The new issue of Pro Cycling

[neverraced]

The "new" issue of Pro Cycling has Armstrong on the cover! Who will it be next month--Sean Yates? Boardman? Paris Hilton?

What a pathetic magazine. They also tout their "Great New Look" on the cover--this new look is so noisy, ugly, and overloaded with meaningless graphic art that it hurts to look at it. Don't worry, Frank Hoj is still writing for them. And a dual interview with Andy Hampsten and Tom Danielson, featuring 9 unflattering color photos of them sitting around a starbucks, looking like two rejects from a pedophile rehabilitation program.

Granted, magazines are in their death throes, but come on, go gently into that good night. In the doctor's office a few months ago I picked up two copies of "Arizona Highways". The first was from the 70's (doctor's office) and it was clean and spare, photos and text. The other issue was more current and looked like a combination of Martha Stewart's Living and Easy Rider--busy, colorful in the bad sense, full of junk graphics, unreadable. It made the older lissue look like a Bauhaus-designed masterpiece.

[Fat Robert]

Granted, magazines are in their death throes, but come on, go gently into that good night.

absolutely wrong

no one is good enough with a blackberry to use it on the crapper

magazines and defecation are, like, the peanut butter and jelly of media and bodily functions

[cadence231]

absolutely wrong

no one is good enough with a blackberry to use it on the crapper

magazines and defecation are, like, the peanut butter and jelly of media and bodily functions


Yes. I wait with eager anticipation when my mom purges her People Magazines. The Letters and Chatter tease it out good!

[1centaur]

One of the key themes I see in many magazine redesigns these days is smaller fonts on colored backgrounds. Literally, the procycling redesign made me decide that NOW is when I need to go get stronger reading glasses. I'm betting the re-designers were all under 35. A little incandescent glare on shiny magazine stock while reading four-point yellow type on a red background makes me want to just stop reading.

[Grant McLean]

.

[Climb01742]

but the crumpton was cool.

[Kevan]

upon visiting my LL (Local Library), checking out its recent renovation, I plopped myself into one of the new chairs in the periodical section and gave the new January/February issue of "Bicycling" a gander. Has the magazine improved? I think it might have. Gee..willakers! I mean... there's included inside a picture of an Ottrott, discussing the perfect bicycle, and a lengthy story about the possible demise of China's Flying Pigeon bicycle ( http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-3-12-15416-1,00.html ), due to motorized advancements?!

Anyway, the rag still spouts claims that you can build stronger legs in 5 days, but between the glossy cover with its proclamations and car ad on the back, there were some pages of really good interest. Has the tide turned?

[cpg]

but the crumpton was cool.

+1 with the addition of Crumpton is cool. But I'm partial to builders with that sort of hairline :)

Curt

[stevep]

Anyway, the rag still spouts claims that you can build stronger legs in 5 days,

5 days, huh? i gotta tell swoop..
he wants to know what he can do in 4 days?
cant wait 5..has a race in 5 days

[Serpico]

Bicycling is owned by Rodale--I'm not a fan of their publications.

http://www.rodale.com/

too much consumerism thrown in your face on every other page. rodale should append "buyers guide" to the name of each mag.

just imo^^

[fiamme red]

Bicycling is owned by Rodale--I'm not a fan of their publications.

http://www.rodale.com/

too much consumerism thrown in your face on every other page. rodale should append "buyers guide" to the name of each mag.

just imo^^It's ironic that very soon after Robert Rodale was killed in an automobile accident in Russia in 1990, Bicycling Magazine changed its policy and began running car ads.

[Kevan]

Bicycling is owned by Rodale--I'm not a fan of their publications.

http://www.rodale.com/

too much consumerism thrown in your face on every other page. rodale should append "buyers guide" to the name of each mag.

just imo^^


which is why I'm surprised. Let's face it... no publication is doing this sport/pastime much justice.

[Serpico]

which is why I'm surprised. Let's face it... no publication is doing this sport/pastime much justice.

true, but no company has more to do with the james bond-ization of 20-30 something males than rodale.

advertising is fine, I respect that they need to make money... but DAMN, they're so unapologetic with the "Somebody just mailed us this $1,200 GPS watch to review--here's a few paragraphs on why you should buy it."

give me a magazine by people who have MY INTERESTS in mind

just imo^^

[stevep]

hey, what are the 50 best climbs?
wanna know.

[1centaur]

Ventoux #1. It's actually a very entertaining section with lots of quotes from pros who think sections are steeper than they measure.

[OldDog]

[QUOTE=neverraced] And a dual interview with Andy Hampsten and Tom Danielson, featuring 9 unflattering color photos of them sitting around a starbucks, looking like two rejects from a pedophile rehabilitation program.QUOTE]


Thats a kick in the nuts. What do rejects from a pedophile rehabilitation program look like?

[yeehawfactor]

road magazine sucks the hardest of all of them

procycling 4 lyfe

[Steve Hampsten]

[QUOTE=neverraced]And a dual interview with Andy Hampsten and Tom Danielson, featuring 9 unflattering color photos of them sitting around a starbucks, looking like two rejects from a pedophile rehabilitation program.QUOTE]

I resemble that remark...

[catulle]

.

[julia]

[QUOTE=neverraced]And a dual interview with Andy Hampsten and Tom Danielson, featuring 9 unflattering color photos of them sitting around a starbucks, looking like two rejects from a pedophile rehabilitation program.QUOTE]

I resemble that remark...


no comment

j

[stevep]

Ventoux #1. It's actually a very entertaining section with lots of quotes from pros who think sections are steeper than they measure.
c'mon centaur...
give me top 10...
i went up ventoux on july 14th 2000 in a snow storm on the top.
got turned back as they closed the road at chalet reynault.
was pretty epic i thought.

[1centaur]

#1 Ventoux
#2 Zoncolan
#3 ADH
#4 Stelvio
#5 Genting Highlands (Malaysia)
#6 Muur Van Geraardsbergen
#7 Galibier
#8 Angliru
#9 Mortirolo
#10 Tourmalet
#11 Glossglockner

#13 Mt. Washington

#34 Gavia

#49 Ghisallo
#50 Col de la Croix Fry

It truly is an excellent piece - I recommend buying that edition, tiny font or not.

[AgilisMerlin]

i think Chris Boardman will be looking like the michelin man, doing bike tests by next year.

I love cyclesport and procycling, but marcel wust looks like he does roids' in his sleep for those bike tests and boardman looks like he is on a diet of meat pies dipped in gravy. jmo

love both, as for the artwork. don't have an opinion





AmerliN

[Cary Ford]

Bicycling magazine is for people who don't.
Cyclesport is for people who never have.
Pro Cycling is for people who aren't.

[stevep]

im going to get the issue.
like to read about the climbs.
tks,
s
ps mt washington is way harder than any of those climbs... but not too many pros have done it, so maybe its been overlooked some.

#1 Ventoux
#2 Zoncolan
#3 ADH
#4 Stelvio
#5 Genting Highlands (Malaysia)
#6 Muur Van Geraardsbergen
#7 Galibier
#8 Angliru
#9 Mortirolo
#10 Tourmalet
#11 Glossglockner

#13 Mt. Washington

#34 Gavia

#49 Ghisallo
#50 Col de la Croix Fry

It truly is an excellent piece - I recommend buying that edition, tiny font or not.

[Frustration]

Ah...


Life is good screamin from the cheap seats... :rolleyes:

[1centaur]

ps mt washington is way harder than any of those climbs... but not too many pros have done it, so maybe its been overlooked some.

I certainly think the climbs are ranked partly by difficulty and significantly by their pro cycling history, just as ADH is ranked higher than Lance's toughest climb ever, the Mortirolo. It's a testament to Mt. Washington that it ranked as highly as it did with no classic race drama to pull it up the rankings.

[merckx]

im going to get the issue.
like to read about the climbs.
tks,
s
ps mt washington is way harder than any of those climbs... but not too many pros have done it, so maybe its been overlooked some.

Once again, I agree with the Pouch. Mt. Washington is way harder than some of those climbs. I've done Galibier, Tourmalet, Alpe du huez and the one in NH is at a different level. I also thought that Tourmalet was harder than Galibier, but what do I know.

[swoop]

oy. i thought for sure that this month they would reveiw the ten best helmet mirrors. or that boardman would write about how to order a custom bike without sending any measurements. ten ways to review a bike without losing any advertisers?

[BumbleBeeDave]

Tough crowd! . . . but do you think they could fit in ONE more headline on that cover? There's that tiny little bit of sky to the left of Lance's head where they haven't stuck anything in there.

Meanwhile, I think Bicycling hit bottom just after their re-design and editorial "re-alignment" into a Men's Health clone about two years ago. Every issue a shameless advertiser plug, no story longer than 8 paragraphs, absolutely NO product info that sounded truly objective. But ever since then they've been slowly but surely clawing their way back toward editorial excellence, as at least one other has mentioned here. I actually enjoy readin it now, despite the continuation of the "We never saw ANY product we didn't like" attitude.

Meanwhile, Cycling+ out of England remains my fave in terms of just plain useful, objective info about whatever equipment they review, really informative bike reviews, and health and training info that really means something. I read CycleSport for the history, Bicycling for the "Lifestyle" crap, and always go back to Cycling+ when I actually need to find out something useful.

BBD

[Elefantino]

Meanwhile, I think Bicycling hit bottom just after their re-design and editorial "re-alignment" into a Men's Health clone about two years ago. Every issue a shameless advertiser plug, no story longer than 8 paragraphs, absolutely NO product info that sounded truly objective. But ever since then they've been slowly but surely clawing their way back toward editorial excellence, as at least one other has mentioned here. I actually enjoy readin it now, despite the continuation of the "We never saw ANY product we didn't like" attitude.

BBD

I admit I've remained with Bicycling through the dark times. I liked it back in the late 80s/early 90s, then dropped it until 1999. It hit rock bottom with the sex issue (describing Marla Streb's heart rate at climax!). I still think there's too much of a "never is heard a discouraging word" bent to their reviews, but at least the writing is interesting.

And ...

I have climbed two of the top 10 (Ventoux, Galibier). On my old CSI.

How about others?

[stevep]

ive been up 4 of the top 10.
ventoux, stelvio, galibier, tourmalet,
also mt wash and #49...ghisallo.
probably quite a few somewhere between 11-25 also.
like to do a few tour/ giro climbs when over there.
col de lauteret/ bottom

[Climb01742]

ps mt washington is way harder than any of those climbs... but not too many pros have done it, so maybe its been overlooked some.

i'm glad you said that. thinking that there are 12 harder climbs made me feel like an even bigger wuss. i would like to tackle ventoux one day.

[manet]

.

[swoop]

i've got friends at bicycling.. they try and keep editorial completely insulated from sales but they don't do 'bad' reveiws.... they just try and find the positive. it's a cycling magazibe for guys that don't own bikes...

i think neil does a great job at road, that procycling is a good read, and that you are asking a lot of a cycling magazine to have any decent content.

remember Winning and those great oversized tdf issues back in the day?

[Grant McLean]

remember Winning and those great oversized tdf issues back in the day?

those were awesome!

but i still prefer to get my tour coverage live on tv and the internet!

g

[MartyE]

I still lament the demise of "Bicycle Guide" (the archtypical Bike porn magazine)
and the recent demise of Asphalt. I had high hopes (best Sinatra imitation please) for Asphalt.
And Listener, can't forget Listener, when it folded I got out of the Audio "hobby"

marty

[BBB]

The one Winning TdF edition I've got (1990) was terrific, but pretty expensive down in Australia from memory, moreso seeing I was still in high school at the time.

Bicycle Guide was a great magazine - why exactly did it die?

IMO, CycleSport used to be good, but they changed the format, including making the magazine smaller, changed the packaging - glossy full colour to this dull lifeless look, while the journalism just went down the crapper.

ProCycling is not too bad, bike reviews aside. Yet to see the new format though - things take time to make there way down to Australia.

[atmo]

Bicycle Guide was a great magazine - why exactly did it die?





because it was bought by a publisher that wanted
to run before he could walk, and he made his money
by walking atmo.

hint - (http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50712F73E5C0C758EDDA00894DE484D 81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fM% 2fMagazines)

[BBB]

Thanks for that. Pity as it was a good read.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . It hit rock bottom with the sex issue (describing Marla Streb's heart rate at climax!).. . .

LOL! I remember reading that and thinking, "Only EIGHT minutes? Is that ALL he's got? She's a world class athlete--you'd think she could find a guy with a little more endurance!" ;) :rolleyes: :banana:

BBD

[Elefantino]

LOL! I remember reading that and thinking, "Only EIGHT minutes? Is that ALL he's got? She's a world class athlete--you'd think she could find a guy with a little more endurance!" ;) :rolleyes: :banana:

BBD

There are very few times I read any cycling magazine and feel like I'm a professional.

That was one of them!

[jeffg]

im going to get the issue.
like to read about the climbs.
tks,
s
ps mt washington is way harder than any of those climbs... but not too many pros have done it, so maybe its been overlooked some.


I have not had the chance to ride Mt. Washington, but I find the ratings on www.salite.ch to be a pretty fair indictaor, i.e. the Grossglockner is without doubt tougher than Ventoux, but check the comparative ratings of the following:


221.37 Kitzbüheler Horn, Austria 9.7 km 12.9 %

220.83 Monte Zoncolan, Italia 10.5 km 11.5 %

220.21 Mount Washington, Extraeuropa 12.4 km 11.5 %

209.86 Monte Grappa, Italia 23.8 km 6.2 %

204.07 Grossglockner - Edelweissspitze, Austria 21.4 km 8.3 %

163.85 Mont Ventoux - Bedoin, Vaucluse 22.7 km 7.1 %

124.81 Alpe d`Huez - Bourg d`Oisans, Isère 14.2 km 7.7 %

All I know is the Grossglockner was brutal in the heat and the amateur "race" in June is often done in sub-freezing temps with snow.

One of the hardest climbs I did was running the last 7km of Alpe di Siusi last week ... ouch!

97.98 Alpe di Siusi - Seiser Alm Trentino Alto Adige 9.2 km 8.2 %

[stevep]

jeff,
heres my take.
did mt washington. used a 22-23. was in it every second of an hour and a half. wished i was dead the entire climb. questioned my reason for living every inch.
did mt ventoux. used a 39-27. stopped a few times to check it out. gear was sufficient. no time
did the stelvio. 34-27. mostly in it though there was a pretty long flat spot toward the middle where i actually went into the big ring (50). 1hr 55 min
did the tourmalet. 39-25. pretty much there . wished for a 27 at times...but ok 1 hr 20 min from st marie de campan side but forget when i started the time now.
alpe de huez. 39-25 a little 27 1hr 5 min
galibier 34-25/7 maybe 1hr 40 from briancon ( this includes the lauteret which is on rt to galibier but to lauteret very long and gentle climb ) once you turn toward galibier gets steeper ( and more scenic )
fitness not much different for any of them.
dont know about the austrian climbs. never did any of 'em.
my take. mt wash way, way harder.



I have not had the chance to ride Mt. Washington, but I find the ratings on www.salite.ch to be a pretty fair indictaor, i.e. the Grossglockner is without doubt tougher than Ventoux, but check the comparative ratings of the following:


221.37 Kitzbüheler Horn, Austria 9.7 km 12.9 %

220.83 Monte Zoncolan, Italia 10.5 km 11.5 %

220.21 Mount Washington, Extraeuropa 12.4 km 11.5 %

209.86 Monte Grappa, Italia 23.8 km 6.2 %

204.07 Grossglockner - Edelweissspitze, Austria 21.4 km 8.3 %

163.85 Mont Ventoux - Bedoin, Vaucluse 22.7 km 7.1 %

124.81 Alpe d`Huez - Bourg d`Oisans, Isère 14.2 km 7.7 %

All I know is the Grossglockner was brutal in the heat and the amateur "race" in June is often done in sub-freezing temps with snow.

One of the hardest climbs I did was running the last 7km of Alpe di Siusi last week ... ouch!

97.98 Alpe di Siusi - Seiser Alm Trentino Alto Adige 9.2 km 8.2 %

[merckx]

The other wildcard with Washington is the weather. I've raced up it three times, and each time the wind nearly blew me off the mountain. At about the halfway point, it is really open and the road is 18% on cinder. Try that with a 30mph head wind!

My gears for some notible climbs:
Washington= 28X25
Alpe du Huez=39X25
Tourmalet=39X25
Galibier=39X23/25

[saab2000]

For having lived in Switzerland for much of my cycling life I have a pathetic resume of known climbs. I have only ever climbed one kinda well known climb, and then only within Switzerland. I climbed the Klausenpass a few times a number of years ago. Once on my Grandis.

But I did do a lot of local climbs which were cool, though completely unknown outside even that local area. I just was never in the frame of mind to drive my car to ride my bike and all the best known climbs were only available by car.

I regret having never ridden from Pfaeffikon/ZH to Lugano, which would have taken me over the Gotthard Pass. The Gotthard is the most famous pass in Switzerland, but probably not the most difficult.

In Italy I did descend a hill which crossed the border into Switzerland and the gradient was frightening going down. At points it must have been in excess of 20% and since the switchbacks were so closely spaced there was no chance to NOT ride the brakes the whole way. I climbed it the other side and it was much less steep. Only a few miles down, but extremely steep.

Another no-name climb from my years in Switzerland.

[Fat Robert]

hogpen gap down here in SC

stupid short, stupid steep, switchback city

good riders -- cat 2/3 level -- blow tires trying to descend that sucker



my all-time favorite hill is snake alley in burlington IA -- either the curvy way or the straight up the sucker way. the kappelmur of the midewest. good times.

[sailorboy]

How could they leave this one out, they named a bike company after it!

[jeffg]

jeff,
heres my take.
did mt washington. used a 22-23. was in it every second of an hour and a half. wished i was dead the entire climb. questioned my reason for living every inch.
did mt ventoux. used a 39-27. stopped a few times to check it out. gear was sufficient. no time
did the stelvio. 34-27. mostly in it though there was a pretty long flat spot toward the middle where i actually went into the big ring (50). 1hr 55 min
did the tourmalet. 39-25. pretty much there . wished for a 27 at times...but ok 1 hr 20 min from st marie de campan side but forget when i started the time now.
alpe de huez. 39-25 a little 27 1hr 5 min
galibier 34-25/7 maybe 1hr 40 from briancon ( this includes the lauteret which is on rt to galibier but to lauteret very long and gentle climb ) once you turn toward galibier gets steeper ( and more scenic )
fitness not much different for any of them.
dont know about the austrian climbs. never did any of 'em.
my take. mt wash way, way harder.

I need to hit the Stelvio and the Gavia! I would rate the Grossglockner at the "hating my existence" level the first time I tried it the same summer I had an "easy" ride up Ventoux in 35 degree (Celsius) heat and clocked about 1:35 feeling like I was not at my limit. Steeper and longer is a double whammy on that Austrian monster ...

[H.Frank Beshear]

hogpen gap down here in SC

stupid short, stupid steep, switchback city

good riders -- cat 2/3 level -- blow tires trying to descend that sucker



my all-time favorite hill is snake alley in burlington IA -- either the curvy way or the straight up the sucker way. the kappelmur of the midewest. good times.

Snake Alley (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=94946&postcount=1) I had a hard time just walking up the darn thing :D . Come race it again Fatmo