Southeast - Mid-Atlantic Forum

I have suggested a Mid-Atlantic forum to be added to the regional discussions. It's been needed for some time, and the lack of it has even been complained about on this forum. If you support such an addition, please comment on the "Mid-Atlantic" thread I started under "News and Suggestions/Forum Suggestions & User Assistance.

Thanks.

is NJ in a different Mid Atlantic than FL?

Looks like the Mid-Atlantic forum can become a reality if you want it to be! Tom Stormcrowe, (an? the? administrator) posted the following in the thread under Forum Suggestions & User Assistance:

What I need is to have all you MidAtlantic types to post in here, so I can document the need for the forum, OK? That will give me an indicator of real interest. Show me the interest, and it won't be that hard to make happen.
Here's a link to the thread, and all that's really needed is a simple "+1 here" post. If you want it, here's your chance.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=511733

I think someone needs to define "Mid-Atlantic."

I live in Virginia. It is the South. I used to live in Maryland and DC. They consider themselves Mid-Atlantic, along with Delaware. However, why should a whole new section be devoted to three states (MD, DE, DC--yeah, yeah not a state, whatever).

Pennsylvania is North. Virginia is South. It's just the between things that are Mid-Atlantic.

However, why should a whole new section be devoted to three states (MD, DE, DC--yeah, yeah not a state, whatever).


Because there's like 8 million people in the baltimore-dc area alone. That doesn't include rural areas of MD, PA, or DE. Texas has a whole section and the west coast is split into three sections. Why not a section for the Mid-atlantic?

A simple solution would be to include NOVA in the northeast section. That way I wouldn't have to check or double post in two regions. Give me another example of a huge metropolitan area that's split between two regions.

I have to agree with the above poster, VA is the South, plain and simple. It belongs in the SE section. I live in NC and participate in some Va rides. I like reading and sharing info about these rides on this forum. If a mid-Atlantic forum is created, then I don't see any issue with posting NoVA info there if you want but, leave the general state in the SE - where it belongs. :thumb:

I have to agree with the above poster, VA is the South, plain and simple.

If you're referring to an altercation that happenend some century and a half ago, yes it was. But for the purposes of this forum:

A. Most of Virginia and Kentucky are farther north than parts of Indiana and Illinois! They are almost 1000 miles away from me, and even further from south Florida!

B. I don't recall anyone saying those states would be included in any new forum! That's up to the board admin.

But all that *still* misses the point. The eastern seaboard is too large a geographical area to be divided into just two regions. Fewer states, (and fewer posts that are not relevant to the area where you ride), would make for a more cohesive forum. That's why they divided the western seaboard into three regions, and the eastern seaboard is both longer and more heavily populated.

Perhaps there would be less resistance to a third forum if they were to change the names to "Eastern1", "Eastern 2", and "Eastern 3".

NoVA is practically a different state from everything south of, say, Triangle/Quantico.

Different culturally.

Different economically.

That's why we're seceding.

Doesn't matter to me. I'd still have to check two forums-Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Now I check Southeast and Northeast. I think people living in the DC area would then have to check three forums--SE, MA, and NE.

There's another thread discussing what is mid-atlantic:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=8404962#post8404962

I think people living in the DC area would then have to check three forums--SE, MA, and NE.

That's why including NOVA with the Northeast makes the most sense. The average DCist would only need to check the Northeast forum.

Northern VA is just not southern. Take a look at an electoral college map to know where the real line is =)

That's why including NOVA with the Northeast makes the most sense. The average DCist would only need to check the Northeast forum.

Not so. When I lived in DC and NOVA, I did plenty of rides in the rest of the state that are easily accessible from NOVA and DC (Richmond, Cville, Fredericksburg, Culpeper, Harrisonburg, Tidewater...) Many of my riding buddies also did those rides. The Richmond Area Bicycle Association occasionally has rides up in NOVA/DC. Imagine that!

Not so. When I lived in DC and NOVA, I did plenty of rides in the rest of the state that are easily accessible from NOVA and DC (Richmond, Cville, Fredericksburg, Culpeper, Harrisonburg, Tidewater...) Many of my riding buddies also did those rides. The Richmond Area Bicycle Association occasionally has rides up in NOVA/DC. Imagine that!

wow, a discussion on the Internet without sarcasm! Oh wait... I understand that people ride in different areas of the country, geographical region, or within the state.

My point is this, there's no other major metropolitan area that's divided into two sections like the DC-metro area. So if I want to find information on a ride in DC like bikedc or the ING crit, I potentially have to monitor two regional forums. NOW, if you choose to ride in Fredericksburg or Cville then you would know to check the southeast forum, just like your friends in RABA would know to look for NOVA information in Northeast forum.

I know this isn't a big deal, it takes all of ten minutes to look at both regional forums but you have to admit that its kind of lame to have people posting about the same reston century ride in two different regions.

VA does seem to be 2 states, separated by the old Mason-Dixon line. But in fact the whole state's economy is incredibly tied to the federal government. NC not so much. That's why they usually draw the line at the NC border. While NC is a shorter drive for some of us, we're still "closer" to NoVA/DC.

I don't know how this affects Bikeforums readers other than most people would look for VA in Mid-Atlantic, because that's where it usually is.

Of course southerners are famous for ignoring best practices from elsewhere, and doing things "their own way..."

NoVA is practically a different state from everything south of, say, Triangle/Quantico.

Different culturally.

Different economically.

That's why we're seceding.

Californians talk all the time about giving everything from Mendocino northward to Oregon, and splitting the rest into 2 states.

Nevadans say Las Vegas is just an outer suburb of Los Angeles, so why not just give it to 'em.

Arizonans say the same thing about Phoenix.

Washingtonians in Point Roberts would gladly give up cheap gas and cigarettes for free health care, and not having to go through customs twice.

Northern VA is just not southern. Take a look at an electoral college map to know where the real line is =)

....Yes but without NoVA the state would have a tax base of just about nothing. :lol:

I'm in favor of a MidLant Forum. Should include MD, DE, VA, DC, WVA, and maybe even NC. Who cares about 150 year old quabbles about what is and is not the south. I would ride with ya whether you are "southern" or not....the bike doesn't care.

COnsidering how many cyclists are in this "MIdlant" region I see very few posts from our area on the "Southeast" forum. I think if this region had it's own the posts would be more prolific and not drowned out by Florida/Georgia, etc posts.

PA, DE, MD, WV, VA, DC over here:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=64

Works out well that way.

If part of the quibble is over the name "Mid Atlantic" let's make it DE, MD, DC and VA and call it the Chesapeake Region.

If part of the quibble is over the name "Mid Atlantic" let's make it DE, MD, DC and VA and call it the Chesapeake Region.

+1

that would eliminate quite a bit of confusion

The confusion is that this is BF and everything goofily becomes a bone of contention.

Now I can see why the mods have thus far declined to set up a "mid atlantic" forum. Unlike the other bike forum I'm on, mid-atlantic here at the BF has as many definitions as there are posters commenting on it.


Mid-Atlantic, according to NYT (and the way the region is defined at other forums):

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/section/jobs/200703/image_map/jm_map_mid-atlantic-jobs.gif

Source: http://jobmarket.nytimes.com/jobs/location/mid-atlantic-jobs

Lots of other forums I go on have a "Capital Area" forum. I don't know if that's too specific, but it'd work for me. :P