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Mountain
Bike Rider (UK Magazine)
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Submitted by
Jonathan Anderson
a Cross Country Rider
from Greatham, United Kindom
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3.00 | | Purchased At: | Tescos | | Strengths: | Serous and fun at the same time | | Bike Setup: | Soft tail | | Bottom Line: | A very good magazine which is aimed at a rider who takes riding serously and enjoys going on rides not trying to show off. The magazine is good for a rider who is just starting out or a rider who has been riding for a long time. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
paul no
a Downhiller
from Wales, UK
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Brecon/Black Mtns | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$3.00 | | Purchased At: | anywhere in UK | | Strengths: | honesty | | Weaknesses: | er.... too many ads in the mag | | Similar Products Used: | mbuk, mba, what mtb. | | Bike Setup: | big heavy full susser | | Bottom Line: | The mag in question is, imo, the best on offer in the UK. The biggest selling mag in UK-mbuk is, imo, cr*p- it's aimed at teens. Mbr on the other hand has a more grown up feel to it, for example, they will, if they feel inclined to do so, use the odd swear word. For me mbr is a mag for bikers by bikers. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonathan 'jonowee' Wee
a Cross Country Rider
from Perth, WA, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$4.00 | | Purchased At: | A$8.85 at local newsagent | | Strengths: | - Detailed
- Critical, unbiased info
- broad spectrum of MTBikes from budget competant to high end ones, very useful for anyone
- much better in every sense than MBA(Mountian Bike Action)
- Great price for this quality piece of work | | Weaknesses: | - localised around the UK but articles still make sense in other countries
- prices are in pounds, trickier to convert to aussie dollars | | Similar Products Used: | Bicycling Australia, Australian Mountian Bike, freewheel | | Bike Setup: | AVANTI hardtail XC bike with 2002 ROCK SHOX Judy XC | | Bottom Line: | The most indepth, broad spectrum and unbiased mountian bike magazine I have ever discovered.
At A$8.85 and the quality of this mag owes it to the great employees of MBR.
Top-notch hard to be. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Bloomfield Hills, Mi, USA
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Pontiac Lake Rec. Area Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Hey, sweet, if you read this you'll know that hardtails are still around and XC riding is still very popular. | | Weaknesses: | Its better then any american publication with exception to dirt rag on some ocasions. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4500 frame, marzzocchi z4(air), bontrager seat, bar, seatpost, titec riser, LX comps. | | Bottom Line: | I like most of the UK mags a lot better then the mountain bike mags in the states. The american ones just talk about DH and FR, and trash XC riding. I really like the ride reviews, climbing tips, product reviews on the hardtails and most other content. Its very well written. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
karl
a
from England
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Great pictures, trail details, news coverage. | | Weaknesses: | Product and manufacturer bias. | | Similar Products Used: | Mountain bike action, Mountain biking UK. | | Bottom Line: | Overall happy with the mag, but they really have it in for certain manufacturers.
Example: p.121 of Jan 2003 (Turner O2 bike review) "...Cane Creek AD12. This shock didn't cut it so we swapped it for a spare [Fox] Float RL... what a difference- no more stiction and uncontrolled rebound".
-All 3 pictures of the bike showed the Cane Creek in action and no Fox in sight.
- read the reviews on this site for the AD12; stictionless performance and adjustments that work (e.g. rebound)... whilst a criticism levelled at the Float is stiction!! The AD12 outperforms the Fox in consumer scoring too.
-Oh yeah, and Fox provides loads of advertising revenue to the mag...
In tests, 8 out of 10 MBR staff said they prefer Marin and Specialized over other bikes cos of the ad. revenues they receive. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dunko
a Racer
from OZ
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Pipeline and Porcupine Rim Moab | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$10.00 | | Purchased At: | Newsagent | | Strengths: | Always a big mag. Lots of reveiws on new products. Ride guides are without peer (check em out if u are going to the uk). Great techie articles and maintence stuff. Cool dudes in general, as are all mountainbikers. Lots of ads and prices to compare them to Oz and US. | | Weaknesses: | Bit exxy when you buy it in Oz.. | | Similar Products Used: | Ive read all the MTB mags going around over the last couple of years.. | | Bike Setup: | M4 S Works hardtail | | Bottom Line: | Go get this mag, and if you are not happy, I'm sure the MBR dudes will buy you a new bike to make up for it.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
a cool guy
a Cross Country Rider
from Sheffield uk
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere fun | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$24.00 | | Purchased At: | Subscribed | | Strengths: | good product reviews, cover issues todo with mtbiking, makes you want to get out and ride very good maps, no silly messing around | | Weaknesses: | I'm only 16 so can't go to these fantastic places they tell you about which is fustrating and i still pay for the laminated maps (these weren't included last month)they repeat all the buyers guide each month which takes up alot of the mag | | Similar Products Used: | MBUK (my brother buys that cos he's a downhiller) | | Bike Setup: | wheels Nice saddle worn out transmission (deore) | | Bottom Line: | this mag costs a lot and i think a lot of that goes on th buyers guide and maps which i don't need or can't use other than that it is a good mag but i can't believe there are no better mags for you lot in the US still us brits are the best e.g. orange, hope
P.S who wants the weather too hot i like the mix of dry (not ver often) and wet (very often) conditions for riding in | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
carlos silva
a
from natal rn, brazil
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | uphill | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$4.00 | | Purchased At: | friends | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | all | | Similar Products Used: | mba, mbi.... | | Bike Setup: | stump jumper m2 full xtr, king hubset and headset, sid sl... | | Bottom Line: | this magazine is so funny, specially bike tests section.
those guys arent racers, doesnt have any riding skils and to finish, they even shave theyr legs ! are they real mtbikers???
as i said before they arent racers but they only tests race bikes, race stuf, race shoes.....what a hell is this? they have the courage to put a riser bar on a cannondale f4000!!! this is not a trail bike, this is a race bike!!
you can only tests race products at race courses ! ( if you have the legs and lungs to do it). | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Malcolm Stonebridge
a
from Durham, County Durham, Great Britain
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$5.00 | | Purchased At: | WH Smiths | | Strengths: | Aimed at adults mainly, that's not meant in a pervy way, just that there's little drivel about jumping off park benches etc. | | Weaknesses: | A trivial thing but would prefer it to be USA letter sized rather than it's thin but large pages. | | Similar Products Used: | MBUK (a while ago, i.e. over 10 years ago, it's to adolescent really). | | Bike Setup: | Pace RC200, Pace forks, race face cranks, XTR mix. | | Bottom Line: | Very good and stop knocking our climate, we know it's crap but it's just not nice. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Gould
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Everywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | W H Smiths | | Strengths: | OK, not the best. I have read the reviews you guys have written and I can only assume we are talking about the same mag. Product reviews are OK however they do stray into subjectivity occasionally. Some reviews are of products well outside the purchasing power of many readers. Ironically, some of the best reviews are of the cheaper machines. If you are reviwing a bike dripping with Race Face, XTR, Chris King etc it is invariably going to be good. If you have a lower priced steed with plenty of OEM stuff on, that is when you need to know if it is any good. | | Weaknesses: | Corny, editorial staff look like a bunch of miserable sods. The mag has lost the plot, it used to be good but now it is merely average. Sometimes it is hard to work out who the trail guides are written for. "Hard" routes are too easy and "easy" routes are almost family routes. Technique sections are of questionable merit. | | Similar Products Used: | Too many to mention! | | Bike Setup: | Massi Z7, Z2 Bombers, XT, Race Face, Formula Discs etc etc | | Bottom Line: | Better magazines in the UK have gone to the wall and although MBR fills a niche, I am seldom motivated enough to buy it any more. If MBR is better than the American mags I feel really sorry for you! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
edouble
a Cross Country Rider
from wheatley heights,ny
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | westwoods in ct. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | borders books | | Strengths: | writing, reviews, pictures why they even have trail maps!. they absolutely positively kick the crap out of every u.s. mag around! | | Weaknesses: | so you fancy yourself a comedian? | | Similar Products Used: | all of the u.s. rags uh, i mean mags. | | Bike Setup: | voodoo bizango, z2bam, all xt except sunrace juju shifters and avid arch rival 50's. salsa,raceface mavic 225's, conti vertical pro's | | Bottom Line: | thie mag makes me wish i had never broken up with my ex-girlfriend from england. at the time i did not mountainbike so i did not realize all the fun i could have had every time i went to england. all the maps and article on places to ride plus the intelligent,thorough reviews have me drooling every month. makes u.s. mags look extremely amateurish. the air jordan of mountainbike mags! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
EsHan13
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, CA, USA!!!!!
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Palos Verdes, Brentwood | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Borders Book Store | | Strengths: | By far the best mountain biking magazine you can purchase here in the good ole' U.S of A. It has great photographs, great tips and very extensive reviews of products and trails. All other magazines seem mediocre compared to MBR. If you get a chance, pick one up, you won't be disappointed. It's a real joy to read and look at. | | Weaknesses: | It's rather expensive due to the conversion from the UK pound to the US dollar. Also, I noticed it is only sold at certain Borders stores,(i.e not all Borders carry it so shop around and find a Borders that does). Plus, some of the British slang is hard to understand (man, they really speak a different form of english over there:) and a lot of the products they review are European so it may not pertain to the US mountain biker at times, but that's understandable. I mean, it is a "European" magazine. | | Similar Products Used: | All the domestic US mountain biking magazines such as Mountain Bike Action, Bicycling, Mountain Bike, etc. They're all adequate by themselves I guess, but compared to MBR, they're not even in the same league. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Litespeed Owl Hollow hand made here in the GREAT USA. | | Bottom Line: | Geez, what is the deal with UK magazines all being so good? I mean, they really know how to make a magazine. It's not just sporting magazines like this one, but magazines of all genres tend to be really great (if you're also into Home Entertainment systems, check out "What Hi-Fi," another Brit magazine). I really wish I could subscribe to MBR but even their subscription fee is high however, so it really makes no difference if you just buy off the shelf. If you're an avid mountain biker, I really recommend you check out MBR so you can have some fun off the bike as well. Great pictures, great articles plus some humor makes this magazine a pleasure to read. It's also interesting to see what people on the other side of the world like to ride. Bottom line, it's the best magazine you can buy in the US for mountain biking and well worth every penny. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Graham Mitchell
a Weekend Warrior
from Perth, Western Australia
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Similar Products Used: | MBA, MB - the Yank mags and Australian MB | | Bottom Line: | This is simply the best MB magazine on the planet.
It always cheers me up to know there's an even more miserable b*****d mountain-biker out there than me...
KITCH!!!
Why, he makes an undertaker look like an 'E'd up party animal in Ibiza!
Perhaps the editor of Australian Mountainbike would like to take note- he produces the worst magazine in the world... a complete load of arse.
k
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ivan T
a Weekend Warrior
from Asia Pacific
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Awesome pics and great info on products reviews in a colorful and bigger format. Makes you feel more likely to collect each and everyone of the issue. I like their Workshop Index in case you forgot where you read. Many and various bikes test on each issue. Even the ads. are colorful enough ! The Bike Routes section is just wonderful. The Brits are very good at it. | | Weaknesses: | Pay a little more, but hey, it's a great magazine really ! | | Bottom Line: | MBR has great info and makes you want to go out and ride. Your mind is out there riding even when you are reading it.
Folks in the US should rethink their mountain bike mag contents and format. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
UberClyde
a Weekend Warrior
from Manila
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Bushy Aeta Bonecrusher | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Centerfold, topo maps, reviews | | Weaknesses: | Poor Brits, their trails suck | | Similar Products Used: | MBA, Bike, etc. | | Bike Setup: | Does it matter? | | Bottom Line: | Great large-format magazine. Great topographical pull-out maps of rides, all of which indicate the location of pubs. The only mountain bike magazine with centerfold girls. No pretentious politically correct bullsh!t. Well done reviews. The only problem with the ride shots is they are all dreary wet gray days, hard pack double track, on windy exposed ridges, of pale dudes wearing tons of rain gear - poor sods!
I wrote to the guys at Bike magazine and suggested they have a look at the competition from the UK, but got no response. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Heath Winslow
a Weekend Warrior
from NC
Date Reviewed: April 17, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Still Looking | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Borders | | Strengths: | Great Layout, stories, reviews, pics. | | Weaknesses: | Not many USA trail reviews, but hey, it's a Brit import. I wish some of the advertisers were local. | | Similar Products Used: | Dirt Rag, MBA, etc | | Bottom Line: | By far the best mountain bike magazine I've ever layed hands on. The American publishers should take some notes from these guys. This is the most extensive, trail heavy, test and review magazine available. Too bad they don't have a sister publication on this side of the creek. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jackson
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Lake Hodges, Daley Ranch, Sycamore Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$7.00 | | Purchased At: | Borders | | Strengths: | Great magazine. Best there is. Wish the U.S. had a similar one. Asked them to start a North American version. Great pull out maps for the UK folks. Detailed side by side bike reviews. No nonsense product reviews. | | Weaknesses: | expensive to get but worth it. | | Similar Products Used: | Mountain Bike, Bike | | Bike Setup: | 2001 GT I-drive 3.0 with Avid mechanical discs. Otherwise stock. | | Bottom Line: | Try to find this if you can. Subscription is reasonable versus buying each month. Great articles, riding tips and reviews. Really wish the US folks would take notice. Like the large format. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
edouble
a Cross Country Rider
from wheatley heights,ny
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | da'wiss in philly | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$6.00 | | Purchased At: | barnes-n-noble | | Strengths: | great reviews,tons of useful info, i could go on and on..... | | Weaknesses: | if only they would relocate here! | | Similar Products Used: | mountain bike action -the rest dont compare. | | Bike Setup: | airborne 853 steel black widow,judy xc,lx crank,xt derailleurs,shram shifters,avid arch rival 50's,geax blade front and hook rear tires,thomson stem and post,kore xc riser bar and koobi si saddle. | | Bottom Line: | far superior to u.s. mags and shamefully so. gives them all a lesson on how it should be done. sad but true. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anthony
a Cross Country Rider
from Bishop
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Very good trail routes, honest reviews, great layout, buy it!. | | Weaknesses: |
Not a lot really. Less stuff about tricks and Downhill riding would be good. Leave that too the kiidy mags like Mountain Bike UK
| | Similar Products Used: | MBUK | | Bottom Line: | Great layouts, good review, very good route maps. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SJ Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from SJ, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | The one I'm on | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Mean Spirited Reviews (calls crap, crap)
Big Format(easy to find in BookStore)
Free Giveaways on Mag, Lube, Tire Levers, Stickers. | | Weaknesses: | Not Readily Available in USA, Check Borders
Free Giveaways Not Available in USA (sometimes they have Stickers) | | Similar Products Used: | MBI, Mountain Bike Action, Bicycling, BikeRag, Bike, Damn, what was the name of that High End MB Mag from UK that dies a couple of years ago? (well, that one too. | | Bike Setup: | 2 wheels, crankset, steering and a way to connect it all.
*Disclaimer, 2nd wheel and steering not mandatory. | | Bottom Line: | Good mag, a lot of contrary reviews to the ones printed in US Mags, maybe their Publishers actually care about their readers and not just about their Advertisers. Many times their bad reviews have resulted in the companies redesigning the product and submitting the new one for review (no hard feelings) This is the way Journalism is supposed to work. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Saratoga, NY
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Informative, funny, will make you talk like a Brit | | Similar Products Used: | MBA, Mountain Bike, Dirt Rag, Bike, Bicycling | | Bottom Line: | The best magazine out there. A bookstore in my area carries it, otherwise you can't subscibe, but if you see it, pick it up. Also, it's a little expensive at $6/issue, but worth it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a weekend warrior
from HK
Date Reviewed: October 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've just bought the November 1998 issue of this UK magazine. I live a long way from the UK, and in an urban area at that, but I thought this mag is great. The articles are lengthy, but not wordy. They talk at length about riding itself, and the accompanying product reviews are well written and snappy too. They don't focus on bikes or general products in particular price ranges, but do the whole spectrum, side-by-side, i.e GT I-drive XCR 3000 alongside a mid-range Trek, and a low-end Saracen. I appreciate impartiality. Particularly nifty in Nov '98 is a step-by-step deconstruction and care guide for Cannondale Headshok forks. The mag really is a treasure chest of interesting and fun information. They even have a review showdown between nine varieties of digestive biscuits. And while I'm on a roll (not literally, unfortunately), their photographers shoot not only the bikes and riders, but the scenery around them too - and it looks good. Easily the best bike mag I've seen, and certainly the first I felt was worth buying, rather than reading in the newsagent. | | Overall Rating: |
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