Air

Also - if there are threads or topics that anyone thinks should be in there just let me know.

ronjon10

+1

Air

I might keep the Clyde-o-rama also stuck as a way of saying 'hi' for newbies.

KingTermite 

I agree...that should probably stay too.

WillisB

I started the thread in question and voted no in this poll. I was interested to see if this disease was something we had in common as Clydes and Athenas. It is. That is enough for me.

Terrierman

I think the Clydesdale stickie universe is overly weighted to the grossly obese and the problems that are related thereto. I understand why, but think there needs to be more balance and emphasis on just being a big frickin guy or chick who likes to ride a bike.

Stujoe

I like these ideas or any combination thereof.

Bill Kapaun

I'm with the posters that think we may be getting "stickie happy". This forum certainly isn't THAT bad compared to C&V however. 10 stickies over there!
What I would suggest is maybe a LOCKED "stickie" covering medical issues in general for Clydes and maybe?? +50. Moderators could post links to specific threads, about specific diseases/problems that they deemed worthy.

Having a specific diabetes sticky might raise the "medical class wars" issue, with people wondering why my (fill in the blank) illness isn't listed.

Air

Do you mean a sub forum or are you talking about moving them all to the Nutrition forum? I'd be in favor of a sub but not moving them out of our Clyde area because a lot of the health issues are unique to the larger sizes.

Air

Check my sig - it already exists. If there are other links that should be in there let me know.

neilfein

People generally know to stay on the OP's topic. Except for situations that clearly call for a sub-forum (and there certainly are some, I think a diabetes subforum is a good example of this), I'd suggest keeping the forum relatively "flat" with subforums being the exception is the best idea. As I see it, sub-sub-forums inside sub-forums taken to et cetera is just wall-building and intimidating to newbies.

Edit: I voted incorrectly in the poll by mistake. How do I switch my vote?

BeckyW

The cleaned-up stickies are great - that was a good idea!

I think we should wait before creating a sub-forum. Topics tend to come in waves, and right now we've had a big wave of health/weight-loss related threads. Doesn't mean it will always be that way, and a quick reaction could easily end up creating a sub-forum that's rarely used.

The other thing I've been thinking about, as far as a sub-forum for health and weight-loss, is that for many of us who started cycling to lose weight (even if we're now losing weight so we can go faster/farther/better ), riding the bike and losing weight are completely entwined. The struggles and triumphs go hand in hand, and do we really want to separate them?

I know not everyone here needs to lose weight. Quite possibly not even half do. But the more I think about it, it seems likely that if we exile all health and weight-loss threads to a sub-forum, the main Clydes forum will lose some of its most inspiring threads, and become like every other place on bikeforums (still not bad, but not the same).

Air

First off - this thread is definitely not about Diabetes anymore. Tom - maybe a title change to general Clyde forum discussion?

Historian - I'm sorry you were made to feel chased! I loved reading about your progress and looked forward to your posts - sugar coating be damned.

I would not want to see a sub-forum on just Diabetes - way, way too far of a subset. I did a count - of 50 posts 5 were on weight loss or 10%. Probably 80% of the posters here are either trying to lose or have lost weight as a primary or secondary goal of biking. That number doesn't seem to hit someone over the head when they come in as a forum geared towards losing weight.

But I think as a way to satisfy the "We're not all about losing weight" idea (similar to when we wrote that opening paragraph for the Clydes section) a sub section on Weight loss and nutrition may be a good idea. Separates out those whom losing weight while biking is a primary concern (and there are concerns there that are specific to a biking forum and would not receive the same advice/encouragement than on other forums - what works for one person doesn't work for everyone else but the people who are coming here found and love something that seems to be working for them so awesome and stay the course) from the purely 'biking' discussions.

As Historian pointed out, there are other places to get that information as well so if someone doesn't want to partake there's not a pressure or implied sense of Clyde=Fat.

Air

True.

Oh, and let me edit my post above to Weight Loss and Health (or something similar) which would include Diabetes and other health related topics, not just weight.

[sidenote - I think I run the gammot every day between enthusiasm and complete and utter disgust in that department. I like to stick my head in the sand but usually when I do is when I'm more successful - for that there are quite a few days I don't read Clydes. That subforum would accomplish that if there are others like me]

neilfein

Historian, good to see you're diving back into the melee.

Maybe folks who are more tall than heavy need to make more of an effort to welcome others like them; I'd certainly welcome that, even though I'm hardly tall. But I'm an ex-clyde, what do I know?

My preference is always to let the chaos show patterns on its own and let folks pick and choose what they like. If one has to seek out knowledge, it's less likely one will simple come across something interesting. But that's me.

I find weight loss stories inspiring, actually. And for folks who don't, there's always the option to simply say, "not for me" and not read such threads.

neilfein

As a recently ex-clyde (barely), I'm more concerned with keeping off what I've lost and maybe pushing a little further. And this board is very helpful in that.

lil brown bat

Now you've got me curious. What's the pattern?

BeckyW

+1

Especially since as of a minute ago, there were only two non-bike related threads on the first page (aside from the before/after sticky and the sexy clyde pics thread... though there are bikes in that one too).

Edit: rephrase: two threads related to health problems and weight loss.

Tom Stormcrowe

I have no problem either way, Neil, however I do insist on this forum remaining a supportive area for those that do have weight issues and their methods and ideas have merit just as yours do. I insisted on respecting all viewpoints on this forum and you got mad and decided to stop posting here for a while.

I responded to you as part of this forum with alternative viewpoints and you implied I was trying to portray you in a bad light by simply debating you and presenting a softer view. I submit that the problem is yours and not mine. If you have issues with me, that's fine, I'm not in a popularity contest. I do insist however that other viewpoints than yours be respected. You are always welcome here, don't think you aren't. I think you can make very valuable contributions here, and I've told you this often enough. What's past is past and I'll let it lie if you will.

Mike_Morrow

I have to say that strikes me as a very unfair assessment.

I suspect you and I have feelings and theories on weight loss that are more closely aligned than many others on this forum. With that said I will say that the moderation on this form has always been extremely evenhanded and fair. It would be unfair to think the moderator ought not have an opinion. I have never seen (though it may have happened) a post removed or deleted for disagreement on weight loss related issues.

The Clydesdales forum almost by definition has to deal someone with weight related issues. In general most Clydesdales don't fall in a class of being 6 foot four and 220 pounds of raw muscle. If a person is a Clydesdale riding a bike and conversing with other Clydesdales it is likely that more than strictly biking conversation is going to come up. Due to shared circumstances weight loss and weight related issues are almost guaranteed certainty.

It seems to me that on forums such as this are a goal should be to take what useful information we can find and leave the rest. Intense arguments over things we disagree with are unlikely to change either party's mind and simply get away of other potentially useful things we might be able to glean.

I will close by saying the moderation of this forum has always been in my opinion outstanding. As a whole the Clydesdale forum is very welcoming and helpful.

Tom Stormcrowe

Neil, I'm not going to argue with you.

Air

Steering back towards the forum here for a moment....

Sub Forum for weight loss & health? Ayes & Nays?

Caincando1

Wieght loss would fall under the "training and nutrition" catagory that already exist. If we are talking about a specific "weight loss" sub forum under the C&A forum, I say EYE. Altough maybe it should incude more than just weight loss. Say "health and fitness" that would include, medical, nutritional, weight loss and non-cycling related fitness discussions.

JeeperTim

I'd get more benifit from a sub forum for my area. Mountains/plains seems pretty broad and dominated by mountains posters.
Don't really see a need to change anything though - I've figured out where to find what I'm looking for, I'm sure others will as well.

Air

Right -that's what I imagined. Not nutrition but weight loss and 'health' which could include Diabetes, blood pressure, arthritis, or whatever ails thee.