A cycling magazine was launched this week. Yes, another one! It’s like watching the Tour caravan crawl past, isn’t it? But I’ve warmed to this particular charabanc, because I’m surprised no one has already done something like it.
The bleak, monochrome fetishism of European cycling culture that we’ve come to expect from independent cycling titles are wholly absent from its pages. Like the world road race champion from whom the magazine takes its name, Simpson is identifiably British. It’s about the passions and peculiarities of cycling fans: the pro teams you’ve ridden for (but only in your head), the spur-of-the-moment trips abroad to see a bike race, the tribulations of your long-suffering non-cycling partner – the sort of things we can all relate and chuckle along to. It’s fun without being dumb. Which, as a reader of this blog, is exactly what you’re after, right? Right.
To my untrained eye, the design has a sort of whimsical, handmade elegance that reminds me of The Idler, The Oldie and the Chap. Simpson’s compact shape looks nice on my kitchen table, and I’m sure it would be equally pleasing resting on your dining surface. The mag will be published thrice-yearly and costs £6, which is only a quid more than Procycling – and let’s face it, you’re more intrigued by this little beauty, aren’t you? So go on – satisfy your curiosity by buying a copy.
The DYNAMITE! Files 