Just curious about other members' participation in this forum and how it maybe has changed over time.

My view:

My best guess is that I've been active in the commuting forum since 2008 or 2009. I started in Classic and Vintage and sort of wandered over here and stayed. I used to be active in the Winter Cycling and Triathlon forum but rarely visit either one now. Sometimes I'll go to the mechanics or road forum.

After several years of participation I see a lot of repeat topics. I've got no problem with that as newer members are going to have the same questions and interests that people have had in the past and they should have an opportunity to discuss them. However for me, this means that my interest in the forum will often wane for long periods of time as I don't always want to rehash the same old stuff again and again.

I'm not the only one since there are quite a few names that I don't see nearly as often as I did in 2008. Part of the natural progression of things I suppose.

What about the rest of you?

I peak and valley. When I first started commuting (6 wow years ago) I was very excited about everything. After a few months I started to trail off as subjects began repeating. Since then, I check in every 3 or 4 months for a coupe of days (but never post).

Also anytime I am shopping for a new bike or big ticket item I tend to pop back on. I'm currently shopping for a new bike, so I'm here again.

Pretty much how it is for me, too. Signed up middle of 2005, and I come and go depending on what's going on in life.

90% of my riding is commuting. I started bike commuting many years before joining BF, and then lurked here and in the road subforum for a few years, before finally deciding to share my experience where I could add something to the conversation. Got into touring a couple years ago, and started frequenting that subforum, as well, and winter riding on occasion. I like the commuting subforum the best because of the mix of people here, and generally positive discussions that are relevant to my daily bike commuting lifestyle. It's a great way to keep up with changes and new ideas, and break up the workday.

Yeah, the repeat topics get old after a while (how many times can we debate backpacks vs. rack and panniers?), and I don't have an urge to contribute most of the time because whatever I would say, someone else has already said.

90% of my reading and contributing is in the "How was the commute today?" thread, which still hasn't gotten old for me in the 4 years I've been around here.

I started on BF last year when I first got back into cycling, heavily perusing the Hybrid forum, since I was trying to make a hybrid out of my old MTB, since that's the bike I had and the riding that suited me at the time. Then I got my road bike and was heavy in that forum. Then I changed my MTB back to off-road duty and was perusing the MTB forums a bit. All that time I was in the commuting forums a bit, because of my desire to commute by bike. Then I actually started doing it last month and now I'm on this part of the forum almost all the time.

Still go over to the mechanics forum every now and then if I have an issue or whatever, but mostly I'm here in Commuting.

the commuting forum is the only sub-forum i spend much of any time in because of the diversity of people in this sub-forum. the other sub-forums are all so specific about a particular style of bike or a particular style of riding, whereas the commuting sub-forum is super wide open. sure, we're all utilizing a bike to transport us to some daily obligation at least part of the time, but the different ways that different people accomplish that on different routes, with different climates on different bikes is what makes this place interesting to me.

sure, a lot of the same topics are gonna get churned back up over and over and over and over (especially in spring summer when so many new people decide to take a stab at bike commuting), but i don't mind, and all offer my 2 cents over and over and over if the mood strikes. sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. and then once in awhile there's a brand new topic that really piques my interest.

it's all good. bicycles rule!

That's pretty much my take on things here too. I don't see many of the people who were regulars here years ago when I was wondering whether a pannier or backpack was the way to go, but I still feel this is the forum that has the best fit for me. I'm pretty grateful to be able to learn from others when a new problem or purchase comes up.

I couldn't have said it better.

Still fairly new at this commuting thing. This forum has helped me expand my riding horizons, by helping me understand what to do in various traffic situations before I take certain routes around town. Lots to learn about bikes. It's all fun!

Steely pretty much nailed it.

My interests go in a bunch of different directions all the time. But now that I'm unemployed (semiconductor process engineering, to all you hiring managers ), I've been reading here more, half out of boredom, but more in the hopes that my next gig or location will be amenable to the cyclocommute.

I currently have 2 C&V bikes (one fixed gear conversion touring bike mashup, one mostly original proper touring with recently installed LED dynamo lighting) and a 29er MTB. So I have some diverse tastes.

As others have stated above, this subforum is interesting to me because of the diverse set of solutions to any given problem and the respectful, accepting attitude that is generally displayed to others.

I was a commuter for years before discovering this place. I signed up originally to post in the 41, but quickly got tired of people talking about how many grams their chain rings weigh and how many energy gels they can fit in their puny saddlebag.

The commuting forum is mostly people who just love to ride, care very little about image, and have discovered the best possible use of the bicycle.

I started cycling again a few years ago. Since then BF has become an addiction for me; whenever I am on the computer and idle, I go check my subscriptions. I used to spend more time at C&V and C&A, but nowadays it's all Bicycle Mechanics and Commuting (since I moved and started bike-commuting full time this year) I really like Mechanics best, I love to just read and learn. Here at Commuting I'm interested a little bit in equipment threads, but more in those where we discuss how to be safe, how to best navigate such and such type of intersection, etc.

I have been commuting since March of 2012. I read threads and mostly do not contribute. I also read other sub forums such as over 50, and winter cycling, again not usually contributing. I do like the how was your commute today thread and will always contribute to that if I rode my bike to work.

I've never really posted a ton, but enjoy skimming through the topics for a few minutes to break up my day. I do click less on the 'racks vs panniers' etc threads as time has gone by (I know what I like, and doubtful that I'm going to convince anyone else...) but I still appreciate some of the new light/equipment threads that pop up, since I don't really pay attention to new stuff but like to have it sometimes

Mostly, I like to see threads about other peoples commutes/experiences. That, and drool over some of the shiny new commuter rigs people post

I went on a hiatus from the forum in general because biking in HK was mostly a recreational activity and I didn't have the time for it.

But I don't mind the repeat questions - It's new people getting into commuting and I don't mind providing what opinions that I have.

The interesting stuff is on how to handle various traffic situations. That can always come in handy.

One other thing that keeps me coming back is to find out about new products - like when bike headlights were replaced by NiMh powered LED flashlights that were replaced by Li ion flashlights etc... And the hope that someone will come up with a way to get the meanderthals to keep right on the bike path.

I like this forum along with the clydesdale forum and the touring forum. I love this part of the forum because, even though questions get asked over and over, sometimes others chime in with new/different information or perseptive and its all a learning processes.

One might think that there wouldn't be much to talk about -- you're just riding your bike to work, right? But there are always new people and new perspectives. Now that I'm addicted (see also: Commuting Mileage Thread), I like to help where I can as well.

I've been on BF for almost one year, and have seen plenty of repeat questions in that time (have probably started a fair number of threads myself), but haven't really got tired of the repeat threads yet. Still learn something new each time - like a better alternative to fix the Topeak MTX rattle I also frequent the hybrid and general cycling subforums, but commuting is my favourite place to hang out - even though I don't commute currently. I've discovered that I'm happiest on the bike when commuting or grocery shopping, less on recreational rides.

churn is pretty amazing. People pull up threads from only a couple of years ago and I barely remember some of the people posting in them

I think there is a lot of churn, but that's good as it continues to be a place that people learn, and share and get good advice. A person who wants to learn about commuting can pretty much get all the advice they'll ever need using the search function.

Like others who have been around for a while I tend to come and go a lot, peaks and valleys. I try to chime in if I think I have anything of value to add or find something interesting to share with others, and I enjoy reading the odd story or about the unique ride experiences and gear stories people share here. I'm gonna stick around for a while yet.

Yeah, and not just BF commuting. I continue to lurk even when It seems to go through a stale period. I used to frequent other interest related forums, and occasionally drift back. I used to be very active in a forum for RC planes, especially the Construction/and Q500 racing threads. I now bike more than I do that, so still spend a lot more time on BF, and check in there to mostly lurk about once a week.

I don't mind it. People come and go because of job & life changes and commuting by bike isn't always one of those constants that follows you through the change. I notice the ebb and flow with some posters heading over to Foo or the Road forum during times of change. I also like to see different perspectives even in threads that have been repeated....this is one of the friendlier forums, too.

It's pretty much the same thing for me - at a certain point the amount of new and useful information I get is to small compared to number of threads I have to sort through...

tjspiel - if I remember right, I sold you a pair of Crank Brothers pedals. Did they end up being useful, or did you end up selling them yourself? :-)