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Independent mountain bike magazine Cranked is to cease publication next month, with its 34th edition the last to roll off the printers.
In an update posted to the Cranked website, founder Seb Rogers said: “After eight and a half years, I feel I’ve done what I set out to do. I wanted to create the best print magazine for mountain bikers that I possibly could, without compromise. I think we – the whole diverse, ever-shifting Cranked team over the years – pretty much did that. It was never perfect, but it never could be.
“‘Thank you’ feels inadequate, but I’d like to say it anyway to everyone who’s ever contributed to Cranked (in any way at all), to everyone who’s ever bought an issue and to every single advertiser. You – all of you – made it possible.
“From my point of view, it’s time for a new challenge.”
Founded in 2015 by photographer and writer Rogers, Cranked operated with the tagline “a magazine for mountain bikers”, and each quarter delivered high quality writing and photography from some of the best in the business.
It offered long-form articles on riding and riders with storytelling from every corner of the mountain bike world, steering away from traditional product reviews or route guides.
The next, and final, issue of Cranked will be on sale mid-September as usual, but will not be available in any retail outlets, only directly from the Cranked web store.
Read more: New project launched to create sustainable future for mountain bike trails across the UK
Starting in October Cranked will be refunding every subscriber who pays annually for any issues that haven’t been sent since the last renewal, on a pro rata basis.
The plan is that no subscriber will be out of pocket.
Cranked is no longer taking any new subscription orders and renewal orders won’t go through after mid-September, when the new issue goes on sale.
The website will remain live for purchases of merch and back issues with the warehouse team processing and shipping orders until at least the end of October.
