What's happening with the tri mags?

I think there pretty good but they often dont have that much in them so you end up reading them in about 2 days, I would rather use podcasts and websites as they are free and weekly.

I like Tri 220, but to be honest alot are very simular

Andy

Ok, heres my rant on the state of the UK tri mag market ....

All of the UK tri mags are a joke - just expensive comics - full of advertisements.

I'm a huge fan of Triathlete - its always full of great articles on races, training, nutrition the whole lot basically. They have some very knowledgeable & talented contributors such as Mark Allen & Matt Fitzgerald.

Just read the latest Inside Triathlon - in their new "coffee table" style. Pretty good, with some sound articles.

Both of these put the aforementioned UK comics to shame.

I'd recommend subscribing to the stateside mags everytime.

Rant over....love your work guys.

Mark

Not a comment on this week's discussion but big ups to Bevan - having murdered the pronunciation of so many peoples' names over the years, he's absolutely surpassed himself with the name of a reasonably big English town - it's at 31m 32s in this week's show - "Loughborough" University comes out as something like "Lungs-berg" (I think it's meant to be "Luff-brah").

Kia kaha, John (the Mountain Snail)

I love my Triathlete Magazine. I enjoy reading about the pros, getting new training advice, LOVE the BIKE and GEAR PORN, and helps me with planning races. I don't like reading about the exterra stuff.

Triathlete are launching a UK version, may give it a shot, probably not though as I get all the best info from the show. Well that was until the Newsom come back show...No mention of Lanza, about 1/2 a dozen 70.3's missed and worst of all the fantastic new Rev3 race. The coverage was fantastic, 4 different cameras with picture in picture!

Full race just launched, great prize money for age groupers as well as pros. Hopefully taking off what the 101 series couldn't manage.

Agree the UK mags, 220 and a whole lot of new bandwagon mags are tailored to the beginner, with contradictory articles each month. Swimming - use toys, next month don't etc.

I'm off on 3 weeks holiday so I'm going to have to miss posting on the blog.

Can I give a big up to Athlinks and Tribuys as I've just won a Timex watch, I was gunning for the wetsuit but I'm sure its nothing to do with the postage to the UK ;~)

Kia Kaha!!!

I like reading both triathlon magazines available in the US--Triathlete Magazine and Inside Triathlon. Both magazines have been around for a long time--15-20 years+. The only thing that concerns me is that (as in other industries) both magazines were purchased by the same private equity firm (similar to WTC & NAS Ironman). Although the company has tried to keep the publications separate and with different content and styles, it concerns me that the news and information provided to the readers is essentially coming from the same source. They can say the publications are separate and have completely different editorial staffs, but ownership is the same--which, in my mind, can lead to a similar message, style of reporting and, ultimately, the same prevailing politics, meaning there is not discenting voice and/or opinion. In fact, the focus of the most recent Triathlete was essentially the same focus as a regional publication (Competitor Magazine) which is also owned by the same company. The articles and shoe reviews were essentially the same! That can never be good. Nonetheless, I like receiving my subscriptions each month and will read the magazines front to back. It will be interesting to see how the two magazines evolve being owned by the same company. I'm sure they will be spun off and sold sometime in the next few years, a result of the private equity firm strategies in every other industry.

I was involved in 220 Magazine in the early days (twenty years ago) when it was very much a fanzine and a lot of fun catering to the hard core that made up most of the sport in those days. However it didn't really make any money. Magazines that are run by the big publishing houses have to cater to their markets. The major market in triathlon these days isn't the serious athlete but the 'have a go Jo types' and so magazines tend to reflect that with their 'low brow' approach. Personally these days I like V02 max here in NZ and web based stuff for the more in depth approach.

I totally agree with the other guys, UK magazines are dire ! I recently purchased the first issue of Triathlon Plus, according to the cover "164 pages of Advice and Expertise" - Hmm..... forgot to mention that 60 of those pages were adverts !

Well remember Ken and the early 220 magazines, those same pre-internet magazines got me into the sport, kept me informed and helped me develop as an athlete.

For light reading whilst travelling, magazines are fine. However, I prefer to save my money and purchase a decent book - Still waiting for the John Newsom coaching edition though !

Triathlete was brilliant for a while in the mid 80's. They had a great approach to race coverage where they simply told a great story. They set the scene about the race and the competing athletes, and you pretty much didn't know who had won until the last line of the article. I couldn't wait for each edition.

Then I guess some proper journalists turned up and said, 'that's not how you report news, you've got to tell them everything in the first paragraph', and it became as compelling as reading the Financial Times. So by 1990 I'd given on the triathlon press! Have I missed much?

Regarding Bevan's Loughborough pronunciation (normally luff-brah) it's not the worst I've heard. I was once approached by an aussie looking for directions to loo-gar-ba-roo-gar. That took some interpreting I can tell you.

I don't buy them as I think they're a waste of money. In my opinion, there is not enough quality content to justify the price. Technical info, race results and comment is all available on line. Very last century. My hard earned money is better spent elsewhere.

Have bought a couple of kiwi ones (can't remember their names ) and in airports when traveling and in need of something to read but have been disappointed so i just don't buy them.

who needs magazines when you have the internet?

I agree, they are a waste of money, you never get any real good content out of them! I do every now and then buy the Mens Health mag, as it does have some goods tips on food to eat and core work to do at gym, but otherwise i'm sticking to the internet and IMtalk podcasts!

There was a time when I'd grab my Triathlete Magazine out of the mailbox, carry it straight to the couch and read it cover to cover. These days it tends to sit on the coffee table for a while before I get around to flipping through it. Wouldn't take as long to read now, I suppose, considering quite a bit of it seems to be ads and gear reviews.

"The Running Man"

I have to agree...I used to love getting the mag in the mailbox...the last time it was pour'n rain and the mag was wet and I could care less (insert yawn)...now if it was my Procycling Mag well then I'd beat the mailman for letting that happen...

I'm so tired of see'n the same ad over and over and over and then bike reviews that talk about the product that was in the ad...aggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh