A beginner's MTB section
 

I don't know about the advanced section...no need to split it that much. But some where for beginners is badly needed imo.

what shop mechanics section? I bet I could pass the test

Obviously something needs to be done, I don't think splitting the forum into beginners and advanced will be the solution. I'm willing to entertain anyones ideas, I have quite a few of my own, I'll post the better ones down the road.

Ide like to see a sub forum up personally, like "The begginers guide to mtn biking".
If i had my way, ide replace the mountain bike racing one (nobodies gonna miss it) with a sticky titled "bikes around or under 500".
Then you limit the size a post can be to reply to it so that it discourages any chit chat, only models of bikes should be posted. If you have them just a small message and a model name it will discoruage people from aksing questions and all that which is the cause of the 500$ mtb threads demise.
If they have questions, well now they have a nice easy to read no nonsense list of bikes they can google or ask questions about in the main forum.

Why should beginners be limited to $500 bikes?

What about a "what bike to buy" forum?

How about a few well placed messages on how to search the forums, or find info from manufacture sites, or from review sites?

/ late night thoughts.

I think it is important that you all ask the question... What are our primary goals by creating a subforum? What has happened to prompt the need for such a forum? If I am not mistaken it is mainly due to the fact that some people perceive the repetitive posting of questions from newbies asking what bike to buy as annoying. Personally I am not all that annoyed by it, but there seems to be a pretty significant degree of ill will towards such posts. That, in and of its self is a problem, just the fact that so many good loyal forum members are annoyed. (even though i am not one)

So we need to do something to address the repetitive posts. A sticky called "the Around $500 MTB Thread" was started and it was supposed to be a resource for those that would happen into the forum and ask the much maligned question. That thread got quickly out of control and it is now a consensus that it needs to be dismantled and we need a new plan. Newbies happenening into the forum were being sent to the thread which was likely a very disconcerting experience for them. That is bad.

That brings us to today. A subforum has been suggested. I am in complete agreement with this idea. It is a great idea. It will solve most all of the problems if it is designed correctly. So what should be included in this new subforum. Well, i think it should be called Mountain Biking 101. Why? I think that is basically pretty self explanatory. Remember the point of this subforum is to hold information that most more experienced forum members and Mountain bike riders already know. The subforum is for beginners and hence the "101."

Next question is...What should be in this subforum. Well quite simply it should have all of the things that get asked over and over and all of the links that get doled out over and over. It should have a short description of what mountain biking is as well as the definitions of the types of riding, freeride, singletrack,downhill etc.

There should be a section on selecting bikes with a link to Mountain Bike review. Also there should be detailed info on how to search the forum for previously asked questions as well as how to google to find info. Remember why we are creating this subforum to begin with. I would also have links to Park Tool, Sheldon Brown and anything else that anyone can think of.

Lastly, and probably most importantly the subforum needs to be CLOSED! Yep, that's right, closed. Of course that would mean that it really isn't a "subforum" but rather a resource. Consider what will happen if you don't close it. YOu will have a BIG problem with parallel threads running in both forums. People won't know whether to post in Mountain Biking 101 or to post in the Mountain Biking forum. There will also be a lot of cross posting etc. The subforum if left open will soon get muddled with junk posts and we will be right back to where we are with the $500 MTB thread. So once the Mountain Biking 101 SubForum is all set up and fully comprehensive, then lock 'er down. You'll be glad you did. ;)

My plan will accomplish everything that we set out to. It will spare the loyal forum members of so many repetitive posts and it will provide new riders with a VERY good resource. They will be able to leave the Mountain Biking 101 forum and go back to the Mountain Biking forum and ask very good questions. That would be nice.

^^

Great ideas there, I agree with him.
Maybe merge the MTB racing forum into the regular one.. that'd work alright.

I like rangers ideas. IN a sub forum for begginer mtn bikes we can have lot sof stickies. One of course being a guide for 500 dollar range bikes.

My question at this point is....Do we really need a subforum or just a sticky? Of course you could just put several closed posts in the subforum, but i think you could basically include all of the MTB 101 info and links that you need in one sticky. Maybe not?

Regardless of how you do it, it still has to be CLOSED. Why can't a newbie be referred to a closed sticky or subforum and then he/she can go back to the Mountain Bike forums and continue on as per normal?

I don't see why it has to be closed. I like the idea of an interactive forum....

I also don't like the idea of an advanced forum. I think that would divide the forum to much and just make it ridiculous. A safe place for beginners to ask questions is one thing, a place for the 7 or 8 advanced users we have to go hide is ridiculous for such a small mtb community.

Its been proven time and time again people don't really read stickys. A subforum is the best idea and a comprehensive sticky is the next best in my little world.

Its true...most people dont read stickies. LOok at the fork buying guide. I dont know its just me but i didnt even look at it until not long ago. It doesnt even have many views. A sub forum is the best idea if you ask me. It should not be closed. Becuase like maelstrom said, interactive is good. But also, one person cant come up with all the bikes, other people have different things to contribute. Im still convinced limiting the post size is key though, so that people are pushed; either name a bike or dont post.

My reasoning for having closed sticky's is that is the only way to keep it clean, organized and precise. Look at any of the other sticky's and see how they develop a life of their own. I think that i may be thinking about a different goal than some of you.

I don't necessarily look at the subforum as a rationale for segregating the mountain bike forum. I was looking at it more from the perspective of creating a "resource library" for newbies. I understand that their is a desire to have some of the newbie questions eliminated from the MTB forum, but does that mean you have to eliminate the newbies?

Is it the goal to try and get most of the newbies off in the MTB 101 subforum, and leave the MTB forum for Senior Members and more experienced riders? IF it is, than fine but that certainly isn't my intent. Again, i thought we were just creating a resource for the newbies that would clear up some of the repetitive questions in the Mountain bike forum. I didn't really stop to think that some might be actually seeking more of a Beginners and Advanced seperation.

Regardless, if you do try and have a Mountain Biking 101 subforum, where the newbies go and try and find answers to common questions, than there is a problem. Who is going to answer these questions? The same people that usually answer them in the Mountain Bike forum now? If so, than what is the point?

If you claim that putting ONLY a bunch of links and info will clear it up for them by itself, than you have to wonder how they will be able to get at this info if you leave the "information threads" open. They will quickly turn to long, drawn out, off topic posts just like before. So you will need people in their to give advice to the newbies. The question again is.........who will give the advice? My thought is that it will be the same people that give it out now, and are so irritated with these repetitive posts.

Maybe someone can break it down for me exactly as to what they intend to accomplish with the subforum? HOw do you envision it will work? I simply can't see starting up an almost identical forum to the MTB Forum as accomplishing anything any different than we presently have.

To keep it seperate. Maybe keep the grumpy people from even bothering to go in and answer. I see it simply like the way it works everywhere else. in the two other forums beginners go in and ask questions, there are stickys to help find answers but the questions get ask. You are right the same people will keep answering but hopefully it will be a buffer for those people that cant seem to keep their noses out of beginners threads, leavng them a place to post any question they want and not worry about it.

I think having a closed sub forum with threads and stuff will leave everything as it. People will still post in the regular forum and get jumped on for not searching. I envision it as exactly the title says, a beginners forum.

I am also trying to create a way to make it as little work as possible. To have a subforum that the mods have to keep updated and up-to-date just isn't feasible. I don't have that kind of time and neither does anyone else.


Not mine either.

I think we have the same goal, just two different viewpoints on how it will work.

thats why i believe it needs to be open, not closed. People can always update. If you have it so people can noly say a nem of a bike in the thread for bikes around 500, then they can either google it or ask it in the seperate forum. That way other people can do a search and it will appear. BUt if they want a nice list of cheapish bikes they dont need to sort through a bunch of stuff that they probably dont care to.

I support any kind of action at all as I currently do not have the time to post suggestions but was asked to show support for the idea.

+support

That was subtle. ;)


Does anyone else have any suggestions, or just complaints? I think I have pretty much described my vision or lack thereof.

I've been wanting a sub-forum to replace stickys. It just seems that the sticky dosn't work very well. I've visited it once or twice and there are just so many posts, it takes ages to find things, and I dont bother visiting it anymore. A sub-forum would give anyone wanting a new bike a better chance of finding results, and a better chance of a reply for there own. I also think it could even replace the Mountain Bike Racing one.