The new pop up ads are about to drive me away

[Alvin Mullen]

title says is all

[rmap01 ✓ supporter]

I feel the same way.  Totally get the need for $$ but when the ads adversely affect the experience – especially video ads –  I find myself visiting the site less and less.

[Jeff Barber]

Thanks for the feedback. We’re always trying to find the right balance between paying the bills, and making sure the ads are as unobtrusive as possible. Of course you can become a supporter for just $3 a month (even less if you pay for a year) to turn off the ads completely.

rmap01, it looks like you’re already a supporter. Are you still seeing some ads? If so we need to fix that.

[Sunspot ✓ supporter]

Jeff, there needs to be a specific size for any and all ads, period! The varying of sizes causes an annoying jump of the image on a screen when the ad swap occurs. It is purely infuriating and most intolerable that there is no standard in place. Where would we be without standards for bicycle parts? Not that we aren’t witnessing axle lengths in 1mm increments! Sarcasm aside, get some standard rules for ads that make them uniform and tolerable.

After that happens, being a supporter might be in the works.

 

[Jeff Barber]

Sunspot, it sounds like you’re referring to what’s known as “in-article” ads. The in-article ads do load as you scroll down the page and if you’re a fast reader, they might be loading after you’ve already scrolled past them, which causes the text you’re reading to shift down. Ad tech is always improving and getting faster, but I agree it’s still laggy. 🙁

Unfortunately there are multiple reasons we can’t always specify the ad size before the page loads, one of which is to ensure pages (and ads) are mobile-friendly.

We hate ads as much as anyone else so we’re definitely not turning a deaf ear. I personally use Singletracks 8-10 hours a day and I purposely do not have an ad-free membership on my account so I can get the full ad experience, and we’re constantly re-evaluating which ad placements make sense. Trust me, there are many more annoying and obtrusive ad types out there, and every now and then one of them will come through. In that case, we immediately work with our ad provider to track down and disable the offending ad. If you ever see an ad that is covering the content, please take a screenshot and send it my way.

I really wish there were a simple way to make the ads disappear completely… maybe one day. For many years we charged for trail maps which we hated having to do, and this year we were finally able to make ’em free. Next up: find a way to survive without ads. 🙂

[rmap01 ✓ supporter]

Jeff, thanks for the info.  Made me realize I need to be logged in when I access the site.

[Jeff Barber]

rmap01, let me know if you find you’re getting logged out too often. Ideally you would be able to login once on every device you use, and not have to do it again for a very long time.

[rmap01 ✓ supporter]

Jeff, that used to be true but now I seem to need to log back in every time I access the site regardless of device.  If you can fix that.. great.  If not, it’s not the biggest thing esp since I now know I need to be logged in to avoid the ads.  Thx.

[Sunspot ✓ supporter]

Jeff, while I get it that y’all need to keep the servers up however, done less disruptively and respectfully, that goes the distance. I am not saying ditch em altogether, just ditch the page shift that is causing some of my migraines to develop. Some ads are actually helpful when they pertain to bicycles and rider’s needs!

[Jeff Barber]

Right on. Paying for servers is helpful, but we also have a staff of writers who create all the great content you’re reading and take the photos you’re viewing, and they need to eat, ha!

We did reach out to our ad provider about the issue and they are trying some tweaks to reduce the content shift that happens sometimes.

For those who are having problems with the ads, are you viewing on mobile or desktop? This info will be helpful for us as we consider any changes or updates.

[enduroexpert78]

I lose about 10-15% of my screen to the pop-ups on my Android phone.

[Hap Proctor ✓ supporter]

I have to login each time I access the site.

[Jeff Barber]

Thanks Hap. Which browser are you using, and what type of device are you on?

[Hap Proctor ✓ supporter]

I use Chrome on my iPhone 7.  I have switched to Microsoft Edge on my Dell laptop as many images do not load using the Google Chrome browser.

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