Cycling Magazines/what do you subscribe to?

[Brandi]

I have had a few bike mags but nothing compares to this site for info!

[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?

[Prairiedog]

The "Handjob"...are you serious?!!! Good grief! I certainly am no prude myself but sometimes people just use sex in extremely idiotic ways...such as previously noted. The only person who would buy a bike so named is a 15 yo boy who is spending too much time alone in his bedroom.

I wanted to add to the discussion that I too am very disapointed in cycling magazines. Bicycling magazine is just a complete waste of trees and paper, imho. WHY isn't there a good bike publication out there? Every other fitness trend/sport has 3 or 4 magazines, be they good, bad or indifferent. All bike riding has is the bad.

Yes, this site is the best thing going for women cyclists. Are there any journalist's here who are looking for a career change???

[cindysue]

bicycling magazine

and .....
several local advocacy group mailings/newsletters/email lists

[Grog]

I think there is is a common ground between (some men + sports, especially cycling) and (some men + sex), and this thing is performance anxiety. A discussion we had recently regarding BikeForums and how participants needed to keep bragging about how fast and good cyclists they were touches on to this point too...

So unfortunately since men buy more sports magazine than women at this moment it seems logical to have all that depressing advertising in there.

I love the last page of the Ms. Magazine where they have a "No Comment" section, showcasting bad advertising from various companies with the name and address of the marketing reps. When a marketing department is flooded with letters from insulted potential customers, I think it has some effect on them. I have little hope about Cove Bike, but I definitely watch out more for ads now that you make me think about it, and write.

With regards to Bicycling in general, I also think it would be useful to write. I have a copy right here somewhere (I don't think it's that fluffy), I'll drop them a note.

And by the way there ARE good cycling magazines out there, they are just not American. Other posters mentioned good examples...

[Grog]

Ok this is my "I PROTEST" week. You may do your own experiments and write your own letters, but I hope this will motivate some of you...


sent to: bicycling@rodale.com

Subject: Where are the women??

This letter is NOT for publication, but to be taken to the attention of all editors, and to Sales & Marketing people. Please do something, QUICK.

I paid attention to the photos and drawings of women in your May 2006 issue. There aren't many so it didn't take me long. There is:

ADS:
- the Electra lady lady and her daughters (family values),
- The Michelob Ultra dancing queen (sexual object) and a small drawing of a women on a bike (cyclist);
- The Castelli woman kissing a man (sexual object);
- There seems to be a women in the background of the Sip & Spin ad but she's really small so it's art to tell (and of course she has a big basket whereas the men are racy);
- The Townie kiddo (future cyclist, great!);
- Yogalife Ad p. 99 (Yoga women);
- PacHealth ad p. 125 (runner);
- PacHealth ad p. 127 (runner or ?);
- Adventure guide: three women in Backroads ad (cyclists!); one women from behind in Velowear.com ad (cyclist!), and one women basking in the sun in Dahon ad (just happens to be there or cyclist?);
- Inspire ad: women on strange mattress (sexual object in lingerie);
- Spoil Her ad: women in pajamas (sexual object - this woman is not the reader's mom);
- Challenge ad p. 137 (runner).

CONTENTS:
- Janet Jarman (photographer), Natascha Grief (also see on Mania page, cyclist), and Deb Cosgrove (mountain biker, great!);
- Regina Schleicher and Judith Arndt, in the Fuji add (cyclists, great!);
- NYC transit strike p. 32 (2 commuters, good job!);
- Candy Kugel drawing p. 50 (commuter);
- Girl watching Lizama work, no head, p. 57 (spectator);
- Family picnic, p. 64 (wife and daughter that don't ride);
- Mt. Washington, pp. 66-67, special efforts! (6 cyclists!);
- Housemother Els Dejonckheere in Belgium (housewife);
- Selene Yeager p. 118 ("fitchick");
- Mania p. 136 (cyclist, from behind).

Pretty thin.

It could be interesting to measure the size of the images of women, too, but let's just say that only the Castelli kissing woman, the Michelob dancer and the runners actually use up much space on the page. The women in the Fuji ad are somewhat visible.

I was not even at half of your magazine and I had counted 100 men, most of them in racing positions.

There are STRICTLY NO women drawn as illustrations for the magazine features (outside of ads) and the only female cyclists (besides commuters) we see featured in the magazine are the six women from the Mt. Washington climb and the women on the Mania page.

Also: how many times have you featured a women on your cover page? And in what context?

This is really depressing. When I ride the roads of Vancouver I see about one out of two roadies being a woman, if not more. Isn't it known that women love to shop, too? And that they are into shoes? There is a market out there for advertisers to tap into, there are cycling clothes for women (see http://www.teamestrogen.com/ if you doubt it, and its amazing forums for inspiration). And there is a niche for more female-oriented, or at least female-respectful, contents in cycling.

I find Bicycling really macho, in a sadly unconscious manner perhaps. Please stop featuring only men, drawing only men, writing only about men, and featuring women as either sex objects (awful advertisements in the last pages especially) or, in the best cases strictly commuters/touring cyclists.

Sincerely,

Brigitte Gemme
Vancouver, BC (Canada)

[KnottedYet]

Yeah!!!!! Oh, now I gotta write one, too. Mine will just be short. Your letter is great, especially that you give concrete examples and numbers! Yes!

[KnottedYet]

P.S.

Look how quickly TE moved up the ranks at BikeJournal when we all got involved.... Imagine if we all wrote a specific letter about the content of each issue of Bicycling as it came out?

I didn't even think about the fact that every time the mag uses a pic to illustrate some new technique or something, the biker in the pic is always a man. (unless it's women specific, the default is always male.)

Now I gotta go get an issue to write about so I can be specific with my comments to the Bicycling staff. Is June out yet?

[Trek420]

KnottedYet

"every time the mag uses a pic to illustrate some new technique or something, the biker in the pic is always a man."

....and white. I mean it's a pretty specific audience.

What Brandi said, there really is nothing like TE. Is there a publisher in the audience?

I subscribe to Bicycling and think of canceling from time to time. I mainly now keep it for educational reasons. Really!

I've become the building bike SPOC (single point of contact). When they toddle over to my pod "how do I....what's it mean when....why does....." since my work doesn't give me time for a long explanation it's "here, read this".

[Grog]

I didn't even think about the fact that every time the mag uses a pic to illustrate some new technique or something, the biker in the pic is always a man. (unless it's women specific, the default is always male.)

... unless they draw a "wife" having "picnic" with her riding husband (of course she drove the car...).

And I agree with Trek about the whiteness thing. They had a black guy on the cover recently though... but drawings, never.

Please, ladies, DO write. If not about the illustration or anything specific, just a comment. I'll start paying more attention and finding the addresses for advertising companies too.

I also wrote to Assos (see the Bibs thread), I wonder if I will hear back.

I wrote to Air Canada to complain about something this week and I got a really helpful message back, so I think it's worth it.

So do something. It has some effect, more than we think...

[stella]

I no longer read Bicycling magazine. I enjoy RoadBike Premium site and occasionaly VeloNews. (they, at least, usually have a small blurb of the women's pro road and mtn biking races).

I agree with what has been voice already about the male-centric "performance--not about the bike" (Lance's new book?? sorry...my sick sense of humor) theme going on.

It would be nice to not always see us portrayed as eye candy or mom's in cycling mags. just my 0.02. o.k., rant over. Thanks for listening!

with all that said: I really like this forum, very helpful and supportive.

[Tuckervill]

Please, ladies, DO write. If not about the illustration or anything specific, just a comment. I'll start paying more attention and finding the addresses for advertising companies too.

From long experience with legislative battles on certain issues, don't write unless you have something unique and legitimate to say. Don't write because everyone else is. If Bicycling magazine read this thread, they would discount a large influx of letters about the latest issue as just an anomoly spurred by this thread.

What would be better is if subscribers wrote promptly about their opinion of the latest issue and they did it every month--not a coordinated effort but honest feedback.

That's not to say a large influx of letters couldn't make a difference. They just need to be genuine complaints.

Karen