Cycling Magazines/what do you subscribe to?

[SandyGirl]

Newbie here,.....Ok, I want to commit this year to bike riding...thinking of selling my Trek 6000 mountain bike (never seen a mountain!!) and getting a hybrid or road bike.

What magazines do you subscribe to that caters to women? Or at least a magazine with consistent good info. This forum is awesome by the way so maybe this is the magazine I need!!

Thanks!
Sandy

[Tuckervill]

I sub to Bicycling, which has a quarterly Mountain Bike magazine. I like them both.

If I were you, I'd just get on the MTB and ride it, and not worry too much about getting a new one. It's always better to do it NOW than wait until everything's perfect. "I want to commit..." is indecisive. Just get on the bike you have and ride, girl!

The MTB is fine for roads or wherever you want to go, until you really find your niche. Besides, what if you ride a little and then stop again? Then you'd have a perfectly new road or hybrid bike in the garage that's not being ridden. Love the one you're with!

Karen

[betagirl]

I subscribe to Bicycling also. It's not really women's specific, but has some good info.

[SandyGirl]

Tuckerville, I have been riding the bike; it has not been sitting idle...I have "committed" but I understand where you are coming from. Thanks for the support. It makes sense to figure out "where" I end up prior to any new purchases. thanks for the wise advice.

I will check out the mag....may not even need it thanks to this forum...
Sandy

[KnottedYet]

I borrow Bicycling either at the library or at work. I tried getting Dandelion (bloom in the wild) which changed it's name to Women's Adventures or something like that. They tried, but it really lost steam after the first few issues and now it's more of a fashion magazine.

Same thing happened to Women's Sports and Fitness after it got bought by Conde Nast. (fashion mag, then it collapsed)

I've loved Bicycling magazine since I was in my early teens. It's a good one, make sure you look it up. Read a few copies at the library before you subscribe. They also have a website.

[maillotpois]

Pro Cycling

Cycle Sport

[Geonz]

Bicycling has gotten a lot fluffier and addier but then this last year it seems to have made a turn for marketing to "regular riders" and I really liked the spread they did on urban riders who commute on Huffies because that's what they can afford, and heck, they did put my picture in the "sex issue" in 2004 (however, since it was a little blurb on the Illini Chill ride, I was wearing more clothing than all the other people put together... my boss said it was "a little frigid!").

I also like the Road Bike Rider weekly newsletter & one of these days will switch to "premium" - http://www.roadbikerider.com/ - they send out a weekly blurb that's a lot of fun and has some good factoids and stories and news.

I also really like http://www.adv-cycling.org/ adventure cycling - it's more toury stuff and long distance adventures than youthful sprints.

[Starfish]

I subscribe to Bicycling also. It's not really women's specific...

That may be the understatement of the year.

I am *this* close to cancelling my subscription. I used to really enjoy it, but find that I enjoy it less and less. I find it fluffy (on the whole) and also the epitome of male-centric cycling culture, from the ads to the content. But, I love reading about the bikes. I think I might cancel and just pick up the buyers guide at the store.

I find myself wishing there was a Bicycling Magazine just for women, by women.

Thanks everyone for this thread and the input...I feel hopeful that there are other options!

[Grog]

I find it fluffy (on the whole) and also the epitome of male-centric cycling culture, from the ads to the content.

Have you gals noticed the number of ads in the back pages for "performance enhancing" widgets, but for performance in bed, not on the road.

[kelownagirl]

Have you gals noticed the number of ads in the back pages for "performance enhancing" widgets, but for performance in bed, not on the road.

Oh, I noticed that too. Made the mistake of pointing it out to hubby who had to check out the website. I was not impressed. I have only been reading the magazine for a few months and was enjoying it so far, but haven't seen the stuff you ladies are talking about...

I was going to ask if there were any women's cycling magazines. Guess not..

barb

[Starfish]

Have you gals noticed the number of ads in the back pages for "performance enhancing" widgets, but for performance in bed, not on the road.

Yep, and some of 'em are good products, too! I just don't know if I want to send my ten year old niece to a sports magazine to see that where advertising is concerned, it is virtually always the picture of the woman
bent over in some way. It's not just the sexual content, per se, it's the one-sided nature of it.

But, below is a post I made to a different thread (Bibs) because some other advertising stuff came up there. This is a little OT, but I kind of expanded my thought. Curious to know how you all feel.
---
You know, I was just reading and posting to another thread (about bike magazines). My comment was that I used to really enjoy Bicycling Magazine, but enjoy it less and less, and might drop my subscription and just pick up the buyers guide once a year. I find it to be very male-centric in its content and advertising.

I've been puzzling over this shift in my enjoyment...wonder if anyone else has experienced this? You know, I'm a heterosexual woman raised with all brothers in my family, I like, generally respect and enjoy men. I don't think I'm prudish, I like sex and enjoy joking, etc. Even like sexy pictures and innuendos, if that's what I'm specifically looking for (as opposed to looking for, say, bike clothes). And, lately, I just feel more and more discouraged about the biking culture, about companies' offerings, etc.

The thing about bikecove.com, and some other company/publication offerings is that I want to be able to send my young nieces to publications and so forth in an effort to introduce them to a sport that empowers and supports them. I have no interest in trying to shield them from the existence of healthy sex, etc. But does a company really have to name its bikes The Handjob, The Playmate, The Hummer? (And, I do support free speech and free enterprise, so I guess there's a market, or they wouldn't exist.)

I'm just feeling sad about it lately. Am I overreacting? Anyone else feel this way?