Professional Cycling For the Fans - Grand Tour forum?

With the Vuelta now over, here's a suggestion for next year. How about renaming the Tour de France forum "Grand Tours", so there's a central discussion forum for Giro, Tour, and Vuelta? Right now discussions seem scattered around.

Or, hey, maybe even expanding the forum to include all racing from the point of view of those of us who are racing spectators, not participants. Can't think of a self-explanatory name for that forum, but I sure can see the need.

Professional Racing or Professional Cycling would be better IMO.

It's not scattered.

You can:

1. Go to the road racing forum, where you can actually find some people who know something about bike racing.

or:

2. Go to the Tour forum, during TdF time, where you can find a slew of people who know nothing about bike racing.

And there doesn't appear to be enough posts about the Vuelta or Giro to warrant another forum.

It's not scattered.

You can:

1. Go to the road racing forum, where you can actually find some people who know something about bike racing.

or:

2. Go to the Tour forum, during TdF time, where you can find a slew of people who know nothing about bike racing.

so my point is those of us who know nothing about bike racing should have a place to post year round :p

I going to move this to the TdF forum and leave a link in suggestions.

Think the name change is a great idea.

I didn't know there was a "Road Racing" forum. I always thought the TDF forum was for road racing discussions.

I know there is a "Road Cycling" forum from the description I assumed it was for discussing road riding issues. Never noticed that anyone posting there had much knowledge about racing. For example Contador just accomplished something truly amazing and it wasn't mentioned once in that forum.

Think the name change is a great idea.

+1 - I agree.

I didn't know there was a "Road Racing" forum. I always thought the TDF forum was for road racing discussions.

I know there is a "Road Cycling" forum from the description I assumed it was for discussing road riding issues. Never noticed that anyone posting there had much knowledge about racing. For example Contador just accomplished something truly amazing and it wasn't mentioned once in that forum.

"Road Bike Racing" is a subforum of "Road Cycling", take a look at your menu. It's mostly for active racers at all levels.

I agree that naming this forum something different to reflect it as a place for fans of racing would be great. I think expansion beyong Grand Tours even... to include National Championships, Spring Classics, you know... all the races people discuss here.

I think the subforum of Road Cycling is a magnet for discussions of tactics for racers, which is good. However, to mix that with an area for fans of racing wouldn't necessarily add any value.

I don't think we need to mix discussions of best training wheels and how to train for a criterium to the discussions about results and expectations of stages in major professional races... but I think we should set the example for the world (or at least the US) and show that professional racing is about more than one race for us spectators.

How about Professional Cycling Fan forum?

How about Professional Cycling Fan forum?

that's a good suggestion. any more? if we have a few choices we can do a poll.

A Fan's Forum by any name would be great. I discovered Cycling when I shattered my ankle training for a marathon. Doc said never run again or else, he was wrong I'm off in a sec to run training for a Du, I liked the bike so much I added it to my regime. I'm still a fan(atic) and it's hard to find any cycling news other than at TdF time. I've been following Levi since that first summer (the CdCali) and I thought he should have taken the 07 TdF (hell with tradition he could have taken that TT and the sprint into Paris) and now that AC has turned whinner and on him I think he may wish he had. A forum for fans and all the big races, it would be great to hear from those down under what is happening at the Race Down Under in real time and debate who's beter the Aussie or the Yank.........

I like the idea of a new name for this forum. Something for fans and not active racers. There are more races to discuss than just the TdF!

Racing Fan Forum

How about Professional Cycling Fan forum?

Even better.

Even better.

Not to discourage Pro riders and former Pro riders from participating, but omitting "fan" could cause some unnecessary confusion.

I'm resurrecting my thread from last fall in the hopes that maybe this forum change can be made before the Tour Down Under begins in a couple of weeks. (Sorry gang, due to some serious family health issues, I wasn't able to follow up on this until now.)

So I just reread the posts, and my proposal is to rename this forum to "Cycling Fans Forum". That means it still covers Tour de France, but covers all other races, pro and amateur, from the point of view of me and you on the sidelines, or watching on TV, and not as racers. We can talk about specific races, racers, TV commentary, anything else. The road racers will still have their own "Road Bike Racing" forum hidden where some people in these forums haven't ever seen it yet, the rest of us will have this one.

So what do you think???

I think a "grand tours" forum would be a great idea. Include not only the Giro and Vuelta but also the spring classics.

Another suggestion is perhaps a "temporary" forum covering cycling of the Summer Olympics.

I support the idea. I have always though of the TdF thread as more of a "ProTour/ASO" type forum where things about the "pro sport" are discussed.

This would be in addition to a separate thread to outline concepts of interest for those who are actually DOING the road racing. Those would talk about the techniques, the approach to getting into the sport ... life AS a road racing cyclist so to speak.

But a forum about the sport itself (pro level) is needed and a name change to the TdF would be the easiest way.

Gotta have some place to read about ProTour and Continental Teams and races that aren't the big three like Paris-Roubaix and M-SR.

I going to get with the Admins to see what we need to do to change the name. I think the Pro Cycling Fan Forum would be the best description. Thoughts?

Sounds good to me.

Or maybe just Cycling Fans Forum in case some people are following collegiate cycling but not actually racing? More inclusive, and shorter too.

A Fan's Forum by any name would be great. I discovered Cycling when I shattered my ankle training for a marathon. Doc said never run again or else, he was wrong I'm off in a sec to run training for a Du, I liked the bike so much I added it to my regime. I'm still a fan(atic) and it's hard to find any cycling news other than at TdF time. I've been following Levi since that first summer (the CdCali) and I thought he should have taken the 07 TdF (hell with tradition he could have taken that TT and the sprint into Paris) and now that AC has turned whinner and on him I think he may wish he had. A forum for fans and all the big races, it would be great to hear from those down under what is happening at the Race Down Under in real time and debate who's beter the Aussie or the Yank.........

You've never checked out cyclingnews.com?

I going to get with the Admins to see what we need to do to change the name. I think the Pro Cycling Fan Forum would be the best description. Thoughts?

I would agree with this. The title definitely needs a change.

Yes I agree with 2wheeled as well. A name change would help keep the forum a bit busier when it's not TdF time!

See this, I am closing this thread.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=507735