# Cycling Plus Magazine. Any other recommendations?



## Lavender Rose (20 Mar 2018)

Sitting on the train to London and I thought I'd buy a cycling magazine for the train...

I bought Cycling Plus, I wanted a magazine aimed at the everyday cyclist. It seemed to be aimed just at men and only really worth reading if you have around £2500+ to spend on a bike. 

There was lots of useful training info and nutrition which was very good. But I was just let down by the rest of it. 

Has anyone got any recommendations for a more universally friendly bike magazine?! 

Thanks in advance x


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## dodgy (20 Mar 2018)

All you'll learn from magazines is what they want you to buy 
Plenty to read on the web for free, I think magazines have almost had their day.


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## Drago (20 Mar 2018)

They're all crap, IMHO. They either talk about machines out of reach of everyday folk, talk patent b******s, or quite often both.


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## bpsmith (20 Mar 2018)

Strange that there’s an advert for Cyclist magazine at the bottom of this thread.


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## confusedcyclist (20 Mar 2018)

Yes indeed, their main purpose seems to be to invite the big green envy monster into your life so you start to think what you have isn't good enough. à la OP's previous thread about upgrading to faster tyres :P


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## Smokin Joe (20 Mar 2018)

Most of them are no longer magazines but product catalogues.


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## confusedcyclist (20 Mar 2018)

If you want interesting content on nutrition and exercise regimes, British Cycling is a very good source of information.


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## Globalti (20 Mar 2018)

Bike manufacturers give journalists freebies - journalists write glowing reviews about bikes. What's new about that? I have never seen a bad review in a bike magazine, really, never.

I read Cyclist because the photos are gorgeous and I like to dream about riding my bike on dry, smooth European roads. But most of the bikes they review are not in my price range.


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## Ian H (20 Mar 2018)

Back in the day _Cycling [Weekly], _aka_ The Comic, _was the magazine of record. The others were commonly known as 'funny' mags. But they're all so intent on competing with each other for market-share and advertising revenue that yer actual cyclist tends to get forgotten.


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## Heltor Chasca (20 Mar 2018)

Boneshaker Magazine.


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## Sharky (20 Mar 2018)

Used to be a regular reader of Cycling Weekly, even when it included mopeds (my dad's copy). Used to include real news of local events, but now mostly adverts. Stopped buying it about 10 years ago, except for an occasional one-off purchase.

If you are a member of the CTC (UK Cycling), you get a free magazine which does have a few readable articles in it.


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## Fab Foodie (20 Mar 2018)

Bike Radar website is free if you want to keep up with the latest trends and what’s new and pricey....


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## smutchin (20 Mar 2018)

Fab Foodie said:


> Bike Radar website is free if you want to keep up with the latest trends and what’s new and pricey....



Bike Radar is the online portal for Immediate Media's cycling and triathlon mags, so the content will be exactly the same.


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## pawl (20 Mar 2018)

Globalti said:


> Bike manufacturers give journalists freebies - journalists write glowing reviews about bikes. What's new about that? I have never seen a bad review in a bike magazine, really, never.
> 
> I read Cyclist because the photos are gorgeous and I like to dream about riding my bike on dry, smooth European roads. But most of the bikes they review are not in my price range.




Agree with that.Enjoy the rides the reporters do.

Bikes Etc isn’t bad but even that mag seems to be moving more up market


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## Arjimlad (20 Mar 2018)

Arrivee.. the magazine of Audax UK - always has some inspiring ride reports.

http://www.aukweb.net/arrivee/


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## Fab Foodie (20 Mar 2018)

smutchin said:


> Bike Radar is the online portal for Immediate Media's cycling and triathlon mags, so the content will be exactly the same.


Yebbut.... FREE!


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## Milkfloat (20 Mar 2018)

As an alternative to Cycling Plus, I would suggest this.







Wiping your arris with either of these two soft items has to be better than an expensive magazine of adverts.


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## Time Waster (20 Mar 2018)

If they're anything like walking / climbing magazines then you'll get basically the same magazine articles at the same time if the year with only the letters page (email, FB or twitter now) and reviews that are new. But they're rarely any the kit you actually want.


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## Blue Hills (20 Mar 2018)

I was a long term subscriber to Cycling Plus charlotte for years from when I got back into cycling about 20 years ago. I even have several years in nice binders. The reason I liked it was that it was aimed at a wide range of cyclists but, yes, those days are long past. Personally I would avoid many/most/near all of the mags for the reasons oft stated above. I'd stick to helpful folk on forums - no such thing as a daft question. If you are now or ever interested in touring I can recommend the ctc cycling uk forum - no need to be a member - lots of excellent no nonsense advice and in my experience not too much ego polishing.


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## derrick (20 Mar 2018)

You have Cyclechat, why do you need a mag?


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## Ming the Merciless (20 Mar 2018)

Cycling Plus is not for men either.


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## Nigel-YZ1 (20 Mar 2018)

I agree it's about what they want you to buy.
I used to subscribe to MBR but got fed up with the big budget, full suss, widest tyres, 1x gearing only mantra.
Then they reviewed the bike I'd just bought and just dissed it for only being a hardtail.

I just occasionally pick up a mag these days. I'd rather come here for impartial opinions.


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## Drago (20 Mar 2018)

I binned MBR some years back. Theyd been rabidly anti 29er for years, and did an editorial 180 almost overnight for no reason whatsoever (other than all their readers were buying them, and were therefore in danger of going and reading something else).


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## Randomnerd (20 Mar 2018)

Here's a linky. for about £7 a pop you can have your choice of the world's bike rags. http://www.newsstand.co.uk/223-Cycl...KE-ACTION-MAGAZINE-Magazine-Subscription.aspx
I like Bicycle Quarterly, but it's a bit left-field, and has a randonneuring focus.


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## AndyRM (20 Mar 2018)

Rouleur is worth a look.


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## Milzy (20 Mar 2018)

CC is full of people with a wealth of knowledge and experience. And cycling weekly really is a load of old tosh.


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## Fonze (20 Mar 2018)

I enjoy ' Cyclist ' , it's my go to if I want to read a magazine when I travel or when I'm away from home , I like its content and find it enjoyable .. I wouldn't get it monthly say , but just when the mood takes me ..


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## Elysian_Roads (20 Mar 2018)

Along with Bike Radar, I dip into Cycling Weekly, Road.cc, Road Cycling among others on the net for free. 

Am sure there will be more articles you can access in the printed / subscriber versions but to be honest I bought one cycling magazine a year ago (Cycling Plus), and wasn't impressed enough to keep buying it.


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## Jenkins (21 Mar 2018)

The best thing about Cycling Plus is the offer they frequently do of 5 or 6 issues for £1, then full price afterwards. I usually take this up around August or September which means that I get the issue with the free gift around Christmas time (usually a buff like thing or woolly gloves) and the following year's calendar after which I cancel the direct debit before the full price subscription kicks in.

I don't take the content too seriously as the majority of it seems to be aimed at a different level to my cycling and it passes a couple of hours.


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## topcat1 (21 Mar 2018)

try totalwomanscycling and casquette online


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## Lavender Rose (21 Mar 2018)

Thanks for all the feedback guys


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## Banjo (21 Mar 2018)

Carefull if you get lured into a subscription by a" free gift" .This usually ties you into a full years worth of mags at full price.


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## Lavender Rose (21 Mar 2018)

I would love to run my own magazine, with all sorts of features for cycling, health and girl stuff. Would be the best thing EVER!

I have found a good website called www.totalwomenscycling.com. That seems a good place to start....


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## bpsmith (21 Mar 2018)

I like Cyclist. What’s wrong with s bit of escapism reading about climbs and bikes that I could only dream of. Doesn’t make me unhappy with what I have or where I ride.

Procycling is my choice though. Love reading the articles about Pro riders, whether GC or Domestique or anywhere in between.

Be aware that magazines are often about upgrades, but forums are often anti upgrades. The actual truth lies somewhere in between.


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## Nigel-YZ1 (21 Mar 2018)

Fonze said:


> I enjoy ' Cyclist ' , it's my go to if I want to read a magazine when I travel or when I'm away from home , I like its content and find it enjoyable .. I wouldn't get it monthly say , but just when the mood takes me ..



I picked up a copy of Cyclist a while back. Even though I'm a long way from being a roadie I couldn't put it down. It's the sense of adventure. It's sort of like putting down Top Gear Magazine and picking up Octane.


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## smutchin (21 Mar 2018)

Charlotte Alice Button said:


> I would love to run my own magazine, with all sorts of features for cycling, health and girl stuff. Would be the best thing EVER!
> 
> I have found a good website called www.totalwomenscycling.com. That seems a good place to start....



TWS is good if you want a female-focused version of what the mainstream cycling mags offer. 

There used to be a print magazine called 'Women's Cycling', but it didn't last - not enough sales to sustain it. Bear that in mind before you invest your fortune in starting up a new cycling mag aimed at women!


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## Blue Hills (21 Mar 2018)

Milzy said:


> CC is full of people with a wealth of knowledge and experience. And cycling weekly really is a load of old tosh.


Can you expand on the CW criticism?


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## Proto (21 Mar 2018)

Bicycle Quarterly is very good. The subscription of $54 p.a. is expensive but the magazine is so much better than the usual suspects.

https://www.bikequarterly.com/


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## normgow (21 Mar 2018)

Blue Hills said:


> Can you expand on the CW criticism?



See if you can get hold of a copy of "Cycling" of thirty or even forty years ago and compare it with one of today.


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## Blue Hills (21 Mar 2018)

Well since I can't immediately lay my hands on one, and you sound familiar with them, could you elaborate?


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## smutchin (21 Mar 2018)

One of the common criticisms levelled at CW is that it has betrayed its traditional core readership - it used to be a repository of local race results, now it seems more focused on the modern sportive-riding mamil. The problem is perhaps that the traditional club racer is no longer enough to sustain the commercial viability of the title.


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## Roadhump (21 Mar 2018)

I too have found cycling magazines to be irrelevant to my world, I just cannot afford most of the stuff they are plugging, and reading reviews of stuff I will never buy does not interest me. Some of the features about cycling in various places are interesting though.

Personally, I would prefer to read a good book. There are many about cycling if you want to focus on your 2 wheeled pastime.

Here are a few on my wishlist - when I eventually find time

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flying-Sco...&ie=UTF8&qid=1521639727&sr=1-2&keywords=obree

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Triumphs-T...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VGESYP1GPB3R3Z5EZ127

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Place-Like...TF8&qid=1521640258&sr=1-12&keywords=josie+dew


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## Blue Hills (21 Mar 2018)

My personal thumbs up to the last of those books.


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## Milzy (21 Mar 2018)

smutchin said:


> One of the common criticisms levelled at CW is that it has betrayed its traditional core readership - it used to be a repository of local race results, now it seems more focused on the modern sportive-riding mamil. The problem is perhaps that the traditional club racer is no longer enough to sustain the commercial viability of the title.


Saved me typing this. Also as probably mentioned the journalism is poor. Their posts on Facebook just seem to wind everybody up. Especially on a slow news day.


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## User169 (21 Mar 2018)

Another “Cyclist” (occasional) reader here. It’s always makes me want to get out on my bike,


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## Smokin Joe (21 Mar 2018)

smutchin said:


> One of the common criticisms levelled at CW is that it has betrayed its traditional core readership - it used to be a repository of local race results, now it seems more focused on the modern sportive-riding mamil. The problem is perhaps that the traditional club racer is no longer enough to sustain the commercial viability of the title.


Cycling (Weekly as it now is) was at it's best when most serious cyclists belonged to a club and virtually all it's readership were club riders, and most of those either did or had raced at some point. Traditional clubs are struggling to survive now and few modern cyclists seem to belong to one, leaving CW with a bit of an identity crisis.


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## pawl (21 Mar 2018)

smutchin said:


> One of the common criticisms levelled at CW is that it has betrayed its traditional core readership - it used to be a repository of local race results, now it seems more focused on the modern sportive-riding mamil. The problem is perhaps that the traditional club racer is no longer enough to sustain the commercial viability of the title.




Should be called Sportive Weekley. I stopped buying it when they stopped listing the weekends Time Trials and Road Races . My mate and me used it to plan a Sunday ride to watch races within a 50 mile radius.


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## pjd57 (21 Mar 2018)

I'm getting cycling plus on a 5 for a fiver deal.

Ok for that but I won't be taking any more .


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## Pro Tour Punditry (21 Mar 2018)

pjd57 said:


> I'm getting cycling plus on a 5 for a fiver deal.
> 
> Ok for that but I won't be taking any more .


Ask them for more next time...


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## Tin Pot (21 Mar 2018)

Charlotte Alice Button said:


> Sitting on the train to London and I thought I'd buy a cycling magazine for the train...
> 
> I bought Cycling Plus, I wanted a magazine aimed at the everyday cyclist. It seemed to be aimed just at men and only really worth reading if you have around £2500+ to spend on a bike.
> 
> ...



Magazines exist now only as reminders of how advertising destroys everything it touches.

Watch search engines and social media for more on this subject.


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## StuAff (21 Mar 2018)

Charlotte Alice Button said:


> Sitting on the train to London and I thought I'd buy a cycling magazine for the train...
> 
> I bought Cycling Plus, I wanted a magazine aimed at the everyday cyclist. It seemed to be aimed just at men and only really worth reading if you have around £2500+ to spend on a bike.
> 
> ...


Been subscribing to C+ for some years, bought a lot of kit which they've rated- not on their say-so alone, but if they something's worth buying, it is. Most expensive item pictured below. The frame, bars, groupset, wheels, bar tape all got positive reviews. The bars were the second pair of those I'd got. The Viner has the first set, plus again wheels, groupset, tyres…





For what you wanted to read, that particular issue was a bit duff. The previous month: £500 bikes group test. This month (which has just arrived in the post today), £1500 bikes group test. Oh, and among other bikes reviewed, a £500 hybrid & £350 B'Twin Triban. They have regular tests of ladies bikes and equipment (not every month, admittedly). Both your Allez and Diverge have been reviewed multiple times. Unlike Cycling Weekly, they actually test bikes properly (CW gives the mileages…in some cases a couple of days' riding for me…). Nutrition and training advice is sensible and recognises people can and should be basing their diets on 'real food'. There are useful and interesting features. And they even feature the odd CC member: our very own @Michael Adu appeared in their LEL article a few months back.


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## SkipdiverJohn (22 Mar 2018)

> Magazines exist now only as reminders of how advertising destroys everything it touches.
> 
> Watch search engines and social media for more on this subject.



Most commercially produced magazines on any subject derive more income from advertising than they do from sales of the publication, so therefore you get advertiser-influenced rubbish masquerading as real independent journalism.

I'm not remotely interested in the buy new bike/upgrade various bits/sell bike after year or two at big loss/buy another latest model new bike and repeat _ad nauseum _merry go round_,_ so I opt out of all this advertising-driven magazine consumerism, run secondhand bikes, and don't waste money on endless fad "upgrades".


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## greenmark (22 Mar 2018)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> I opt out of all this advertising-driven magazine consumerism, run secondhand bikes, and don't waste money on endless fad "upgrades".



Username checks out.


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## normgow (22 Mar 2018)

Blue Hills said:


> Can you expand on the CW criticism?



I think the messages from Milzy, Smokin Joe and smutchin capture the general feeling that CW is no longer the magazine that we grew up with and looked forward to reading every week. Obviously, times and writing styles change and I'm probably stuck in a time warp but the breathless, superficial style of journalism now in style is, in my opinion, unfortunate.
There used to be contributors nationwide who would cover local races, send in their reports which would be printed and the writers credited with a by-line. Bigger races were usually covered by staff reporters who would write an in depth story of the event including interviews with contestants. There were touring articles too, informative and often amusing. Sure there were equipment and bike reviews and probably a load of other old tat that with the benefit of rose-colored glasses I've forgotten. 
At the risk of coming over as a complete dinosaur; the first copy of "Cycling and Mopeds" (as it was then) that I bought, was in Sep. 1959 which included the reports from the recently held World Championships in the Netherlands. The story of the pro road race, where Tom Simpson came fourth, covered two full pages of very small print. It seemed that every pedal stroke of the race was there on paper and all written in a style to make an English teacher happy.
Of course in those days there was no TV coverage in Britain and perhaps nowadays such comprehensive reports are no longer needed when most people can watch even minor races on livestream.
Now and then I buy a copy of Cyling Weekly (an unfortunate title open to ridicule) and I'm usually disappointed but then we can't always have what we want.


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## rualexander (22 Mar 2018)

I subscribe to Readly https://gb.readly.com/ for £7.99 a month and get access to several cycling mags including Cycling Weekly, Rouleur, Bikes Etc, Urban Cyclist, MBR, Cyclist, What Mountain Bike, etc, etc. Back issues are also available.
Plus loads of other magazines on any subject you may be interested in.
I read them on my tablet so not quite as convenient for picking up for a train journey etc.
Also, titles come and go, Cycling Plus was on it but not any more, no great loss. Cyclist only recently became available which pleased me as I often bought the paper version.


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## Blue Hills (22 Mar 2018)

Many thanks for that normgow.

Can't help musing that some readers objected to the "and mopeds" bit. And that cycling then maybe lost a few potential fans to the Vespa.

(Used to have a couple of vespas by the way - i do dimly remember a scathing response to an old acquaintance who dared to call it a moped . . )


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## Lavender Rose (22 Mar 2018)

rualexander said:


> I subscribe to Readly https://gb.readly.com/ for £7.99 a month and get access to several cycling mags including Cycling Weekly, Rouleur, Bikes Etc, Urban Cyclist, MBR, Cyclist, What Mountain Bike, etc, etc. Back issues are also available.
> Plus loads of other magazines on any subject you may be interested in.
> I read them on my tablet so not quite as convenient for picking up for a train journey etc.
> Also, titles come and go, Cycling Plus was on it but not any more, no great loss. Cyclist only recently became available which pleased me as I often bought the paper version.



That sounds pretty good! I wouldn't mind taking my tablet on the train if it was worth the read! I know you can read a lot of information online which is free - but that Readly is something I may look into for other interests of mine too! x


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## Blue Hills (22 Mar 2018)

normgow said:


> ICyling Weekly (an unfortunate title open to ridicule) .


At the risk of more thread divert, reminds me of that other unfortunate title, poultry news.


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## Lavender Rose (22 Mar 2018)

I don't get how that's unfortunate @Blue Hills ?


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## Blue Hills (22 Mar 2018)

Charlotte Alice Button said:


> I don't get how that's unfortunate @Blue Hills ?


Because you aren't a wordsmith/pun addicted journo charlotte?

Paltry News


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## normgow (22 Mar 2018)

Blue Hills said:


> Many thanks for that normgow.
> 
> Can't help musing that some readers objected to the "and mopeds" bit. And that cycling then maybe lost a few potential fans to the Vespa.
> 
> (Used to have a couple of vespas by the way - i do dimly remember a scathing response to an old acquaintance who dared to call it a moped . . )



And thanks to you Blue Hills, I have met people who did stop their subscriptions when "Mopeds was added to the title. Mopeds were dropped in the early sixties when Alan Gayfer took over as editor. The part I liked about the mopeds were the exploded illustrations of clutches, gearboxes, engines etc. of NSU Quicklys, Motobecanes, Garellis and all those other long lost names of another era. 
Oh dear, this sounds like nostalgia gone mad so must stop now. Does CW include E-bikes nowadays? Will the title be changed once again?


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## Mr Celine (22 Mar 2018)

I find Cycling Plus magazine has superb lateral stiffness while offering class leading vertical compliance.


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## Milkfloat (22 Mar 2018)

You may find that you can read a lot of these magazines digitally via your local library subscription for free. For example Warwickshire offers these titles https://www.rbdigital.com/warwickshire/service/magazines/landing
Coventry offer even more https://www.rbdigital.com/coventry/service/magazines/landing?q=//&p_num=4

Search your local library website.


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## postman (23 Mar 2018)

I have been cycling weakly for about two years,and in the Doctors's Surgery this morning,the battered cycling magazine said,It was hoped the TdF would begin in Leeds.Mind you it was a 2013 copy.


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## LeetleGreyCells (23 Mar 2018)

Milkfloat said:


> You may find that you can read a lot of these magazines digitally via your local library subscription for free. For example Warwickshire offers these titles https://www.rbdigital.com/warwickshire/service/magazines/landing
> Coventry offer even more https://www.rbdigital.com/coventry/service/magazines/landing?q=//&p_num=4
> 
> Search your local library website.


Just checked this out for myself. Unfortunately, in my area, they only have Cycling Weekly (a 2015 edition) and Cycling Plus (2014). Nothing current. However, I’m sure my wife will like the baking magazines so still worth doing.


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## Elysian_Roads (23 Mar 2018)

RealLeeHimself said:


> Just checked this out for myself. Unfortunately, in my area, they only have Cycling Weekly (a 2015 edition) and Cycling Plus (2014). Nothing current. However, I’m sure my wife will like the baking magazines so still worth doing.


Same with my local library's internet magazine choices. A fair number of up to date magazines on a range of subjects. However, the cycling option is Cycle Sport magazine which appears to have expired in 2016....


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