Mountain Biking - $500 MTB Thread

I think it is OK to have a $500 MTB Thread as a compilation of questions and answers about Mountain Bikes in the $500 price range. However, I don't think it should serve as a subsitute for replies to posts regarding questions about bikes in this price range.

IOW, I am getting irritated with every poster that asks a question about a $500 Mountain Bike getting a link to the $500 thread and nothing else. Again, i think it is ok to refer them to the thread but what is wrong with answering their questions? Espescially since many of the posters are newbies.

The $500 Thread is far from efficient. It is difficult to glean the wheat from the chaff. The search function on this forum is not discriminating enough to be able to search a given thread and get answers as efficiently as you could from a real time post.

Agreed.

I would also like to eliminate the lengthy thread itself and instead do what we did with the freeride hardtails and potentially create a list of 500$ bikes. Discussion can occur elsewhere. The thread is becoming unmanageable as it is in its current incarnation. If you don't feel the need to help people looking for 500$ bikes don't respond, no biggy really.

I have been thinking of this for a while as the thread did serve a purpose but is now unreasonable to assume people will search for direct comparisons in that thread.

Yeah, I think it would help to make a list in the first page so they know what they're looking at.

Maelstrom,

That certainly makes more sense. The ultimate solution is to have a compilation of bikes, with corresponding reviews and NO OFF TOPIC CHIT CHAT. IOW, basically what MTBreview.com has to offer. Maybe just start giving people a link to MTBreview makes more sense. At least they get to go and read some info on a particular bike instead of reading what someone had for breakfast, or what they are watching on TV, etc. like we presently find in the $500 sticky. (exageration for illustrative purposes ;) )

Woot, I too thought of the $500 MTB thread being replaced as it is 19 pages too long.

A comprehensive list and little blurb of review would be much more efficient.

<3 Ranger

Maelstrom,

That certainly makes more sense. The ultimate solution is to have a compilation of bikes, with corresponding reviews and NO OFF TOPIC CHIT CHAT. IOW, basically what MTBreview.com has to offer. Maybe just start giving people a link to MTBreview makes more sense. At least they get to go and read some info on a particular bike instead of reading what someone had for breakfast, or what they are watching on TV, etc. like we presently find in the $500 sticky. (exageration for illustrative purposes ;) )

I did try to keep up with the thread. The first 8 or 9 pages are pretty lean. But its tough when I happen to work full time too :D...

I will run it by the other mods. I think the thread has been useful in eliminating some posts, so I wouldn't want to see it gone. I like the idea of a listing with links to mtbreview.com...hmmmm again I will run it by the other mods.

And i agree, if you don't feel like responding to a 500$ posting, don't. I don't simply because I know nothing about the bikes, so my 2cents is about as valuable as a canadian coin.

I think the thread has been useful for cutting down on the number of posts as well. However, one has to ask whether those people that would normally be posting the "famous question" are getting it answered or if they are simply getting run off.

The $500 thread helped me a lot even though it was painful to read through 17+ pages (3 times). It is a useful tool and it can probably be trimmed down.

To answer the question regarding whether or not to answer someone directy or to just send them on to the $500 thread. I think both should be done. If someone is asking about a $500 bike then it usually means they're looking to start in the sport and are new to the forum. If you blow off a newbie then they don't feel welcomed. Answer the question and send them off to the $500 thread stating that there is a lot more information there.

I think the $500 thead should also contain links/information regarding the reason why an x-mart bike should be avoided and why a duel-suspension at that price point should be avoided.

Its a wild bush that needs a triming desperately. After the first 3 pages I said screw it. You cant find anything, there needs to be a nice organized system. I mean you tell a terrified newbie "go to the 500 mtb thread". Then they have to sort through 15+ pages

Make it a closed sticky with a list, links, reasons why you shouldnt buy an x-mart bike, and tell them to go try out which bike fits them best. Assort them into price ranges like the freeride hardtail thread, bullets and all, 400-500, 500-600, etc.

Label it "getting a new bike" or similar.

Come to think of it, we should make one topic for that purpose, instead of two or more...

We could have all the bikes in a list, and next to the name of each bike is a rating for what kind of use would be recommended for it, and a price.

Although, do we really want to list all bikes known to man? Maybe it should just be cheap hardtails and freeride bikes :P

Chances are, everyone will be too lazy to do this.

Well, from a newbie's point of view, I have to say that after spending about an hour reading all 19 pages of that thread, I was still confused. There IS some good info in there, espeically about discs at that price point, but alot of it was unrelated chit chat.

I posted a new thread about bikes in that category, and was refered to the $500 thread, but my question WAS also answered in my post, which I appreciate.

I think that with a thread that long, alot of questions will get lost, because I doubt that the people who could answer them are checking that thread everyday. That is the reason I started a new thread. I also posted my question in "ThreadZilla", and was actually surprised to get a few responses. I did however get much more info in the thread that I started.

I think that it might be a good idea to complie alot of that info into some sort of spreadsheet or tech article, with maybe some comparisons of different components found at this level. I thinkthat would be helpful to newbs, as I think that most people looking for bikes in this price range aren't very knowledgeable about the things to look for when buying a bike.I know that I'm not. Last bike I bought was almost ten years ago, I'm so out of touch with the current bikes and technology that it's not even funny.

Make it a closed sticky with a list, links, reasons why you shouldnt buy an x-mart bike, and tell them to go try out which bike fits them best. Assort them into price ranges like the freeride hardtail thread, bullets and all, 400-500, 500-600, etc.

Label it "getting a new bike" or similar.

Great points.

In addition what I learned is that it's best to choose a good local LBS first and this is the best way to start the search for a bike.

Making it a closed sticky would be OK if someone were willing to quit their job and compile the various lists. On top of that they would have to keep updating it. Having spent a lot of times on various forums, I can say that the people are what makes it go. People answering questions is what drives a forum.

Maybe there should just be a generic closed sticky that lists the bikes in that pricepoint and maybe a few links to places like MTBreview.com, etc. When a newbie pops in and says, "new to sport. which bike should i get." They should be referred to the sticky that states.... "you have just asked one of the most popular questions on bikeforums.net. This question was asked so much that we have compiled a list of bikes and what their uses and price ranges are. Please don't be afraid to ask questions but please only do so after reading this post."

Then maybe we could still eliminate a bunch of the questions and still people that have honest questions might get them answered. After all, that is sort of the reason for having a forum like this. At least it is one of them. The frustrating part is when a newbie comes in and it seems like he is asking for somebody to not only select the bike for him but also buy it and then help him ride it.

that sounds pretty good to me. this would definitely be a massive undertaking but I think the information conatained therein would be so valuable to new comers. It almost seems like a downloadable pamphlet in pdf form might be better, though I don't know how. I was kind of throwing that idea out there to get people thinking some more. Something does need to be done though, I look at that thread and every time it surprises me how big it is. I think mtbr reviews and company URLs would be key though. The good lbs is also a very good point.

Im a noobie, and once I saw how many pages were in that thread, I said "ouch :( "
Pretty hard to weed out useful info from the off topic posts. I really like the idea of somehow cutting it down, to where its just all good solid info. Maybe something like...

User
Recommended

Specialized Blah blah ....................... 2.5million $320
Trek blah blah ................................ 35 $430
kona blah blah ................................ 64 $490
Prices not valid... of course.

Or I dont know. Maybe a top 10 list? Just so we know what most people are riding, tried and proven. :)

I say answer their question; don't just point them elsewhere.

If you don't want to answer the question and be helpful, DO NOT POST. If it's your opinion that a thread is redundant, why add to it with a worthless response? If you think a question is stupid, why waste your prescious time by submitting a post that states just that? Some forum members have forgotten, you don't need to answer every thread. As crazy as it seems, you don't even need to read every thread. In fact, unless you have something constructive to add, it's probably best that you don't answer the thread.

And these suggestions don't just apply to $500 bike questions. They apply to every single thread in this forum.

I like vertigo's idea, you could make a poll out of that for a quick reference

I say answer their question; don't just point them elsewhere.

If you don't want to answer the question and be helpful, DO NOT POST. If it's your opinion that a thread is redundant, why add to it with a worthless response? If you think a question is stupid, why waste your prescious time by submitting a post that states just that? Some forum members have forgotten, you don't need to answer every thread. As crazy as it seems, you don't even need to read every thread. In fact, unless you have something constructive to add, it's probably best that you don't answer the thread.

And these suggestions don't just apply to $500 bike questions. They apply to every single thread in this forum.

While I agree in theory, this forum gets slammed BAD with posts. I remember coming in and being two full pages (I have a 30 post view) with mostly which bike to get and all bikes were 300 to 600$...

Well if someone would give me editing power in that thread I would trim it back. However I do NOT want to see 15 bazillion "I have $500 what bike should I get? or "This bike vs. That bike" because someone is to damn lazy to do a bit of reading / searching on a topic that's been hashed and rehashed over and over.
How many "Trek 4300" threads do we honestly need anyway?

I think there could be that thread where all wahts alllowed is a bike under or around 500 dollars. And to please the crowd, make another thread that lets you discuss so people can say all the comments they want.

How many "Trek 4300" threads do we honestly need anyway?

I say we need as many as we get. It seems to me that based on the poll so far, most people are OK with giving a reply as well as referring them to the dreaded sticky. Your intolerance for these threads is well noted. However it appears that most folks aren't all that irritated with them.

Sending newbies to the $500 MTB sticky is the equivilant of telling them to "get lost!" Basically that is really all that can happen if they go there. Just giving newbies asking for bike advice a link only reply is not good.

What if they just gave a link to Park Tool for every time someone asked how to adjust their rear derailleur in the Mechanics forum? For that matter why not just have one home page for Bike Forums with nothing but a link to Sheldon Brown, Park Tool, Nashbar, Performance and Icebike. Then nobody would need to type anything. Just link, link, link.

Did you vote for the last option?

For that matter why not just have one home page for Bike Forums with nothing but a link to Sheldon Brown, Park Tool, Nashbar, Performance and Icebike. Then nobody would need to type anything. Just link, link, link.

My vote for Post of the Day. Good point, Ranger.

I say we need as many as we get. It seems to me that based on the poll so far, most people are OK with giving a reply as well as referring them to the dreaded sticky. Your intolerance for these threads is well noted. However it appears that most folks aren't all that irritated with them.Most of the respondants are newbies themselves who have no IDEA how many we used to get


Sending newbies to the $500 MTB sticky is the equivilant of telling them to "get lost!" Basically that is really all that can happen if they go there. Just giving newbies asking for bike advice a link only reply is not good.What so you don't think that people should have to use a readily estabilshed resource with ALL the answers that they seek? They need to do some leg work THEN they should ask questions


What if they just gave a link to Park Tool for every time someone asked how to adjust their rear derailleur in the Mechanics forum?Why spend the time explaining a simple task 50,000,000,000 times when you can send them to a site that will provide the EXACT same info AND detailed pictures? I'd rather send someone off site to get the correct info thaen have him listen to some newbie telling him to "bash it wit a hammer til it werk gud"
I'd much rather spend the time helping someone out with an unusual problem than some run of the mill crap

Lemme' Break it Down for ya. The problem is with the current sticky. It is useless. I am all for a sticky if it works. The current sticky is worthless. Get a good sticky and I would support link only replies. Right now, link only replies are basically rude. You might as well tell someone to get lost, like i said earlier.


What so you don't think that people should have to use a readily estabilshed resource with ALL the answers that they seek? They need to do some leg work THEN they should ask questions

I think it would be great. Where is this "resource" you speak of???


Why spend the time explaining a simple task 50,000,000,000 times when you can send them to a site that will provide the EXACT same info AND detailed pictures? I'd rather send someone off site to get the correct info thaen have him listen to some newbie telling him to "bash it wit a hammer til it werk gud"
I'd much rather spend the time helping someone out with an unusual problem than some run of the mill crap

"Those who by unselfish lives and consideration for others elevate the tone of the community in which they live and who by their presence make others happier, these are the salt of the earth." William Lyon Phelps

Well if someone would give me editing power in that thread I would trim it back. However I do NOT want to see 15 bazillion "I have $500 what bike should I get? or "This bike vs. That bike" because someone is to damn lazy to do a bit of reading / searching on a topic that's been hashed and rehashed over and over.
How many "Trek 4300" threads do we honestly need anyway?

Mate you need to relax a bit. It is all about having fun and learning. If you don't want to read about "which $500 bike is the best", then don't read the thread.

Mate you need to relax a bit. It is all about having fun and learning. If you don't want to read about "which $500 bike is the best", then don't read the thread.
Somebody had to say it :). Well done.
Its true though. If you see a topic "need bike $400-600" and your fedup with them.
*drum roll*......
Dont read it.

A sub-forum would be handy. Because for everyone to get the best help that there looking for, you really need your own thread not own post in the sticky. So a sub-forum would cator with all of these without tying up space in the MTB forum?

Good idea blue neon. A sub forum something along the lines of Newb MTB forum.

maybe it could replace the mountain bike racing sub forum. Maybe its me, but it seems that its not really taking off.

This has been brought up before and it will never happen for odd reasons. Thats partially why the 500$ thread was made. But now the 500$ thread is out of hand and even trimming it back is a ridiculous idea.

I like the idea of a thread with a list of bikes in that range. I don't mind people posting questions about said bikes because there can be specific questions that need to be asked and the thread in any incarnation will be difficult to sift through. However there is a lot of good information in there. It really is a catch 22...some of you don't remember what the mtb forum was like pre "500$ bike" thread. It was a constant barrage of the EXACT SAME QUESTION DAILY. Yes we don't have to respond, but going through a page and a half of posts that could have been answered with a simple search (seriously does anyone remember last spring and the trek4500 barrage...) made it really annoying to find anything remotely interesting to read.

If anyone could come up with an idea that would still keep the posts down a bit, give the answers and eliminate the ever growing "500$" sticky, I would be willing to help out, I have always thought a beginners forum would help, it helps other forums greatly, but it gets turned down at every turn it seems.

well, how about a new thread thats strictly a list of bikes. Is it possible to limit the # of words that can be siad in a post? You could do that for just that one thread so that people dont start saying too much useless crap.

Beyond that the thread isn't working for newbies all the time. I have to admit I don't read it. I just went in and saw a very detailed post I may have responded to out here.
a) the user took the time to learn everything he could
b) posted in a very intelligent manner

He would have gotten more help and more respondants outside of that thread. That thread really is isolating the problem while not helping the newbie. This same guy posted outside the thread and got jumped on (I believe it was the same guy)...he attempted to work with the system we have in place and didn't get any help. That blows.

Yea it does. Well i norice that a lot of time some people are rather rude when a newbie asks for help here. I mean not too long ago I was a newb. I didnt even know what a derailleur was before this forum. And it wasnt easy picking up the info you practicly need to talk to people here. To be bashed like some are, that woulda been harsh. GIves a false impression of this forum on the first day i think. Like walking to a job interview with a wifebeater on

Ya it is something that needs to be worked on. And since communicating with Swifferman (and a couple of others "newbies") a lot more it is definately a weakness in its current incarnation.

I think the poll alone shows how 83% of the people here feel. Thats definately the majority of people actively posting in the mtb forum.

Lol yea its a fair thing when lets see 73.68% of us voted option 2.
I dont know if one of the mods has any script knowledge but maybe you can work something up for hte forum. Isnt it V bulletin something that we use for this forum?

Beyond that the thread isn't working for newbies all the time. I have to admit I don't read it. I just went in and saw a very detailed post I may have responded to out here.
a) the user took the time to learn everything he could
b) posted in a very intelligent manner

He would have gotten more help and more respondants outside of that thread. That thread really is isolating the problem while not helping the newbie. This same guy posted outside the thread and got jumped on (I believe it was the same guy)...he attempted to work with the system we have in place and didn't get any help. That blows.

Amen. You might be better off asking a question by speaking loudly at your computer screen than posting in that thread. The chances of getting a good answer are about as good. It's because nobody wants to go in there anymore. I certainly don't.

Lol yea its a fair thing when lets see 73.68% of us voted option 2.
I dont know if one of the mods has any script knowledge but maybe you can work something up for hte forum. Isnt it V bulletin something that we use for this forum?

I have script knowledge, am a mod and yes it runs vbulletin.

well then perhaps you can tinker with it to work up a specialized sub forum or something. I think it should limit the amount of words personally, so if somebody wants to discuss they can do so in another thread. But that thread is just a link that people add, and as new bikes come out we can keep updating.

Yes, it (the monster thread) needs help. I can help edit/create whatever solution we decide on. I'm flexible.

I vote for a giant closed sticky that has a list of bikes sorted into price ranges, and and FAQ. I dont mind helping to compile a list of popular bikes if you guys want.

Hey, if they wanted you to do that stuff they would have made you a MOD ;)
Who asked you? You seem to just LOVE starting crap with me.

"Those who by unselfish lives and consideration for others elevate the tone of the community in which they live and who by their presence make others happier, these are the salt of the earth." William Lyon Phelps
Too much salt is bad for you. I don't see you stepping up with any correct technical advice.

Now what happend to the thread entitled '$500 MTB thread?' ;)


Oh, shot to hell. No biggie, some ideas were formed.

Hey this isn't the only time we've ruined a thread.......sorry Ranger.

Chef- "Once someone serves you and you serve them back, its on."

Oh its on.

Maybe this would be a good chance for me to try out the 'Ignore' list.

God I actually thought you were over it! You have just wasted your time fumbling around with Quote, End quote, Copy paste and watever.

When you put alot of quotes in one flame post, it is more ownage.

This is ridiculous....why the heck don't the two of you put each other on ignore and the discussion can continue. If this keeps up I will close the thread and pm the people that offered to help when I come up with a decent solution.

To those of you who came up with ideas and offered help, muchly appreciated. :beer: