You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Prompted by the BOTHER thread! 🙂
In our house-hold we subscribe to:-
MotorSport Magazine
Horse and Hound
BHS Magazine (but that comes as part of the British Horse Society membership).
I buy Private Eye from the newsagent on town when I remember (I have phases of liking it so don't subscribe).
And I buy a Saturday newspaper which gives me some weekend reading.
And all books I buy are physical.
...or do you get all your reading online?
I have bought two copies of 'Cyclist' magazine in the last year, both times I happened to find myself in WH Smiths in Newbury and it was the only thing that appealed, the kids were buying colourful pens and stuff so I treated myself to a 7-quid Glossy roadie mag, one of them currently sits on my desk at work just so people are aware I like bicycles... That is all.
I subscribe to Retro Gamer magazine, which is genuinely brilliant - it's filled with lots of in-depth articles that have real care and attention paid to writing them, with loads of research and interviewees. I can't think of any other 'leisure' magazines that have that amount of effort put in.
I also subscribe to one cycling magazine at any one time, for nostalgia's sake really. Oscillate between Cycling Plus, MBUK and Cyclist.
disco pogo and electronic sound both electronic music mags funnily enough, that's it, apart from a subscription to Byline Times for a mates 16yr old son
Guitarist magazine.
Occasionally Private Eye. Read the Guardian/Independent occasionally online through my library app, Borrowbox.
None - for decades I bought every one of a motorcycle magazine "bike" but stopped a decade or more ago.
Edit: I used to buy private eye as well
I buy Private Eye when I can. Did have a subscription... but the new one always turned up before I'd finished reading the previous one! My problem, not theirs. Do still buy one offs of other mags as well: music, design, cycling, movies... all sorts... but nothing repeatedly/regularly. There's mags and papers I read online as well (like this one)... to stop physical copies building up and taking up space... but much prefer a paper copy. An occasional physical FT or Guardian feels decadent... as like any paper I'll only read half of it.
Not much besides books.
At Christmas I got a 6 month subscription to Private Eye, which will expire soon, but I've been quite enjoying it and might continue, as £3.50 a month seems pretty reasonable.
Can't remember the last time I bought a print mag. Which is sad really - like I said in the other thread, I used to LIVE for them. Kerrang, MBUK, PC Format, Sky, Future Music, DJ, and a dozen more besides - I was in the newsagents every couple of days as a 16 year old
Singletrack.
I'd occasionally buy Cranked at the airport if I found it, and some times I'd buy Autosport, but Cranked no longer exists and Autosport has slowly over the years transformed itself to appeal to the red trouser wearing banker-niche that can afford a 2nd Carrera RS for the Goodwood weekend for the little lady.
Private Eye. I had a subscription before I left the UK and I still have one. It takes a while to get to me, but it is something I value greatly.
None.
I look back fondly in my late teens/early twenties when cars were life and i would buy Max Power, Revs, Redline, fast Car & Performance GTI every month without fail!
Although we do get the odd 'magazine' through due to being members of things like the national trust and some wildfowl trust thing.
Every issue - Private Eye, New European, Observer.
Regularly but not every issue - Decanter, The Economist, New Statesman, Spectator, Guardian ( 2/3 times weekly), The Oldie.
Occasionally - camera and photography magazines.
STW of course, and this:
Do books count? If so, books. That's it.
Singletrack, Private Eye, The Sky at Night, Play (Playstation5 games mag), 2000AD and the monthly Judge Dredd Megazine.
Mrs B subscribes to a couple of home decoration mags, so there's a fair few good reads dropping on the doormat each month.
Zero.
Last time I bought anything physical was probably 2019 before getting on the Eurostar at St Pancras.
Used to occasionally but the Economist of I saw a recent issue, but even that I've not bought for years.
None now. Sold most of my books (bit of life laundry) as they were just sitting on shelves unread and gathering dust. Got rid of all my CDs years ago. Use Kindle for books, Spotify for music, and don't really bother with magazines.
Really miss Dirt as a magazine. Just cancelled my Gardeners World. Can get a bunch of mags for free in the foyer of the building where I work.
My wife buys the odd quiz magazine maybe once a month.
I used to buy all the bike mags, a couple of photography ones, a watch one or two and also to gadget mags, last mag I bought for myself was What car January three years ago.
My son buys books, and lots of them, from New year until the middle of April he bought over 80! he is an avid reader and likes to collect a whole series before reading the first one. Makes journeys home from uni interesting as they all have to come back with him. His room at home is just full of books.
That a reincarnation of Jockey Slut? That was a great mag.
Yep, and it has a few pages each month dedicated to reprints of jockey slut articles........given the state I was in back in those days im amazed when I recognise articles from decades ago.
Private Eye, sometimes.
i newspaper a few times a week, and at weekends.
Big Issue weekly
Books
The i weekend paper is about it, and books although often just get given them by friends. Was a Rouleur mag subscriber until last year.
Sunday Times every week.
STW subscription.
Lots of books.
Idler. No pressure to read it when it turns up, and nice to dip into.
I did have a Private Eye sub til last year, but the state of the country it revealed just depressed me too much, so lalalala I stopped the sub. Had a New Scientist one too, somewhat nostalgic to leave lying around for the teenage boys...but they didn't pick it up, so pow!
I buy books, although I do have a Kindle. I'm considering upgrading to a Paperwhite so I can read in bed without disturbing MrsSalmon, if that happens I might go back to getting more Kindle books.
I haven't bought a print magazine or newspaper for years. It's probably easily over a decade. I'm actually always a bit surprised to see racks full of them when I'm in WH Smith!
Cycling Weekly, though it’s getting harder to find the print version near me.
Sometimes Cyclist magazine if I’m going away on holiday or something.
All my books are print versions bought second hand from Amazon and then I just donate them to local charity shops when I’m finished.
I often think about reverting to print media for news rather than the apps on my phone- might give it a go, hoping it might make the news slightly less visceral/mentally daunting.
STW - there's a magazine if you didn't know
Cyclist
The local village magazine
As part of other memberships I get the Cycling UK and Audax UK magazines, and MrsMC gets Social Worker Monthly or whatever its called.
Zero.
That was a great mag too. Probably the funniest computer mag of it's time IMO. I still remember the random contributions to the letters page of Ludwig Ledbury
Singletrack
I also pick up the Mispent Summers yearbooks and some of the odd things they publish.
Get the RSPB magazine as part of the membership too.
Simgletrack, some months read cover to cover other months not much at all ..
Had a sub for 12 months to Rouleur and stopped because it just didn't engage me even though the TdF is a constant in life
Nothing else in the house
Classic Bike on subscription, will occasionally buy Bike if it looks interesting but I’m probably not their target market anymore.
Private Eye sub to support the journalism, more than anything. Quite often don't read it.
That's it for print.
Singletrack mag. I usually skim read it, and I do less and less of that each issue. Occasionally a motorcycle magazine to read on the ferry/plane if we are going on holiday. We get a few through memberships we have, Woodland Trust, a beekeeping mag etc. They rarely get read tbh.
Very occasionally I'll pick up a Sunday paper, but usually wonder why I've bothered. I'm my youth I was an avid reader of magazines. I loved the smell, the feel, the latest wisdom on my hobby of the moment etc. It was the only way then to immerse yourself in whatever interested you. I'm just completely jaded with them now and CBA anymore.
I look to YouTube or forums for info on hobbies. YouTube because you can take a really deep dive on the exact thing you are interested in and forums because they are interactive in a way print obviously isn't.
Magazines are too full of adverts and too expensive. Articles are too short and endlessly repetitive or desperately grasping for a new angle which is invariably piss poor. I buy them out of hope and nostalgia and am always disappointed. Truth be told, if it weren't for the dwindling number of people they employ, I won't be that sad when I no longer see a shelf of magazines in a shop.
I'm still an avid reader of books though. I can't see that ever changing.
I subscribe to radio times - my folks always got it so I think it's partly a nostalgia thing. The actual TV schedule aspect of it is redundant, but I like reading it, there's often some pretty good features and get loads of hints about upcoming stuff on all the platforms that will be worth watching.
Singletrackworld
Singletrack on subscription.
Private eye occasionally
Haven't bought a specialist magazine for years from a shop.
If I do buy books they tend to be from charidee shops.
We get a few through memberships we have, Woodland Trust, a beekeeping mag etc. They rarely get read tbh.
Ah yes, memberships, I'd forgotten about the Cycling UK magazine, whatever it's called. I wish they wouldn't produce it, I never read it.
Hayburner. Occasionally pickup a model railway magazine. Not bought a biking magazine for years and years - none of them did anything for me. I simply ride my full suspension bike on trails that make me happy. I have zero interest in: racing, bike packing, gravel, entry level bikes, group tests about rear mechs, biased reviews, articles about riding in weird places etc.
When Saturday Comes - I'm no longer a huge football fan but I love the quality of writing in it. Few things more relaxing for me than reading that with a pint in a quiet pub.
Athletics Weekly - Not every issue but from time to time, I read it religiously as a kid and not find myself back in that scene and it's a good read.
And that's it.
Books from my local 2nd hand bookstore.
Private Eye. Don't read all of it, and some weeks it's just the cartoons.
When Saturday Comes. I don't really do football but the writing is excellent and has some thought-provoking articles.
Both get passed onto neighbours when I am done
Books
I get various outdoor brands shoving paper mags/advertorials in my direction but I refuse as I don't see the point.
Various books on occasion.
The only thing I have subscribed to is 'The Week' as it is a great summary of the news
Subscription to Red magazine for the Mrs, and I get Car Mechanics mag as she set me up a subscription but I pretty much never read it
Otherwise books- last couple were:
Eject Eject, John Nichol
They All Love Jack, Bruce Robinson
next to read
The Fire of Joy, Clive James
East West Street (second copy after last one was accidentally given to charity shop)
Bicycle Quarterly and Rough Stuff Fellowship magazines, recently resubscribed to STW to help support it, occasionally will buy Black and White photography magazine and The Wire, still much prefer paper books and have an ever increasing pile of those.
Cranked till Seb called it a day. FWIW the articles won't age much and Misspent Summers are selling the remainder of the back issues.
Shredder but missed a few issues.
Private Eye when I'm on a work trip.
2000ad digital subscriber which suits my reading habits.
None.
I read various magazines (Trail, Country walking, various photography magazines etc) for free as part of my library membership.
Books I get for free as part of my library membership. Includes Audio books and ebooks as well. If there's a book I want to read and the library doesn't have it, I ask them nicely and they buy it in.
I'm genuinely confused as to why more people don't use libraries.
Top Gear Magazine Subscription for toilet duties.
Articles are just the right length for a fully engaged evacuation ,
Usually lasts the whole month reading it so 😁
But I'm almost completely digital these days. Occasional copy of cyclist if travelling on business, have harvard business review on a business sub, but mostly use online.
STW is a digital download, but only seem to read on holiday
Have just started a new scientist sub to encourage the boy to go beyond insta and snap for info.
Do free local magazines through the letterbox count?
Bought a few books over the past couple of years to try and get back into reading long-form stuff like I used to. Finished some of them, not started others.
His room at home is just full of books.
Kindle (other choices exist...) does have a definite advantage there. Would need to either carry out regular prunings or would run into the catch 22 of needing a rather bigger house to store them at which point the mortgage would prevent me adding anymore.
For me:
Occasional books where its image/maps heavy and so dont work well on kindle.
Private eye, economist and single track on subscription.
Books lots of books!
STW subscription
Occasionally buy New Scientist, Autosport and Delicious if there looks to be any good recipes in it.
Used to really like Wired and like New Scientist had a subscription but from it's early days I just don't enjoy it anywhere nearly as much anymore
Positive News
As per the title really. Lots of interesting articles about actual positive things that are happening in the world.
Other than that, the only magazines we have are ones my wife has fished out of our neighbours' bins 😁
Singletrack and MBUK, Practical Classics and Classic Retro Modern for cars, and PC Gamer and White Dwarf because I am a nerd.
TBH I mostly stay subbed to MBUK and Classic Retro Modern just because I love print magazines, websites etc are no substitute at all, they're just a different thing (and "online magazines" are just badly formatted websites). When Practical Performance Car went down the tubes I figured I'd be a wee bit more generous about deciding whether a mag was worth subbing.
Singletrack, Practical Classics and Land Rover Monthly (or Owner, can’t remember which one is still going this far into a night!😂)
Whilst all of my book reading is via Kindle and most stuff is available online I do enjoy sitting with a brew and a paper magazine.
I was going to cancel my STW magazine and just go digital, as much to stop stockpiling as finding it less relevant as I've gotten into my senior years 😔
Several magazines, loads of books and the occasional Sunday newspaper. I find reading via an actual physical item far more satisfying than reading on a tablet or phone.
Proper books and magazines also hold my attention far more than online articles do.
I still buy lots of books,CBA with Kindle.
Old Bike Mart
The Guardian on most Thursday and Fridays.
Occasionally the Observer, but its often disappointing.
Private Eye ,Classic Bike and the New Scientist if passing through an airport or station.
Singletrack, obvs.
I have a Guardian digital subscription, but at the weekend I do like getting a physical printed copy. Guardian on a Saturday, Observer on a Sunday.
It’s part of the weekend ritual. Getting buttery fingerprints on it while eating toast and flicking through the foody section of recipes I’ll never cook
Books. I’m reading Bob Mortimers biography at the moment. It’s very good
Just Singletrack now
And books occasionally at Christmas (mostly maths/sciencey type). Can't beat the feel of them, and the smell.
Did have a sub to another mag that started out as a Kickstarter by guys that quit Future/Dennis, but now that's sold on to a big publishing house, I let it lapse.
Have considered some e-Subs (eg some kind of maker "magazine" for inspiration) but whenever I've looked at electronic versions before, everything just goes in to the big "must get around to it" inbox, and never comes out. At least Singletrack paper copy I can read 1 story each time I go for a dump.
STW is the only mag I subscribe to now.
Throughout the '80s and '90s it was
Scootering/Scooter Scene
Custom Car/Street Machine
Used to be an avid book reader but now it's more Netflix and beer in the evenings
Switched back to paper with books and magazines.
Just feels better. You can lose yourself and are not distracted in the same way.
Currently reading Dissolution by CJ Sansom. I’m hooked. Several other books lined up.
Subscribe to When Saturday Comes. Still a football fan. Love their take on football at all levels.
Love Groundtastic ( Football Grounds)- an anoraks delight…. I won’t deny it. Will buy when doing a groundhop weekend. I’ve done 357 grounds. Sofar.
Ocassionally read The Economist, Private Eye and the New Statesman.
Subscribe to the Cyclist and Singletrack (Sentimental reasons mainly) . Some of my best times have been mountain biking.
Very rarely buy a physical paper now.
I’m reading Bob Mortimers biography at the moment. It’s very good
So am I! And yes it is.
Read the The Satsuma Complex first, and then moved on to this.
Viz and the Road Rat.
Eyesight becoming an issue for viz...
Tend to subscribe to one physical mag a year -especially if they have a nice freebie on offer - this year its Guitarist as they had a qood quality Ernie Ball strap which was basically worth 2/3 or the sub price. Last year it was PC Pro with a free pair of excellent Austrian Audio headphones which were worth more than the sub price and I was going to buy anyway!
After a year of a magazine it gets a bit samey.
The mag I've bought more than any other is probably STW unsurprisingly, either as a sub or single issues but I've just got bored with it now - I'm not really into the gear anymore as its all stupid money now, just happy with what I have and there is only so much I want to read about other people riding bikes.....
I buy A LOT of books - both new and used. Hate using a kindle though my wife swears by it. I tried and really didn't like it.
But then I tend to listen to vinyl and CDs as well over streaming - I just feel you concentrate more on what you are doing when using physical media over digital content of any description.
Ah yes, memberships, I’d forgotten about the Cycling UK magazine, whatever it’s called. I wish they wouldn’t produce it, I never read it.
Forgot about this one too! Also the BMC one and we get the odd National Trust thing through. As above they either get skimmed or straight in the recycling. The main entertainment from the Cycling UK one is in wondering how they consistently manage to make it so uninteresting.
Singletrack!
Wired (USA)
PsittaScene [sic]
occasional copies of Private Eye
loads of comics including 2000AD & Judge Dredd Megazine [sic]
like a few folks already, lots of physical books
SO gets gardener’s world, BBC history
Edit - I forgot the National Trust magazine
otherwise I read film magazines (total film, empire, SFX) and others online through the city library’s subscription on BorrowBox.
I've got subscriptions to Singletrack and The Week. I occasionally buy Private Eye.
Books from my local 2nd hand bookstore
Same. Very rarely do I buy new.
Geographical magazine.
Mum gets my kids Phoenix magazine and they get heaps of 4x4, Mx and mtb mags from the local library.
None. Have a copy of Bike mag that I bought around eight years back on an airport, not had a book or paper since. Books only on Kindle. Pretty much ditched all TV/radio for streaming too.
Only other magazines are those that come with a membership to something else. I read physical books but we still have an old fashioned thing in town called a "library" so I tend to get them from there.
I've subscribed to SFX for a decade or more. I should probably cancel it, but then I installed a magazine rack next to the bog a couple of weeks back so...
I do have a Kindle. I’m considering upgrading to a Paperwhite so I can read in bed
The regular Kindle has a lit display now. You don't need a Paperwhite, just one that was made in the last few years. I have I think a 6th gen Paperwhite, my partner a 9th or 10th gen Kindle, they're virtually identical.
Cyclist mag. Bought number one and subscribed. Got them all. Apart from the odd bit of STW and CUK it is the only media I look at. Apart from non fiction book that is.
Got years of cycling mags in the attics, literally a 12 foot high stack of Land Rover mags, nearly a complete set of Mountain, over a complete set of On the Edge and all the little TBM mags. Can't bring myself to bin them although the LR ones could go.
A screen is not the same and doesn't lend itself to casual browsing or reading in the garden.
The regular Kindle has a lit display now. You don’t need a Paperwhite, just one that was made in the last few years
Good to know, thanks.