Bicycling Magazine Subscription

Whether your thing is arts and crafts, home improvement, backpacking, riding motorcycles, or bicycling, there’s more than likely a magazine out there aimed specifically at you and your passion. In the case of us bicyclists, Rodale Press’ Bicycling magazine caters to our obsession. After all, what does a cyclist do when not out on the bike? We read about cycling, naturally.

At first glance, one could easily assume that Bicycling is a fitness magazine aimed at cyclists. Hardly an issue hits the newsstand that doesn’t have a cover screaming “Lose Ten Pounds in X-amount of days” or something similar, or “How to get faster,” or “how to climb better,” etc. And in many ways, it’s true. Selene Yeager, The Fit Chick, writes a monthly column about weight loss and ways to work out cycling-specific muscles to improve fitness and performance. Lance Armstrong’s coach, Chris Carmichael, also contributes each month, writing about ways to improve everything from bike handling to ways to increase stamina and speed.

In fact, at the moment, I’m reading an old article called “The Turbo Lunch: 7 Foods to put you in the Fast Lane.” Contributor Liz Applegate, Ph.D, details “the ultimate lunch” for cyclists to refuel after their morning ride (or to fuel up for an afternoon jaunt.)

On the other hand, to simply dismiss Bicycling as a mere fitness magazine is to do it a huge disservice. While there is very little news about the pro peloton, for instance (you’d need to subscribe to a publication such as Velo News for that,) the magazine does offer up very bicycling-specific features.

One of Bicycling’s main features over the last few years has been “Bike Town.” “Bike Town” involves giving away bikes to lucky individuals, usually in a non-bike-friendly city, and then following the winners’ progress. Often, these people end up shedding weight, saving on gas money by commuting to work and errands, and influencing their friends and co-workers to start riding. The stories are inspirational and motivational and fun to read—it’s cool to see other riders develop the same passion for the sport.

A yearly feature in Bicycling documents the “Best Cycling Cities in the U.S.” (and conversely, a list of the worst cycling cities in the country.) I’m proud to say that, since I live in Colorado, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder all routinely make the list, but often the list offers up a surprise, such as the bustling, dangerous New York City (who’d of thunk it? Personally, I’d be terrified to ride there.)

Of course, cyclists are always on the lookout for new gear and new bikes, and Bicycling doesn’t disappoint as it regularly tests and reviews the latest and greatest bikes and products, all with drool-inducing photos and descriptions. There are also ads-galore packed inside, featuring everything from bikes to components to accessories to things such as energy bars and drinks.

There have been some changes at Bicycling over the years, however, mainly regarding their sister publication, Mountain Bike. Mountain Bike started out as a quarterly, bonus insert to Bicycling, then Rodale published it as a monthly, stand alone mag as mountain biking grew in popularity. As road biking overtook mountain biking in this country (thank you, Lance Armstrong,) Mountain Bike was once again relegated to the backseat and reverted back to its status as a quarterly insert. As of now, Rodale has simply folded Mountain Bike, so a Bicycling subscription offers less bang for your buck than it did a couple years ago.

Bicycling is published 11 times a year, and right now costs $22.00 for a two-year subscription and $11.00 for a one-year subscription (delivery is included in both costs.) You can also check out certain columns and updates on their website, bicycling.com, where you’ll also get access to weekly blogs by The Fit Chick and others. I’d recommend using a combination of both a subscription and the website, simply because the magazine has features that you won’t find on the website.

All in all, a subscription to Bicycling is worth it for everybody from the recreational cyclist to somebody ready to take the sport to the next level and wanting to improve. Ultra-serious cyclists, especially seasoned racers, probably aren’t going to find much in here that they don’t already know (if, say, you already have a coach, Bicycling isn’t likely to help you much in the knowledge department.) However, if you fit into the above criteria, Bicycling can help your improve, and yes, lose weight. Who knows, read Bicycling enough, and you may just become a cyclist for life.