It's sad to learn that the best print mountain bike magazine in the business is closing its doors. Dirt Magazine announced that its parent company, Factory Media, is ceasing production of the print title. The details are on dirtmountainbike.com, which will remain. Shed a tear because the day has finally come where marketing-filled Instagram posts and viral crash videos out-value in-depth, soulful, printed material you have to pay a couple bucks to read. Mike Rose, you and everyone at Dirt have made mountain biking unforgettable for me and without Dirt, I know I wouldn't be where I am today. Thank you for your dedication. -gordo
rikroach
4/3/2015 5:28 PM
Rockstar Racing established 1996
3/31/2015 3:14 PM
esstinkay
3/31/2015 12:21 PM
jeff.brines
3/31/2015 9:54 AM
ScottStedman
3/31/2015 10:32 AM
Comparing a magazine to Instagram posts and crash videos isn't really fair. There is plenty of amazing, "magazine quality" content on PB and Vital; reviews, interviews, product tests, photo-epics, etc., and it comes more quickly (PB usually posts interviews and photo dumps like..... maximum two hours after a race or event finishes), and it's free.
This isn't some stupid sign of the "good ol' days gone to pass forever" so much as it's just a sign that more people own iPads. Why would you want the "pendulum to swing back the other way" to print media that's still just as full of advertising, costs more, and takes a month to get the information to you? That's just pointless.
jeff.brines
3/31/2015 10:42 AM
Completely missing my point.
Its about quality over quantity. About a *story* over a *stunt*. I know majority of Vital readers love the story and drama behind the sport. I do. And Vital does an excellent job bringing it to fruition. But the fact is there is a large amount of marketing dollars chasing "flash". Chasing style over substance. Who see more value in a sponsored instagram post or "viral" video than they do supporting a magazine that encourages in depth real journalism.
ScottStedman
3/31/2015 11:01 AM
Both Vital and PB support and actively pursue in-depth real journalism. I didn't read Dirt but judging by the other comments here, it seems like the content quality went to shit and that's the primary reason everyone stopped renewing their subscriptions, not because they'd rather just masturbate and scroll through Instagram.
Your point was that people care about Instagram and stupid things more than they care about quality content, and what I was saying is that those are not the same things. You're comparing apples to oranges. You can still find that quality content on PB and Vital.
jeff.brines
3/31/2015 11:12 AM
So wait, you are commenting on something you didn't even read?
To add, you are right, I am comparing two entirely different things. That is precisely my point. However what *is* the same is the amount of marketing dollars in the sport. That pie doesn't magically get bigger as new advertising avenues and platforms are born.
And when a fair amount of those dollars are going to something other than quality photos, articles and stories etc often found in a rag like Dirt and instead go to something like Instagram, an attempt at a viral video or (in other ad sports) picking up the hottest/newest "athlete model", the resource strain cannot support it all and something has to go. In this case, it was Dirt - other times - its a quality athlete. But the result is the same - Jeff gets bummed and I ponder what the youth will get inspired by. Moer filters on an instapost? But I digress...
sspomer
3/31/2015 11:17 AM
jeff.brines
3/31/2015 11:34 AM
lev
3/31/2015 9:47 AM
Bigburd
3/31/2015 10:33 AM
TimBud
3/31/2015 10:37 AM
I thought exactly the same thing.
Dirt's loss is BikePark Wales' gain
kev.1n
3/31/2015 9:34 AM
I grew up ready DIRT... I've had my nose in an issue since I was 12. A lot of those articles, (my favorite was when peaty won world champs in Canberra) really allowed me to fall in love with mountain biking, a lot of those articles also inspired me to go ride a bike and to pursue a profession in journalism.... The boys at dirt out did themselves throughout the years and in my eyes, were the best at what they did.
I really hope this is the closing of one door and the opening of another, I know dirt will continue to deliver some of the best content in mountain biking. Cheers guys
Ahab
3/31/2015 9:28 AM
JimEG
3/31/2015 7:28 AM
unskilled
3/31/2015 7:20 AM
Startgas
3/30/2015 10:33 PM
Do you really believe that it is bacause people dont wanna spend the money? I had a subscription for dirt magazine for a year but didnt renew it. IMO it was just loads of bullshit. Articles that was so hard to read that I higly doubt I ever made it trough a single one. And i'm pretty sure i'm not the only one.
Edit: with that said, I would probably subscribe if Pinkbike did a printed magazine.
Colin McCarthy
3/30/2015 11:06 PM
Startgas
3/31/2015 12:46 AM
Hahah, not as far as i now.
Colin McCarthy
3/31/2015 2:53 AM
TimBud
3/31/2015 2:09 AM
Have got every single copy and never had an issue reading them...
Although the content and subscriber service did go downhill when FactoryMedia took over.
They've probably already tried, but I really hope another publisher will take them on.
shutter2ride
3/31/2015 7:47 AM
Bigburd
3/31/2015 10:40 AM
Dirt mag went to shit for me when Enduro come along , it used to have great write ups with a kind of behind the scenes look into the WC DH scene.
Since this enduro craze , well actually when AM was the tug word , Dirts DH content got diluted with reviews of AM/Enduro bikes and losing , what to me , was the one thing that made Dirt unique and the best , being a DH mag with a splattering of 4x ,MX/SX and some BMX.
shutter2ride
3/31/2015 10:48 AM
Colin McCarthy
3/31/2015 11:01 AM