Bicycling Magazine Subscription

Bike riding, touring, and competitive racing are subjects that don't generate much interest from very many people. Except for a quick trip on your two- wheeler down the street to the store or a short ride on a city bike path, most people don't really think much about the subject of bicycling or the accessories and maintenance that go along with riding and owning a bike.

One of the few magazines available for bicycling enthusiasts is called simply Bicycling, a monthly publication that digs deep into the subject, with articles ranging from write- ups on the Tour De France to advice on buying helmets and locks. Let's take a closer look at what this magazine has to offer.

Features of This Magazine:

Bicycling magazine is divided into ten regular monthly departments. They are:

With the Editor- This is a short, single page article written each month by editor Steve Madden. It serves as an introduction to each issue and it usually centers around some important event that's coming up or some story about bicycling.

Contributors- Nothing special here. This is just a half- page listing of individuals who have contributed to one or more articles in the issue. It usually includes a photograph of the writer, along with the page number of the article.

Mail- This is a simple, one- page department that's dedicated to some of the monthly letters that readers have mailed in, with a featured "Letter of the Month" at the bottom of the page.

The Ride- Are you looking for a new and interesting place to explore on your bicycle? "The Ride" is the place to turn. It features a few scenic places, with large, full- color photos and a short amount of reading describing the area.

Spin- Subtitled "People, Places, Vibes, and Things", this section includes short articles from around the country that relate to bicycling, plus occasional trivia facts, like "calories burned while riding", or "celebrities talk about their first time without training wheels" and other miscellaneous stuff.

Style- Just like its name suggests, this is a brief section that focuses on the latest style in bicycling garb. The latest shorts, hats, gloves, socks, and shoes are all highlighted in this department.

Gear- This part centers on new bicycles, parts, accessories, and field tests. It compares different styles of bikes and makes recommendations on what is best.

Handbook- Subtitled "How to keep your body and bike in top Shape", this section includes short articles about fitness and bike maintenance.

Close to Home- This department summarizes some upcoming bicycle tours around the country. It's sorted by state, and it tells the reader the mileage involved, what's included in the package, and a phone number and/or e-mail to contact for more information.

How to- Found on the last page of each issue, inside the cover, this is a table that shows three rows of three boxes with titles at the top of each column and titles next to each row. It's designed to give advice about some topic of bicycling. For example, one recent monthly issue listed "Break Better", "Break Away", and "Break a Record" on the columns and then "Today", "Tomorrow", and "Someday" on the rows. You read it like a table. So, to find some fact about "breaking better someday", you would look in the first column, on the last row. You would then see your words of wisdom in this box.

Besides these regular departments, Bicycling includes monthly articles about bicycling. These articles can be about such boring subjects as water bottles, to more exciting subjects, like a national race competition. These longer articles can be found in the middle of each issue, between the "Style" and "Gear" departments.

Costs to Subscribe:

The base subscription rate for this magazine is $17.97 for one year (11 issues), plus a $1.97 delivery charge, for a total cost of $19.94. This works out to $1.81 per issue, which is about 64 percent less than the high newsstand price of $4.99 per issue.

Better deals can be found on- line, with minimal effort. I did a little bit of searching and I was able to find this magazine selling for only $12.97 per year (which includes delivery). This works out to only $1.18 per issue.

Final Thoughts:

Bicycling was one of the first magazines I ever subscribed to. Back in the early 1980's, when I was a teenager, I developed a strong interest in bicycling. I didn't necessarily like competitive racing all that much. What I liked was touring and endurance. I liked riding around the country roads, enjoying the scenery and seeing how many miles I could rack up. I took part in a few small tours with other people, and one large tour- the Ride Across Ohio. This tour started in Columbus, went north to Lake Erie, then south all the way to the Ohio River, then back to Columbus- a total of about 550 miles in eight days including 115 miles on the last day- my personal record for one day of bicycling. This magazine seemed like a natural fit to my growing interest in this sport/exercise, so I started a subscription.

Now, more than 15 years later, I find myself with a subscription to Bicycling again. This time, the reason for subscribing isn't necessarily because of interest (although I still like the subject), it's because of a free, complimentary subscription that I was given, for one year, for filling out on- line surveys. And what I have found is that the magazine itself hasn't changed very much in the past decade or two. First of all, it's still made with the same cheap, staple- bound binding. Second, the articles and advertisements are still about the same and they are still somewhat repetitive from month to month. Let's face it- aside from covering a race, there are only so many varied topics you can write about bicycling. Once you've covered tires, helmets, gear shifts, chain wheels, freewheels, water bottles, clothing, etc., there just isn't that much else left to talk about. But the publishers still have to come up with something to fill each issue, so it's common to read very similar articles from one issue to the next.

Bicycling divides up its space to articles on competitive racing, new products, tours, advertisements, and general advice. Personally, I like the sections that talk about new products and ride tests, and the ones that talk about tours. The department called "The Ride" always includes some nice, enticing photography and "Close to Home" is a handy reference tool that wraps up the organized tours that are being offered around the country.

Each issue of Bicycling contains between 100 and 140 pages. There are occasional special issues, which are typically toward the higher end of this range. Advertisements are numerous, covering about 65 percent of the pages. This is a little more than you find in most magazines and while the majority of them concentrate on something relating to bicycling, some of them focus on other products and services, too, like food, drink, and vacationing.

This magazine is not intended for those who like to take an occasional bike ride in the park or a short ride to the corner store. Bicycling is meant for those who are fanatical about the subject- those who absolutely love their bicycle and would rather work up a sweat turning the steel pedals of a bike than pressing the gas pedal in a car. It covers some very mundane topics like buying biking shorts, selecting a helmet, and choosing the right seat. Unless you're 100 percent in love with the subject of bicycling, you will have a hard time keeping an interest in a magazine like this one. It's not meant for the casual cyclist. It's designed for those who can't get enough when it comes to the subject of bike riding.

Bicycling enthusiasts don't have a lot of places to turn for reading information and enjoyment. This magazine is the largest of its kind, based on the total number of readers. Rating it is tough, because it's a specialized type of magazine that will only appeal to those who are avid bicyclists. Because of its helpful advice and timely articles on new products, I'm going to give this publication a rating of three stars. It can often get a little repetitive from month to month, and many of the articles will likely bore the average reader. But it does contain some good advice and nice photography on the sport of bicycling. Enthusiasts will love it!