The, used to be, CTC magazine.

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meic
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by meic »

I used to look forward to the CTC mag dropping through my door. Latest issue arrived yesterday. I don't know why I bothered opening it.

I didnt (open it) and I too did (really look forward to reading it once).
I dont know if it is because the mag has changed or that I have been cycling long enough that there is nothing interesting left to be written or read in a mag aimed at everybody at all levels.

I am also of the mind that touring is a longer endeavour than going to town, a trip in the woods or any other day trip, but this is the 21st Century and expectations have to be lowered.
Yma o Hyd
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robgul
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by robgul »

.... and going back to a definition .... howzabout:

Cycle touring is to ride a bicycle for days, weeks, months or even years as you travel through countryside, towns and cities - even countries.

! ! ! ! is here to support and encourage members with resources, shared experiences and the inspiration to have fun touring on a bicycle . . and more!


This is the text from a printed leaflet . . . .

Rob
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
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PH
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by PH »

bigjim wrote: stating that it is full of touring articles, rather than just facing up and admit that it's focus lies elsewhere. As you pointed out, re market forces.
One does wonder what the robust defenders agenda is?
Cheers for the reply. I shall move on.

So lets have a look at the magazine, but first let us start with a definitian of touring, not yours, not mine, how about CJs? He seems to embody everything people thought good about CTC that they feel has been lost, so here it is:
Touring has no need of a precise definition. Vague is good. It's about what's going on in your head and being more interested in your surroundings than in the cycling.

So the magazine
Interesting editorial, but not much about touring.
2 page great picture from the Welsh Cycling Festival and a bit of info about it, if you don't think the WCF has anything to do with touring you've obviously never been, you should it's a great weekend.
page of guff from the CEO and page about the Big Bike revival - I'm interested in this, but it's not touring.
page about what's going on in Wales, the off road access is relevant to many who go off road touring
page of campaigning news, safer lorries would be better for everyone and the train carriage very relevant for cycle touring
2 pages flogging raffle tickets - yawn
page of product news, most of those look like they'd interest some touring cyclist
Pedal review - not interested
front rack review - Not touring? What?
Mini V brake review - one of the most talked about tech subjects here, definitely of interest to some tourers
Book reviews, the biggest one the E2E - no touring interest?
range of letters
Something about the chairman leaving
Members bike review - his search for a comfortable touring bike
The off road Welsh touring article you don't like, I've just glanced at it and it makes me want to go
Long piece about Leicester facilities, i can see that not everyone would be interested but I am
Touring the Western Front
Q&As some subjects there of interest to tourers
Fat bike review - not interested
Hybrid review (Tested on tour) mildly interested
Another brake review, another subjest that keeps coming up on here - not of interest to tourers? You'd have to be kidding
Some membership and contacts stuff
Four great travelers tales, pure touring, I really like the family on the High Peak one.

You think it has no touring interest? And anyone who thinks it does has an agenda? Just what's yours?
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meic
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by meic »

if you don't think the WCF has anything to do with touring you've obviously never been, you should it's a great weekend.


I have been several times but it is something that I would class as a festival of day rides, mostly on home territory. I just cant see it as touring but that is because like BigJim I have a narrower definition of touring than CJ does.
Totally agree that it is a great (extended) weekend, just a pity it clashes with the New Forest Cycle Camping (not touring either) Week.
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PH
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by PH »

bigjim wrote:
For someone who takes offence so easily, you certainy don't mind being offensive, that'll be me you're calling untruthful, something I doubt you'd do to my face so why do you think it's OK on a forum?

I don't take offence easily. I said that there next to no touring content. You come back and say there is. So you are saying I was being untruthful. Bit hypocritical are'nt you? Don't give it out if you can't take it back. I'm quite prepared to back it up face to face. No problem. How about you? PM me we can arrange.
Even Philip Benstead had to admit there was hardly anything in it. That includes even changing the definitions.


Well I've just demonstrated page by page why I think it has, you don't have to agree of course, but to call me untruthful with an agenda is simply wrong.
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bigjim
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by bigjim »

PH wrote:
bigjim wrote:
For someone who takes offence so easily, you certainy don't mind being offensive, that'll be me you're calling untruthful, something I doubt you'd do to my face so why do you think it's OK on a forum?

I don't take offence easily. I said that there next to no touring content. You come back and say there is. So you are saying I was being untruthful. Bit hypocritical are'nt you? Don't give it out if you can't take it back. I'm quite prepared to back it up face to face. No problem. How about you? PM me we can arrange.
Even Philip Benstead had to admit there was hardly anything in it. That includes even changing the definitions.


Well I've just demonstrated page by page why I think it has, you don't have to agree of course, but to call me untruthful with an agenda is simply wrong.

Nonsense! Note you say you think it has. I think differently. There is one touring article. The Welsh thing is an off road ride in the hills for a TV programme. I'd do that as well but I'm aware it's a bike ride not touring. You are in denial. Even the publishers have dumped the touring from the title. I can now accept it is no longer a touring magazine. Beyond me why you can't.
But your choice, your life. If you are happy with it good for you. I'm moving on.
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meic
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by meic »

Having now had a look at the magazine, I have to say that I consider four days from Brecon to Snowdon to class as touring. Even if they had a task, serious back up crew, took some days by van and stayed in accommodation rather than tents.
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bigjim
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by bigjim »

meic wrote:Having now had a look at the magazine, I have to say that I consider four days from Brecon to Snowdon to class as touring. Even if they had a task, serious back up crew, took some days by van and stayed in accommodation rather than tents.

Whatever. If it makes you happy. Bored with it now.
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by PH »

An African Adventure, not touring?
Family camping on the High Peak Trail, not touring?
Birthday Rides, not touring?
Welsh festival, not touring?
Western front, that's the only one...
And despite the film crew, it's hard to see how anyone could dismiss the Welsh ride as not touring
Has the magazine ever only been touring reports? I doubt it.
I've listed the other things in it I think of interest to tourers, which do you disagree with?

You'd obviously decided you didn't like it before it came through your letterbox, how sad.
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by PH »

robgul wrote:! ! ! ! is here to support and encourage members with resources, shared experiences and the inspiration to have fun touring on a bicycle . . and more! [/size]


Let's hope someone who puts exclamation marks at the front of a sentence never gets to edit a magazine. :evil:
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robgul
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by robgul »

PH wrote:
robgul wrote:! ! ! ! is here to support and encourage members with resources, shared experiences and the inspiration to have fun touring on a bicycle . . and more! [/size]


Let's hope someone who puts exclamation marks at the front of a sentence never gets to edit a magazine. :evil:


The !!! were there in lieu of the name of the organisation that produced the leaflets - putting X X X X may have implied "adult" content :wink:

Rob
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steady eddy
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by steady eddy »

For what its worth I thought the most recent magazine was dull. For comparison I looked online at the same issue for 2009 but it isn't easy to compare, as each article is a separate pdf and going through them all would have taken all morning. I am not sure that there was much more touring in it though. Surely the real problem here is that we hanker after something that doesn't exist.We (I) want a good touring based magazine with the graphic quality of Urban Cyclist.

Whilst scanning a magazine stand in Holland recently, I spotted a German magazine dedicated just to touring. Unfortunately my German is limited to ordering food and train tickets and saying please and thank you, but it did look interesting. Presumably the market there is much bigger.
Some of us remember the old newspaper version of cycling world and excellent Bicycle magazine edited by the late Richard Balantyne. Full of interesting articles and not product promotionals. Is that what we want now in place of the endlessly sportive orientated magazines. Or perhaps an expanded version of cycling weekly with some touring in it. Now that might be worth buying

The problem I guess is that cycle touring doesn't shift volume when it comes to magazine sales. The occasional and online only Bicycle Traveller is a good read and beautifully presented, but just how many articles can you read, or even more importantly sell in a magazine,which describe the progress of a cyclist, before they all merge in to one. For a comparison, try reading Arrivee the well presented magazine of Audax UK. I am just starting to consider Audaxing, but I am not sure that I can absorb endless accounts of events that I haven't been to, or suffering which I haven't undertaken. Its the same in any niche market. So much information is available online now, that the written word sold on paper and without a heavy reliance on adverts and product promotion, is becoming a thing of the past. There are endless touring blogs like Crazy Guy on a Bike or stuff like the Washingmachine Post which have now taken the place of paper copy. The world is changing and we have to go with it.
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Si
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by Si »

meic wrote:Having now had a look at the magazine, I have to say that I consider four days from Brecon to Snowdon to class as touring. Even if they had a task, serious back up crew, took some days by van and stayed in accommodation rather than tents.


Quite so....it was simply going from place to place on a bike, looking at the scenery, etc. The whole point of the film crew was to film an off road cycle tour.


I am also of the mind that touring is a longer endeavour than going to town, a trip in the woods or any other day trip, but this is the 21st Century and expectations have to be lowered.


I guess, to an extent, it's about how you do it rather than what you do. If I do a ride into the city centre to work via my normal route then I'd probably class it as a commute, but if I change the route (still going to work) to look at places I've not seen before or ride through new parks, etc....I'd class that as touring as it's going somewhere new to see new things by bike.
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by merseymouth »

Hello there, The thing that annoys me most about the magazine is the basic fact that it is the mouthpiece of the "New Order Charity Status mob!
They can only write the word "Bike", even when a person with even my poor education can spot when a machine has more or less that two wheels!
The Cyclist's Touring Club is for cyclists, not merely Bicyclists!
Narrow minded thinking & writing by folk who do not like being pulled up over sloppy utterances.
Not worth my cancelling my 5 year membership, but I will certainly not be renewing it!
My stable of machines includes machines that are stable, not merely fall over types. Tricycles outnumber my Bicycles, but that is because I'm a true cyclist.
TTFN MM
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Philip Benstead
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Re: The, used to be, CTC magazine.

Post by Philip Benstead »

BTW we are CYCLISTS' TOURING CLUB
Philip Benstead | Life Member Former CTC Councillor/Trustee
Organizing events and representing cyclists' in southeast since 1988
Bikeability Instructor/Mechanic
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