[jfinch23]

I have subscribed to Bike magazine for a while now but I need more magazine stoke. However, with the prices of Decline and Dirt being significantly higher I think I can only do one of them. Which one would you guys suggest given that I prefer DH/FR coverage but don't mind some all-mountain thrown in there too, I am from the US (if that matters in terms of race coverage etc.) and like most, I love pretty pictures.

 

[norbar]

I'm neither from US nor from Uk but I prefer dirt. More exclusive material and even if they do AM they look at everything from a really downhill-like perspective. Quality magazine for sure. Though I've only seen 1 decline so I'm a bit biased

 

[Moosey]

Decline is rad. I buy them everytime i see a new one in barnes and noble... They are all DH/FR. They review some AM type bikes, but also do it from a DH/FR perspective, i have never gotten a Dirt mag though. Im sure either way you go it will be good. can't really make the wrong choice here.

 

[his dudeness]

Both are okay. Here's the synopsis of them...

Dirt- Written and edited VERY well. Extensive coverage of UK area riding scene and riding spots throughout europe which I don't care too much about since I live in the US. Incredibly detailed and honest reviews of dh/fr/and am bikes, almost too detailed at times but that's a good thing if you're really hot for a particular bike and are curious as to it's performance. Up to date race coverage and results, probably of more races than you know or care about but the coverage is very good and always accurate. LOTS of advertisements of things you probably can't get in the US. If you ever want to see wicked pumptracks and dirt jumps look in Dirt.

Decline- Written and edited by 10 year olds. The magazine looks like it never receives revisions before the final draft as it always looks thrown together. Poor grammar and sentence structure gives me a headache to read and is in just about every other paragraph in the magazine. Reviews are fairly unbiased but they generally are VERY positive about everything they review which isn't too cool. Pictures are generally very good to incredible. Sometimes the race coverage is accurate, but they posted the results of the last world cup race as the same results of the world champs race. They do fairly good and inventive stories on people and places which I do like and give them lots of credit for. I also like the editorials even though Cam McCaul's column is generally about as good for you as eating a bag of doritos.

 

[Pslide]

Dirt all the way for me. Quality mag.

I buy Decline occassionally and their content seems to be getting better, but pretty shallow publication for the most part.

Dirt is UK based though, so you won't get much US race coverage.

 

[MTBAlex]

I like decline a little more because I don't live in the UK scene.

 

[zaner31]

if you like to read and get good no ******** reviews, along with world cup DH coverage = DIRT.

if you like to look at pictures and no content whatsoever with old happenings = Decline.

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

DIRT!

There's no substitute.

 

[mtn.skratch]

I agree with dudeness 100%.

I like DIRT!

 

[jfinch23]

Hmmm, still on the fence. Sounds like Dirt is the better magazine but Decline might be more relevant (although possibly outdated). Just out of curiosity for the US subscribers to Dirt, how much of the content do you feel is not relevant because of its European focus, if any at all?

 

[Pslide]

Hmmm, still on the fence. Sounds like Dirt is the better magazine but Decline might be more relevant (although possibly outdated). Just out of curiosity for the US subscribers to Dirt, how much of the content do you feel is not relevant because of its European focus, if any at all?

I'd say probably 20% of the content is irrelevant to the US.

Thing is, I get all my news, race reports, etc. online these days. There isn't anything new I read in Decline. So the local content is no longer very important and you might as well get Dirt for the photography, opinion articles, and general love of downhill. Dirt gets me stoked to ride.

 

[amish_matt]

Dirt.

Decline is a bunch of Bro-speak.

 

[Fix the Spade]

Dirt.

Although I'm horribly biased (and horribly English) Dirt all the way. No other bike magazine I know would run a multi-issue series of articles on suspension design that actually covers suspension design and not what manufacturer X says in their press releases.

 

[Iceman2058]

Dirt is soooo much better that it is well worth skipping through the few UK-specific pages that are in there. Layout, quality pics, good mix of new stuff, new bikes, special features, almost 100% focus on gravity riding...and what I like the most about it, the completely subjective and unapologetic writing. They say what they think, and it's generally a hoot to read as well. Good mix of personalities in their editorial/testing team.

 

[his dudeness]

Hmmm, still on the fence. Sounds like Dirt is the better magazine but Decline might be more relevant (although possibly outdated). Just out of curiosity for the US subscribers to Dirt, how much of the content do you feel is not relevant because of its European focus, if any at all?

They'll have maybe 15-20 pages of UK based race scene stuff. It's not relevant to the US but it's still a good read to see whats going on elsewhere. And any time they have a article on a riding destination in Italy or Slovenia or any other off the map sort of place it generally gets me very pumped to ride and try to travel to new places.

 

[Jim Mac]

Both - I dropped Bike and Dirt Rag and instead continued to get both DIRT and DECLINE. I have to say, though, that I read the DIRT articles more often than DECLINE. I find them more informative. DECLINE has more of a national (US) focus, which I appreciate.

 

[jfinch23]

Alright, I'm going for Dirt. Thanks for the input.

 

[mykel]

My question, where can you get a sub for less than 60.00 from Canada?

michael

 

[nostrangertodanger]

yeah dirt; those dudes invented the english lang...Decline just owns cameras

 

[nokfir2]

I used to just get decline at barnes and noble when I'm in there. Just from this thread I downloaded he dirt app for my iPhone and subribed to 6 issue for 7 buck, pretty sweet deal