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Sotto Voce
Forum Member
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Posted: Sun Apr 27th, 2008 09:45 pm |
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KhalH wrote: Oh I'm around. We usually credit features, but this month I've had a stealthy hand in the tyre test, I do the producty stuff, I was Steve's co pilot for the Honda v Harley test, I put together the new rider page, there's my longtermer, I put together the letters and I make the tea.
Most of which means that your writing - which btw is what you're selling, you're a magazine after all - has been sadly underutilised.
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Sotto Voce
Forum Member
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 07:50 am |
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I've been thinking some more about this. I'm still confused, partly because as has been said above the changes look like change for change's sake. I must say I don't get that. Is Bike in the shit? If not then tacky, derivative changes that seem to have neutered Bike's spirit don't do it for me, sorry.
What all this pondering has led me to ask is this: What were the best things that Bike did in the last two years? And why? And then to ask: So how can that spirit be preserved whilst making changes but without plagiarising? And also: anything we can learn from elsewhere?
For what it's worth my favourites have been: the loony Lands End / John O'Groats ride on shonkers; the mad 400 mile race on shonkers to celebrate the 400th issue; the tri-moto challenge (on shonkers - hold on, is there a theme here?); the pillions test of the long term fleet; the booze cruise to France in the cold; the scooter vs sportsbike race from the Alps; Hargreaves trying to turn himself into a club racer and a Manx GP racer; Gary Inman's trip across North Africa on a Benelli...all of these are crazed things done by bike-obsessed loons; all of these articles and their like reveal the character of the writers and riders as much as the bikes (Khal: naive; Hargreaves: what rules? Armitage: wild-eyed, speed-crazed with poor judgment as to what will survive; MFG: an optimist; Gary Inman- well, a character description failed me after that...).
And as to the last question, well here's a couple: the BSB riders (Rutter and Harris I think) on public roads with the PB crew - naughty, very naughty and yet again a story about real-life biking loons doing what they love doing - and Emma Franklin in DiRE turning herself from unconfident biking near-newbie to racer in one summer, because once again it's about her doing real things on bikes.
The current issue has the 125 GP as I said before. That's in the right spirit and it's not a bad article. The rest frankly feels, well, sterile.
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Mav
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 09:44 am |
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The mag arrived I looked at the cover then at the contents and put it down again.
I scanned through it again this morning looking for a couple of writers (MikeA and Khal - or MFG with anyone else)
couldnt find them so I put it away again.
Nothing I have seen grabs me so far.
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dooley
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 10:41 am |
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aint the recent issues the result of months of uncertainty? a bit early to be sounding the death knell i reckon.
and as much as i'd hate to see bike turn into top gear, you do need the light hearted stuff.
some of the most enjoyable articles have been some of the dumbest. that pic a whiles back of that huge fairinged monstrosity just inside the front page nearly made me choke .
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bigbadmad
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 10:45 am |
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I too have had concerns about the current direction of BiKE. I have a motorbike magazine addiction so I read most of the mags out there and BiKE has stood out against the competition ever since I've been reading it. It's breadth, scope and writing have often impressed me. Plus on a design and typography front it definitely had the edge.
Over the last few months however it just hasn't been as compelling, there are still things I love and there's no chance I'll stop buying it but my favourite monthly read just isn't quite as good as it was...
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hairmet
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 10:59 am |
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| Get a grip you lot. Bike is a bike magazine written for karter and his ilk, it's bound to be mainstream and tedious. If you want excitement or more fringe stuff write yer own mag. Or get a gang together and bully Tunbridge Wells out of its conservative complacency, or write a poem. Or have a drink and forget about it.
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KhalH
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 11:12 am |
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Sotto Voce wrote: Khal: naive
Really? I like to think of myself as an optimistic chancer...
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Sotto Voce
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 12:40 pm |
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dooley wrote: aint the recent issues the result of months of uncertainty? a bit early to be sounding the death knell i reckon.
and as much as i'd hate to see bike turn into top gear, you do need the light hearted stuff.
some of the most enjoyable articles have been some of the dumbest. that pic a whiles back of that huge fairinged monstrosity just inside the front page nearly made me choke .
I'd agree with you. But didn't you notice the fanfare from within the cellophane as you unwrapped it? And then hear it again as you read the twaddle on p4 or so which said something like, "We're the best [cue trumpets] we're always going to be the best [trumpets] and heh we've changed so we'll be even better still" [really loud trumpets, drums and the sound of cheering]. If it's not really ready don't launch it: wasn't that what the world's press said to Buell?
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dooley
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 01:06 pm |
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dunno, i aint seen it yet. but never underestimate the power of positive thinking
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bignige
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 03:56 pm |
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hmmm, my opinion in life is "if it aint broke, dont fix it"
my 2p's
my main gripe = SECOND HAND!!! long term test bikes!! 2001 blackbird, 2000 firestorm, 2004 Z1000, 2001 Fazer. etc
WTF, if these bikes have been loved they will be in excellent condition . If not they will be sheds. end of story.
i want to hear about all the new bikes on long term tests, if there riding all these sheds they cant put mileage on the 2008 models...
second gripe= all the first test rides seem to have been shortened to half a page of text.
cyril green RIP? oh hang on hes just got rid of his pseudonym, hi Mick.
BIKE? Still the best and by a long way.
oh one more thing, the tyre test... wear rates would of been nice!
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hirsty
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 04:07 pm |
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I like the new look, but agree that it wasn't that broken in the first place. I do like the crazy / silly set-piece features (JOG / Lands End in Winter, the four-round shitter challenge etc), but as previously discussed, they must take a Hell of a lot of prep.
As for the various staffers profiles, surely it's just cyclical? Some months its an every other page Armitage-fest, other months it seems to be young Miller doing all the work, everyone gets a turn seemingly.
Keep up the good work lads, I'm liking it.
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dave1450
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 04:44 pm |
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KhalH wrote: Oh I'm around. We usually credit features, but this month I've had a stealthy hand in the tyre test, I do the producty stuff, I was Steve's co pilot for the Honda v Harley test, I put together the new rider page, there's my longtermer, I put together the letters and I make the tea.
Havent got my copy yet, and its the 24th April...
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brox2
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 07:39 pm |
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dave1450 wrote: KhalH wrote: Oh I'm around. We usually credit features, but this month I've had a stealthy hand in the tyre test, I do the producty stuff, I was Steve's co pilot for the Honda v Harley test, I put together the new rider page, there's my longtermer, I put together the letters and I make the tea.
Havent got my copy yet, and its the 24th April...
Khal's other job is to go round and push them through people's doors on his BMX, but he's running a bit behind this month.
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Starman
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 07:56 pm |
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dave1450 wrote: KhalH wrote: Oh I'm around. We usually credit features, but this month I've had a stealthy hand in the tyre test, I do the producty stuff, I was Steve's co pilot for the Honda v Harley test, I put together the new rider page, there's my longtermer, I put together the letters and I make the tea.
Havent got my copy yet, and its the 24th April...
Are you sure it's the 24th of April ?
Seems to be a lack of staffers on here voicing the corporate stance. Are they revolting ?
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dave1450
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 09:19 pm |
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OK, minor typo" Its the 28th.
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dave1450
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 09:35 pm |
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brox2 wrote: dave1450 wrote: KhalH wrote: Oh I'm around. We usually credit features, but this month I've had a stealthy hand in the tyre test, I do the producty stuff, I was Steve's co pilot for the Honda v Harley test, I put together the new rider page, there's my longtermer, I put together the letters and I make the tea.
Havent got my copy yet, and its the 24th April...
Khal's other job is to go round and push them through people's doors on his BMX, but he's running a bit behind this month.
He should have replaced the maggot or the reliant then!
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Sotto Voce
Forum Member
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Posted: Mon Apr 28th, 2008 09:44 pm |
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KhalH wrote: Sotto Voce wrote: Khal: naive
Really? I like to think of myself as an optimistic chancer...
The two are not mutually exclusive...HTH.
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MikeA
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Posted: Tue Apr 29th, 2008 10:18 am |
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| Yes – most of the staff are revolting. I should know, I have to sit next to them. Bloody disgusting.
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Pussyhorse
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Posted: Tue Apr 29th, 2008 01:56 pm |
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| I've just read it, and I must say page 84 really confused me. It mentioned something called 'counter-steering'. WTF is that!?!?!
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Mav
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Posted: Tue Apr 29th, 2008 02:01 pm |
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Pussyhorse wrote: It mentioned something called 'counter-steering'. WTF is that!?!?!
it is evil and will stain your soul forever...............
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The first convert of many to the new improved protestant reformation.
Counter steering is the work of the Devil!
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