sized mag in your hands with glossy pictures of objects of desire (of many kinds) still flips my switch.  internet is fine, but doesn't really compare.
at any rate, i found that the mag had a really fine mix of ride reports with bike reporting in about even proportions, but no quarter mile or 0 to 60 times, no dyno runs but reporting on the specs as the maker provided.  they had excellent descriptions of several different rides you could take with maps and suggested eateries and activities with mileage of the rides listed.  one ride even provided cut out tank bag sized maps you would take with you. there were some equipment reviews too, and of course, pretty pictures.
i would never have believed that i'd find a $10 magazine to be worth the price, but i liked this one and may pick up the next issue and possibly subscribe.

[Guzzistajohn]

I got pretty bored with mc mags. Only so much you can say about a motorcycle ride IMHO. I'd rather take that $ and put it in the gas tank and go ride.

[JJ]

Same here! Love MC classics. Often its like reliving the MCs of my youth!

I used to get them all, back in the day...Cycle World, Cycle, Cycle Guide.

..and these days, since I have been an AMA / H.O.G. Life Member for many years, I get The American Motorcyclist and The Enthusiast...The only one I officially subscribe to now is Motorcycle Classics.... and for the reason mentioned above.

[guzziart]

I subscribed to Rider & MCN for decades but in the last couple years I haven't renewed for whatever reason.  These days I get a monthly rag from the AMA that is useless to me but haven't figured out how to get myself off the mail list without dropping my membership.....same with GWRRA. Oh well.

[kingoffleece]

You have no idea what you're missing by not getting BIKE or Motorcycle Sport and Leisure (MSL) from the UK.

[nick949]

Hah. The only one worth subscribing to is 'RealClassic' from the UK. I write for it occasionally, so it must be top-notch, right?

Actually, even when my own drivel isn't abusing its pages, it's an excellent magazine - as long as you're interested in Sunbeams, Terots, Matchless, BSA etc., along with the occasional review of retros.
Most of the articles are written by owner/riders. You might think the writing quality would be highly variable, but, astonishingly, it turns out that many old bike nuts are surprisingly literate and amusing. Far, far better than the biased, predicatable and formulaic drivel in most current bike magazines.

Nick

[ScepticalScotty]

Been a solid Motorcycle Sport & Leisure reader for 25 years. Love Maynards columns, and the more down to earth practical/touring nature of it. Back in Australia I was keen reader of Two Wheels - very much like BIKE in the UK but sadly gone. They had some excellent writers like Geoff Groff from my home town of Gosford NSW.

I suppose for me, pictures are great but its the writing that keeps me buying year after year. It has to look deeper, be more for profound that "Hey look at this new shiny thing, I can do a wheelie and ride super fast!".

Some of the writers I liked over the years; Mr Smith, Geoff Groff, Maynard, Pete Henshaw, Jeff Ballard? Or was it Eldridge?, and a few others I cant recall. Some bound up in the 80s bike scene in Australia, that seemed to generate highly literate eccentrics!!

[sign216]

Same here! Love MC classics. Often its like reliving the MCs of my youth!

Same for me; love Motorcycle Classics.  Paper rules!!! 

Rider didn't do it for me, maybe I should give it another chance.  The British magazines are alluring, but expensive.  Are there any Brit mags that are heavy on vintage/current Italian bikes?