"advice on new bike purchase" sticky or subforum?

[boze]

a lot of new users to the super-popular road cycling forum section are asking the same question:

"i'm budgeting [this much] and i'm looking at [these same bikes that everyone looks at in that price range], what do you think i should do?"

there ought to be a way to keep all that info together so that folks can realize quickly what everyones opinion is and what ppl who were in the same boat a few months before them ended up doing.

i'm not sure if a sticky is the right thing, but i do notice that each post only gets a around 5 or 10 responses (more if it's a higher budget i think because they're more fun to shop for) and the same friendly posters end up saying the same thing again and again.

[Guest]

We've been talking about this topic for a few days now, and we're looking at some alternatives on how to handle the questions of this nature. I have noticed a lot of those threads too, and we're definitely going to figure out how to traffic these questions.

Koffee

Forum Mod

[Nightshade]

We've been talking about this topic for a few days now, and we're looking at some alternatives on how to handle the questions of this nature. I have noticed a lot of those threads too, and we're definitely going to figure out how to traffic these questions.

Koffee

Forum Mod

I'm sure that you've thought of this but I'll offer it in
case........

Most people ask about a brand name comparison rather than
asking about information about bike types in general. If
people knew what features it took to make up a quality road
bike (or any other type of bike) they would quickly become
savvy enough to KNOW what they are looking at (and for) in
any type of bike they want to buy/ride. There will still be
people that will want someone to "tell" them which bike to
buy rather than invest the time to learn about bikes. For
those folk's,well.....they will still ask the same questions
no matter how much educational material is offered. However,
there will be those who will learn and enjoy the sport even
more.

It's like the old saying.....
Give a man a fish and you feed him today. Teach him to fish
and you feed him for a lifetime.

That said, consider centering a sticky on good old fashion
hard educational material about bicycles and how they get
that way.

[enamore22]

I'd like to see that, Tightwad. I could certainly use it when I go searching for my next bike. But I think the questions would still be posted anyway. People are making a big purchase and want to hear someone say, "I've had a good/bad experience with XXXXX."

Perhaps a sticky would reduce the need to explain why something is better so often, but a subforum would still let people discuss their first hand experiences with certain products.

I know of CyclingForums.com they have an Equipment Review forum... which seems to be pretty active and helpful. *shrug*

-Chris

[Guest]

All good ideas. Any other suggestions?

Koffee

[boze]

haven't thought this through, but how about a whole separate forum called "Buying a New/Used Bike" with sub-catagories called "Under $500", "$500 to $1000", "$1000 to $2000", "Over $2000".

that way before you even post you're face to face with separate threads that are too much like the one you were about to start to be ignored. i'd think that if the boards never got that many new posts it'd just be proof that it worked because it's the same stuff over and over.

[neuronbliss]

You could also create some sort of poll listing important aspects, components, etc.

[ManBearPig]

All good ideas. Any other suggestions?

Koffee

Yes, we also need a sticky or separate forum for SADDLES. :D I know, because I am guilty of helping perpetuate. It's just one of those popular, recurring topics.

[RonH]

I see a lot of posts regarding saddles, shoes/pedals, and tires.
Seems that a couple of stickies would work better than seperate subforums.

[FOG]

Heavy weights and wheels are two common issues also. Even though it is not as common a thread, bike fit is at least as important and might also deserve a sticky.

[ManBearPig]

OK, this is getting ridiculous. These threads are proliferating exponentially. Every other thread is now a bike buying advice question. New subforum needed asap. Thanks.

[Raiyn]

Check my $500 MTB thread. It's cut down the number of extraneous threads on that subject in the Mountain Bike section by a wide margin.

[AMD]

How about a real basic primer on the major factors that make up the bike itself? You could have articles about, for instance, frame materials/characteristics, the different levels of components and how they differ, frame geometry basics, wheel valuations, sizing, etc. Once folks make those major decisions, choosing often comes down to more subjective factors anyway - what does the LBS you prefer to shop at carry?, how does the bike feel to you?, etc. Perhaps this "primer" could give basics on what you get, in general, for $600, vs. what you get for $3000. What makes one bike cost more, in general.
There are other sites for researching reviews of specific bikes; do we need that component here as well? Everyone has something to say about their fave bike brand, and that's subjective too.

Seems to me the more objective facts we can put in people's minds, the easier it would be for THEM to make the choice between this bike or that one.

[Nightshade]

and we're definitely going to figure out how to traffic these questions.

Koffee

Forum Mod

As a suggestion consider starting at the front wheel and explain each part with what would be good/bad about each
piece.

As an example.....
Frame material and conctruction. Advantage of each material?
Why is weight so important? Is welded or lugged frames
better? Etc.etc.etc...........

As most here know Sheldon Brown has done most ,if not all,
of the work to document how bikes are built along with the
what & why of each component. It's possible a sticky
re-directing newbies to Sheldon's site might help those that
want to learn before they spend their hard earned money.

Then there will be ,as always, people that are just to lazy
to learn anything at all about bikes and are content to
continue to throw money at a "hottest" bike mentioned here
or elsewhere just as they do with designer clothes. These
are the people that will always want to post the same dumb
questions over and over.

It could very well be that the best course of action is to
post a sticky that requires new posters to read AND LEARN
about bikes at Sheldon's site before allowing them to join
the posting community here.

[boze]

there's lots of good suggestions here, but i think a "buying a new bike" sticky would be a good start. other folks might have pet-peeve repeat posts and other stickies are a good idea too, but it seems like a nice stopgap in the meantime to just get the one that _i want up. +)

[Portis]

The Mountain Biking Forum (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=26) is a good example of how to handle and not how to handle this problem. Once you enter the forum there is a "sub area" at the top entitled Mountain Bike Racing. The Road Cycling and Mountain Biking forums should each have one of these subforums at the top entitled, Looking For New Roadbike or Looking for New Mountain Bike.
On top of that you could even go further and break each Looking for New Bike Sub Forum into price range.

0-500
500-1000
1000-5000
5000 +

(these are examples they could be taylored accoringly)

This would make a very nice organized place for a newbie or anyone else to go and learn about bikes in there price range. This is MUCH better than a Sticky that is very hard to follow, often gets off topic and doesn't work for this topic. (Looking for New bike) It works fine for something like Barnett's Manuals but not for Looking for a new bike.

If you want an example of how it doesn't work go here. (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=56148) It might have helped the people that were tired of reading threads posted by newbies looking for $500 Mountain Bikes but it does little for the newbie or anyone else wanting to know about $500 Mountain Bikes. This sticky is a looooooooooong drawn out thread that has just about every topic including a few $500 MTB's.

[Michel Gagnon]

I hate to see price ranges attached to bikes. First of all, U.S. dollars need to be converted in local currency, but local bike prices don't always convert mathematically. Secondly, I, for one, tend to select a bike (and many other things) according to features first rather than price first.

There also are quite a few web resources that deal with the subject and as with many subjective subjects, there are hard facts and definite opinions.Therefore, I would suggest the following:

- A section – maybe at the bottom of the main page – that would be called Resources
- In it would be a few locked threads with titles such as :
- Selecting the proper type of bike (touring, road, MTB...)
- Sizing the bike
- Options, configurations...

A lot of these could be done by referring to other sites, as opposed to writing the stuff here. Let's not reinvent the wheel !

[Joe Gardner]

Michel, you and I are on the same wavelength, I really like the resources idea.

The main problem... is this is a forum, people don't want to research there answer, they want to save time, and ask the question here, and have other forum members provide them with information pertaining to there exact issue, and this exact moment.

Honestly? 99% of the internet is recycled, non-original content. 99% of the posts on this site, are recycled, non-original content. However, its human nature to want information, NOW. To get that information, its much easier to post a "What bike for $500?" thread rather then use Google, the forum search, or one of the other 18,000 bicycle related sites online. I highly doubt anything we will do will cut down on the amount of "what bike?" threads... This isn't just a problem on this site, its a problem on most forums.

[ManBearPig]

I highly doubt anything we will do will cut down on the amount of "what bike?" threads...

Can the webmaster employ some kinda algorithm for detecting this type of question and automatically moving it to a certain area out of the main forum, and/or send a friendly notice to the poster they may have posted a "forbidden" post?

Ex) I compose a question "what bike...." etc., and when I try to click "Submit Reply" a window first pops up with an explanatory notice that if this is such a thread, would the poster please consider going to such and such forum first, that many questions can be answered in that area....this would be analagous to calling your bank and having a message that says "if you are calling for your balance, you may use our automated service or go online to.....

[Joe Gardner]

Towlie, I am sure that is possible, but I don't think I would want to place that restriction.

[CycleMan22]

New Guy here...

I am trying to research before I buy, and I found this website that I think would be great to copy it's format....

Tips on buying a new bike (http://twowheelsoneplanet.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=9)

Hope this helps,

Abel

:EDIT:

This site I also found very helpful... READ THIS BEFORE PURCHASING A BIKE (http://bikesrnottoys.com/)

[boze]

Ranger: yeah i suggested the price range subforum idea already.

i have to say that the price range idea is the one that makes the most sense to me.

converting to USD is not really a hindrance. anybody who shops online and isn't from the US is used to doing this already.

i haven't seen any action taken on this in the weeks since i posted - and i'm sure it's been an issue if not a problem from long before then. but picture it: if somebody is buying a new road bike they might ulimately be headed for the $1000 to $15000 price range but not even know it yet because they're sticker shocked from never having shopped for new bikes before. but it still works - they'd go to the <$500 subforum and read a bunch of similar threads about how it's all cheap alum frames with Sora at that price range and then they'd know where they stood at least. mission accomplished, right?

maybe just put a locked thread at the top of each subforum that objectively describes the concepts of frame quality, frame materials, and component groups and the ride/performance characteristics of each.

i can't see how that would fail to get the job done. ppl might now know the least bit about what their riding will be like or what kind of road bike they're looking for, but everybody will come in having some idea of budget.