jdon

That's about it. Started by pcad when he posted about his Scott Addict and morphed into a dumping ground. Kind of like a twitter feed.

BillyD

Ummmm yes and no.

Yes, Pcad started it about his Scott Addict and the addiction we all have to bikes, and it morphed over time into an off-topic catch-all thread where anything can be discussed (except P&R, of course). Instead of being a dumping ground, it became sort of a clubhouse where a group of guys could come and shoot the breeze about all kinds of stuff with guys they knew - like a Foo inside of the Road Forum.

And then guys are always free of course to venture into the rest of Road Forum for all the other tasty bike topics, then hop back and forth at will. But for a certain group of guys, day in and day out, Addiction thread is home base, the clubhouse. There's a nice camaraderie in there, a bunch of mature guys who mostly respect one another and lean on one another. I threatened them with infractions so they had to like me, but lets keep that between us.

So unless an uproar of dissension arises between now and 11, I guess we'll keep the name Pub 51. I understand some of you have reservations and misgivings and doubts - the natural order of things when changes are made. But give it a chance and try it out, I'm sure you'll like it. And feel free to drop by the Addiction thread any time - a decent group of guys and gals. And I hope I'm welcome over here as well . . . Lord knows I'm qualified chronologically.

Siu Blue Wind

But he threads that were complained about had NO cycling content!

The members "insulted" in that thread were not insulted enough to complain.

Dang. We're darned if we do, darned if we don't. What would you do in our situation when there are so many complaints? We are trying to please the majority. Either way we are the bad guys. We don't like to stir up negative feelings or throw a spoke in the wheels but seriously, we are up in arms here. That is why I asked if a whole new FORUM not related to Bike Forums should be started. I got no answers!! Help us out here.

GeorgeBMac

From my perspective, it seemed like a vocal few were being the squeaky wheel that was getting all the grease...

But, from what you just said, it is not just a few complaining. Or, actually you said: "so many complaints"...

We have no way of knowing whether the complainers make up 10% of the forum or a majority. Only you can know that. (But hopefully you are going by the number of complainers rather than complaints -- as you know, complaining is what we do best!)....

But, regardless, only you know the answer to that. Personally I think it is a mistake to cut back on the number and types of threads. But, you have the information so, speaking for myself, do whatever it is that you think will make it a better forum.

Retro Grouch 

Yup. No matter what you do, you are going to make somebody mad.

I honestly think that 50+ is on life support now and making significant changes to it will kill it.

GeorgeBMac

I don't think I have enough information to make a recommendation. But one option would be to set up a separate forum for those who are complaining. Call it 50+ cycling ONLY or some other stupid name. And let 50+ alone...

if there are that many complainers, it will work.

StephenH

The problem with the "Addiction" thread is that by the time it is 10 pages long, I don't want to have to read 10 pages to figure out what's going on, so I just skip. So pardon me if I don't try to get caught up on this when it's 200 pages long.

jdon

50+ was a place you could discuss all factors related to cycling beyond the half way mark. Sometimes family, work and health issues have every bit as much an effect and this was a place people could discuss them without the bravado (stupidity) of the 41.

I think Pub 51 is probably a good idea but there is no continuum of discussion in that kind of format. Give it a try, but maybe back off the heavy hand in regards to cycling and age related issues.

If there are harsh words, then hand out warnings. I wouldn't make changes though to appease the squeaky wheels.

Just my suggestion.

miss kenton

Sui,
I appreciate the efforts the moderators make in keeping things running smoothly on the forums. I am quite sure the mods get more than their fair share of criticism and very little gratitude. I have always found the Mods to be unobtrusive, and stepping in only when things got out of hand.

However, IMHO, the mods really missed the mark in this forum. I have read all the posts in all the thread concerning changes in the 50+ forum. It is clear that easily 80% of the members/posters would like to leave the forum as it is and have explained why. That leaves no more than 20% disgruntled. I am omitting all the silent members who are unhappy and have been pleading with the Mods for help in making the 50+ group a more welcoming place but are afraid to mention this on the forum. I do so because there is no evidence they exist. I am having a hard time understanding why the disgruntled 20% get to alter the forum for the 80% that are content. Do only the squeaky wheels get the oil?

But rather than just complain, I have a suggestion.
Instead of attempting to herd 80% of the population of the 50+ forum into a thread that is bound to become nothing more than a profusion of unrelated posts, why don't the disgruntled 20% instead, be assigned a thread of their own! There they may discuss, or limit the discussion of, anything they want without being subjected to the distasteful fluff the rest of us call "our lives?" The rest of us can take a vow never to bother them.

Phil_gretz

Miss Kenton has cracked the code. The reason I want to ride so often is to avoid the "distasteful fluff". Seriously, she's on to something...

Phil

kehomer

Depends.

Retro Grouch 

I have a question.

We've had a significant discussion about what's wrong with 50+. As I understand it the complaints are 1. Too many threads with no cycling content. and 2. Too much cliquishness. What do people think are the strengths of 50+?

I would ask the complainers what attracted THEM to 50+. There are other forums to discuss almost any cycling related topic, what made them select 50+?

jdon

I went to the Pink concert in Tampa last week...

CB HI

Almost everyone here knows that being a mod is a thankless job that almost none of us would ever want. Part of the problem right now is few, if any currently posting have any clue what prompted Tom's post. And then we get a thread on wheat and fat moved to FOO. I could have understood moving it to nutrition (and I would not have commented at that move), but FOO?

I think Pub 51 will be a less than useful thread, but give it a try. But I strongly suggest not cutting off, moving or telling anyone to take their topic to Pub 51.

Now I am going to out a BF member for a violation that he did not know he committed. Please leave him alone and do not mess with his threads. I already alerted him of the violation.

The returning 50+ member started a thread in 50+ titled:

"Recommendations for a Touring Bike for the Plus 50"

Someone immediately jumped in and gave alittle advice but also told the poster (in a nice way) it should be taken to the touring forum. The returning member started almost the exact thread in the touring forum.

Guess what, the touring forum is a little burnt out on "what touring bike" threads, so they have five replies touching a little on the OP concerns.

Now look at the 18 50+ replies. Are not the 50+ responses much broader and more useful to the OP. See why we like 50+ the way it is and sometimes have a valid reason for having our threads here, even if they might fit the subject of other forums?

CB HI

The difference between the 50+ and touring threads on "Recommendations for a Touring Bike for the Plus 50". More civil (most of the time). Better humor or at least better aged humor.

And none of the kids nowadays know what it was like to ride 50 miles to school in the snow.

Cougrrcj

I figure I'm more like the old dog on somebody's front porch -- I know I used to get excited, bark and chase things, but now I can't remember why...

aRoudy1

Make pub 51 a sticky and let it die off quietly.

Cyclist0094

Siu, My apologies if I made you feel unappreciated, that was not my intent. I very much appreciate the work you and the other moderators have done in the 10 years I have been a member here. No negative feelings on my part.

I referenced the thread in Touring to make up a point. While I was very offended by Takara's comment, I didn't push the button to complain. We all have to be adults and strive not to offend others with our comments, but at the same we all have to accept that we may not like or agree with everything we read here. As members we rely on moderators like you to weigh the content against the complaint and decide if intervention is necessary or if the complainant needs to told to lighten up or told to avoid that forum or member.

As for another forum for 50+ unrelated to cycling I see no need. You folks do a pretty good job of sweeping out the blatantly unrelated content. Just allow us a wee bit of space for life discussions

Thank you

Tom Stormcrowe

To CB Hi: What prompted my post as to cliquishness is that 50+ has gotten cliquish, simply put. You don't see it because you are inside. I am also 50+, but view things from other perspectives and am constantly performing sociological analysis on ALL the forums to keep them interesting and manage conflict levels to keep them from getting out of hand or from getting too vanilla. My backgound is Social Psychology and Sociology and Philosophy of Mind, by the way and essentially, what I am is a Cultural Analyst.

OK, Fooish threads can stay in here.....I really don't have a problem with that.

Sometimes if a thread is more relevant to other forums, we are going to move them. If it's also particularly topical, we have an option to move a copy of the thread and leave the original. That may be an interesting solution, because then the posters can read both and see more than one dominant point of view on a particular topic. If we clone the thread, we will leave a link posted in to the original, as well to direct you to that thread as well.

If it goes political, that WILL be moved to P&R.

If it gets nasty and insulting, the nasty, insulting posts will be split from the thread and set into their own thread in the real dumping ground of Bikeforums.....Trollheim, where I keep my tame trolls and political prisoners that can ONLY see Trollheim because they're locked up in the dungeon until they earn their way back into society.

I believe we are now in a 'nuff said" point on this topic. I've explained things as clearly as I can.

As to Pub 51, yeah, it's a good Fooish 50+ Off Topic thread, so yeah...and when it gets too big to load properly, we'll just close it and open a new version, just like we do with Addiction.

Tom Stormcrowe

Whoops, looks like I accidentally closed this when I stuck it......sorry about that, it's reopened now. My bad!

Bikey Mikey

...up hill both ways.

Actually, when I was in 7th grade, I did walk to school and back home uphill both ways(also downhill)--downhill first and then uphill. Oh, I also did it in the snow and in the rain--not exaggerating. Of course it was only about 3/4 of a mile.

no1mad 

I was walking about the same distance starting in like 2nd grade by myself- my mom walked me or dropped me off prior to that. Other than the odd field trip, I never saw the inside of a bus until the 7th grade. Nowadays, though, it seems like a big deal if a child walks any further than the curb closest to the front door of the school...

chasm54

At a realistic estimate of about 25kcal burned per mile cycled, a 1lb bag of peanut M&Ms will fuel you for a journey of just over 80 miles. Start eating them early, though, the peanuts will take a while to digest.

momsonherbike

That's it? Just 80 miles??? At $4 a bag?

Geez. I get better milage in my new Prius for the same $$$ in gas.

Totally sucks. Mom is not happy.

chasm54

Be happy. It just shows that you Americans pay too little for gas.