rideukbmx.com, december 2008: Tom Blyth is our cover model, taken on a recent trip to Malaga with the FBM team.
Bart de Jong, www.fatbmx.com, december 2008: It feels like the last three issues of RIDE UK arrived within a 5 week span. Rutger Pauw's covershot was amazing and then it was Kye Forte's cover for # 122 and before we could review them we received issue 123, the January 2009 issue. Magazine covers do get released by the publishers so early that I'm not sure it does make sense to review a magazine after they've shown the content (list) online a few weeks ago. It kind of feels like they want to show they've got the job done a.s.a.p. but it takes a few weeks before the mag arrives at the subscribers'. Now that Paul's Boutique has stopped carrying magazines (they used to receive the mags a bit earlier), I'll have to rely on my copy to get in the mail before I can review it. Anyway, as you understand I haven't read the whole mag yet but if we would wait until that happens, we're even a few days further down the calendar before posting a review. Here's what's inside # 123:
Regulars:
-Dirtbox
-UK News
-USA News
-Marv's Disposable Life
-Tom Blyth's Agonising Top Fives
-Video Player: Newrick Vs Cox
-Video Box
-Industry: Federal
-Frameworks
-Hardware
-Bike Test: Complete with colour-coordinated test pilot, RIDE takes a Stolen Sinner V2 through its paces
-Ever wanted to design your own pair of NIKE kicks?
-Informer: Shaun Hadlington (not Shaun Egglington or Jay Eggleston)
-Informer: Bruza
-Weekender: Zeal Distribution's first B-day jam
-Pro Bike: Leo Forte
-Pro Bike: Matt Roe
-Parkwarden: Cleethorpes
-20 questions: Gary Young
-How-To: Cement. Knock up muck youth!
-WTF: Dre
-WTF: Stan
-Letters
-Head to head: Burns Vs Castle
-Final Frame
And that's only half of it.
Features:
52: Bunny Warehouse
56: FBM's Ghetto Big Air Challenge
66: A to Z on filming
76: SLC
88: Megatour 8 with TCU
98: China
112: DSAB KNOB tour
118: The Chapmans
Worth $ 7.50? Definitely.
Harry Main harsh bank street flair, Bristol on the cover. Photo by Chris Hill-Scott.
Foreword.
UK and US news.
James Cox's fives.
On the spot with an emotionally void Mike Taylor.
Video player: Tom Bright on a rare Northern Dry Spell.
Video box.
Hey Jack, what the hell is DUB?
Industry: The Real Zeal.
Frameworks.
Hardware.
Bike test: Dodging bird shit on a United Supreme SU3.
Dakota Roche.
Ricky Feather.
Dennis Enarson.
Tom Blyth.
Tom Sanders.
Tom Forster.
Davey Watson.
Tate Roskelly.
George Boyd.
Harry Main.
Alex Kennedy.
Pro bikes: Alex Kennedy's Fit Eddie and Harry Main's Mirraco Blend Lite.
Weekender: DUB jam Chester, Nike Banksgiving jams, Unit13 jam Belfast, BSD 'Lets go buelling' jam.
20 questions: Bret Walker.
How to feeble grind.
Letters.
Final frame.
rideukbmx.com, january 2009: The Interview Issue - With interviews with Dakota Roche, Ricky Feather, Dennis Enarson, Tom Blyth, Tom Sanders, Tom Forster, Davey Watson, Tate Roskelly, George Boyd, Alex Kennedy and Harry Main!
Bart de Jong, www.fatbmx.com, march 2009: Believe it or not but I just typed up a RIDE UK review that took me 45 minutes. I went through the whole list in the mag. Page by page. When I wanted to upload it, the fucking back-office ran out of time and automatically logged out. I normally play it save by copying the text before hitting the upload button but this time I did not. I was going to forget about the whole damn review but basically I had no one to blame but myself. I am now well aware of what's inside the latest RIDE UK mag. For those who think it's a bike check issue with 22 British Role Models I'm 100% sure they haven't read it all. There is so much more than that. The short little interviews of various types with Mitch Yates, Jason Phelan, The Count, Tony Hamlin, Jordan Utley, Charlie Jobling, Dave Jacobs, and Jon Edwards are just the beginning. 164 pages of BMX in total. The main articles are about the Role Models, a BlackOut Distro trip, Josh Bedford interview, and a Profile trails mission. But then we haven't mentioned the contest report (Simpel Session), Informer (Jon Gorrigan), and bike checks with Max Gaertig and Cookie yet. Some spot checks follow and also a 20 Questions article with Corey Martinez. A Superman how-to, letter section and Final Frame wrap up the issue. I'm not done with it yet. It will go in my hand luggage on my next trip. Plenty left to read. After that, you can test me on this issue.
Greg Short, 20negative.com, march 2009: In a climate where the printed word is rapidly dying in favour of websites and blogs, you'd think that the magazines would be trying there hardest to bring you somehing fresh, something new, something errrr cool? Apparently not. Apparently they would rather re-use bike checks from previous issues *cough*Harry Main*cough* THEN add 25 new ones! 26 bike checks in one magazine? HOLY SHIT. Way to sell magazines. If this is the best content they can come up with, is it a supprise that no one is buying it and people would rather read something on there computer screen? So bike checks aside there is another more glaring problem. Who's your role model? Martin Luther King? Jeremy Kyle? Harry Main? Jesus? Axl Rose? The Iron Sheik (sorry Dye)?! A grown man riding a childs bike? Umm what? Yup, apparently your role model is likely one of the 22 faces on the cover? I only know who 3 of these people are and as much as I enjoy watching them ride bikes and shaking my head in disbelief at there amazing aerial gymanstics, they are certainly not my role-models or any body else I know. These 22 people on the cover are probably awesome people, but role model is a serious leap from bike rider and I'm not even going into the lack of a Jamie Bestwick picture! Too old maybe? Plus you're shit out of luck if your role model is not from the UK! Too foreign maybe? God forbid your role model happens to be of a different race, I wouldnt even bother looking! The magazine industry is crumbling and people aren't buying. Maybe these industry types should look at there own content instead of moaning about the internet destroying there business? I'm aware people are gonna be pissed off that I have chosen to highlight Ride UK but the rest of the magazines out there are no better, its just that this issue really highlights whats wrong with the 'industry' right now. Old un-original content and a lack of fresh ideas.
Nike 6.0/Fit rider Alex Kennedy has scored his first cover of Ride with a toboggan while on the Fit Olde English trip to Greece.
Simplicity, Rob Dolecki’s last article with Ride UK. This one is all about simplicity of a riding photo…
Is The Come Up Gay? The guy everyone loves to hate, Adam from The Come Up’s story of their roadtrip to Gay capital of America, San Fransisco.
The Fit Olde English took a trip to Athens last month and Editor Steve Bancroft went along for the ride. 14 pages on a proper roadtrip here…
A magazine about websites? Streetphire and Federal took a little trip round the UK, all shot by H-man.
Full article on the upcoming release of One More Brew. We’ll also have a web feature up on that Monday…
Robin Fenlon, www.fatbmx.com, april 2009: Here is a brief summary of what's inside RIDE UK issue 127..."Paul Ryan, Liverpool’s latest wonderkid has a full interview. Corey Martinez, Ian Morris and James Cox document the current status of the filming for ‘This is United’. John Dye took the Bicycle Union crew to mainland europe once again, but this time went tit for tat with the Movment crew from the South West England. James Newrick has been busy in the North, working away on an interview with Newcastle rider, The Count. Meanwhile, further from out shores, our new staff photographer Walter Pieringer spent some time in Thailand with Chris Doyle, Aaron Ross, Brian Kachinski and Gary Young. We also have an assortment of regulars including Geoff Slattery, Sergio Layos, Matt Roe, Jason Phelan, Peter Adam, Mike the Mangler, George Boyd, Max Wood plus more…"
Jason Phelan on the cover.
Portfolio: Walter Pieringer
UK Street Aesthetics: What make all these drab, grey images so intriguing?
Large Format: Small bikes, big cameras...
Hand in Hand: Riding and photography
Behind the Scenes: Behind the images on The Come Up's Texas trip
Indiscriminate Shooting: A random selection from the worlds greatest BMX photographers
Retrospective: The best of Rob Dolecki
Painting with light: A celebration of electromagnetic radiation.
rideukbmx.com, june 2009: Gracing the cover is Fit rider Ben Lewis 40-60 grinding the rail at Arsenal football ground in North London. Shot by Benson.
This issue is packed with old and new. One of the most compelling articles we’ve ever run, The Rise and Fall of Stephen Murray, is a full interview with Stephen post crash. It’s deep. We also have interviews with new school rider Ty Morrow and cult UK rider Ben Lewis as well as the character that is Tony Hamlin. Banners took a trip to the Czech Republic with the newly reformed DC team and captured their adventures. Kink hit up Arizona again with KC Badger, Sean Sexton, Tony Halmin and co.
If you live in the UK, you’ll also get a free 4Down poster with every issue!
Mutiny Bikes Tom ‘Robbo’ Robinson is on the cover riding a very US looking curved wall that’s actually in the UK, that’s shot by George Marshall.
Deeper inside we have the usual regulars which are occupied by Scott Ditchburn, Ty Morrow, Justin Simpson, Ryan Jordan, Profile Racing, Ben Green, Tom Free, Jurt Rasmusson, Luke Towey, Ashley Charles, Chicken, Dakota Roche, Tom Blyth, Niki Croft and Alex Platt.
Features inside are as follows!
How to ride a flat ledge with Aaron Ross and Nathan Williams
Vans UK on Let it Ride
Proper UK en Français
Daytripping with Mutiny
Kevin Kiraly Interview
Kurt Rasmusson Informer
Luke Towey Informer
Tom Sanders, rideukbmx.com, september 2009, cover story: The photo was taken at Boothferry park which is the old stadium home of the Tigers (Hull City FC). It’s now run down with the pitch as wasteland and the stands ripped up. We orginally went there to go up onto the roof for blyth to do a whip there and for George to get some photos of the stadium. As we were leaving I pointed the wallride out to George to see if it was worth shooting. I pulled it first time but then went and did it afew more goes to see if i could get it beter until George was happy with the photo, ha. We didnt have a clue if it was going to come out as George shot it on film.
rideukbmx.com, september 2009: A full issue packed with everything that went down on this years Ride to Glory with team Vans, Odyssey, Shadow Conspiracy, Profile and the winners of the trip, Wethepeople! Mounted for free on the cover of every issue is the Ride to Glory DVD featuring ten minute edits from all the above teams.
Bas Keep at the old Sadberge reservoir during the Red Bull Reservoir Dogs project on the cover.
Sebastian Keep, rideukbmx.com, october 2009, cover story: Hennon, Lacey and I spent a couple of days in Newcastle riding the Sadberge reservoir and Nathan Beddows came long to take some snaps. I remember Beddows saying he was really stoked on the photos and a few weeks later he told me i made the cover!
Steve Bancroft, rideukbmx.com, january 2010: As the editor of Ride, November’s issue is the best magazine I’ve worked on. From the obscene front cover story to the savage realities of life in Iraq, from the crazy world of Ben Hennon to the grace of the Oakley Trails Tour – everything about this issue is great. The quality of journalism, the diversity of the content and the strength of the subjects involved all combined to make this, in my eyes, the most well balanced mag of 2009. Issue 133 is a celebration of the shear awesomeness and diversity of BMX and I’m proud to put my name to it and I’m proud of everyone who made it happen. Here’s to 2010 – It’s gonna be a challenge, but I’m pretty sure we can better 133…
rideukbmx.com: On the cover: Paul Ryan, massive late-night tuck nohand down the bombed-out church set in Liverpool. Along with the likes of Jason Phelan, Scott Ditchburn, Bengo and Ben Lewis – Paul is at the forefront of a new wave of Liverpool biased street riders who are pushing the boundaries of UK street riding on a daily basis. One of our chief photographers and Fit Bikes rider, Dan Benson travelled to the culture capital to spend some time with this band of young pioneers, and with so much talent on tap his trigger finger was kept super busy and subsequently this issue is peppered with his catch.
Complete Carnage: With this being the time of year when companies drop their shiny new product ranges, we figured it would be as good a time as any to check out a selection of 2010 complete bikes. But rather than just shoot the product in a studio and write the same tired PR spiel, we decided to give them a real thrashing at the hands of a haggard band of test rider misfits. 10 brand new complete bikes + 5 notoriously ratty riders = the potential for complete carnage.
Nike 6.0 Tunnel Jam: A dark, damp and dingy tunnel in deepest Hampshire is the last place you’d expect the cream of the world’s BMX talent to congregate. But Nike 6.0 pulled some strings and the disused Victorian hole in a hill was transformed into one of the most unique contest courses ever seen. We have a full report on what was the most anticipated event of the year.
The Holy Land: With his keen eye for a unique photo and charismatic way with words, our London based contributor, George Marshall set off on another sketchy adventure, this time to explore the world of BMX in the Middle East. Joe Fox, Richy Goff and Jonny J teamed up with a crew of Israeli riders to provide the action in this inspiring piece of journalism that gives National Geographic a run for it’s money.
Man O’War: Hidden deep off the beaten track of media rinsed spots – Man O’War trails is the unsuspecting location for this romanticized peek into the friendships, effort and dedication behind life in the woods.
The Lay-by Snack Chronicles: Burger stalls, ice-cream vans, sunshine and Union Jacks – The Source team celebrate the traditional UK summer with a trip along the coast.
Bart de Jong, www.fatbmx.com, november 2009: Last issue's RIDE cover was epic, but this one is worthy too. Paul Ryan had to pedal like crazy to clear this 14 stepper but not only that, he took off his hands too. All that at 11pm in Liverpool's darkness. Nice. This issue is bringing back the bike tests. 10 bikes go head to head and who's the winner? Find your issue and read it for yourself. The 6.0 Tunnel event took place weeks ago but finds its coverage in the new issue. Londoners make it to Israel to ride. Sounds pretty crazy and of course makes for a good story. To be honest I'd never heard of Andy Martinez before but he gets a proper interview in RIDE # 134. Tom Sanders gets one too. His starts on page 102. The Source guys went on a road trip and what's a magazine without a road trip report? The Cycle Show gets a page of coverage, Craig Passero receives a bio, so does Matt Burton. Bike checks this issue are with Nathan Williams and cover boy Paul Ryan. Say What!? with Corey Martinez and Skinny. You're getting the point, 180 pages of BMX for $ 8.50 (USD). Keeps you occupied for hours on a rainy day. And I heard there are some on the way...