I feel the problem is, that everyone just needs to get out there and ride.

Some of the arrogance and ignorance have made me frequent this forum even less then before.

You too?

Don't know about everyone else but I've just been busy with work, family and riding. That really puts a damper on the amount that I post during the Summer months. Some people may count this as a blessing though.

Plus it really bothers me when people that have no real world experience post answers because it is something that they "heard about" or "read about" or know of a friend of a friend's first cousin's baby's momma having experience with it. Sometimes I just have to kind of step back and take a breather.

Very much so, some of the threads on here make my blood boil.

The average adult with a family does not usually hold regular intelligent discussions with 13 and 14 year olds on a basis of equality, but that is expectation here. You are frequently dealing with kids (or childish adults), so the abnormal social situation may be part of your issue.

(Though I recognize that the frustation does not appear limited to any single age group.)

It's not so much about the inactivity of the forum but rather that the threads' quality seems to go down. Sure, maybe people don't have time to post interesting things during the summer but it might be due to other things too, I know not.

Hey thanks 66...I didn't take any pictures on the last few rides late last week and over the weekend because they were faster paced rides with essentially no stopping. But we have more mountain rides planned this week so I'll force myself to stop and take photos!

Which has also helped to decrease the amount of ignorance.

I think it's a summertime thing too. I know I was more active in the boredom of winter when all I could do was think of riding. For myself, too, I think over time I've learned to control myself and not chime in on every thread and instead limit myself to the ones that really get me enthused (or agitated ).

As for Raiyn, I only kind of miss him. He seemed to have a lot of knowledge; but his manner was somewhat sanctimonious and always a bit caustic. There seemed to be a lot of biitterness there that eventually put people off. Still, it's a shame that he felt the need to leave rather than stick around and maybe tone it down a bit.

Peek, you have a good observation about the serious questions vs. the inflamatory ones. I think that's just the nature of a forum, though. Threads that appeal to our baser instincts will get the fur flying, where technical specifics can really only be answered well by a handful of people who've been down that exact path before.

All in all, I still like this forum way better than the MTBR ones; and though I like picking up the local news off the Pac. NW part off RideMonkey, this one is still my "must-read" every day that I can. Keep up the good posts folks!

I find far more good on here than bad. One thing to remember is it's the 'net, don't take it too seriously.Just have fun with it.You kind of figure out who knows their stuff and who doesn't.

Sounds like my duplicate. My posting has gone way down. Work has become more work and I want to spend as little time on the computer as possible. Its summertime and I am riding or building my bikes on my off time and I am just generally disherartened by the forum. I think I am where A2 was 2 years ago. And seriously,

Happens every summer...it slows down and becomes more fluff. The interbike hits, bad weather rolls in and the e-genious's and e-speculation come out full force

I think it is a summer thing, at least in part. My non-profit's donations (and my pay therefore) usually goes way down in the summer months but then picks up again in September. People might be out riding or on vacation. I myself was in Tibetan China for 3 weeks in June travelling in remote villages with no computer access.

I'll add that MTBR,monkey,and a couple more are the same way. Not a lot going on.

I know that I haven't been posting much lately because most of my free-time is gone(working 50+ hrs in100-115 degree heat) . I've been riding a lot before work, my rides start at around 4:30 am and end at about 6:30, Then I go wrench on boats for 10+ hrs. When I get out of work , if it's below 105, I'll take a short road ride to clear my head before dinner/SportsCenter/bed. I'm sick summer already . The only thing that keeps me going at work is thinking about my Moab trip in October.

I stopped dropping in as much because I felt my time on the net would be better spent riding, working out, working on the house and with the children. Also, as a2 stated, the overwhelming repetitive posts were getting a bit too much to say the least.

I do drop in now and then, make a quick post and then off I go.

DBD

I guess that was a pot-shot at me then huh?

Try to find a 'ignorant post' I've made in a past thread.

Definately. I also think the numbers became overwhelming. I remember back when there was....10 or 15 common posters...period. Coming from a BBS background there is something to be said for small and intimate. This site was the closest thing I could find to my old bbs days with coolio, a2, dirtgrinder, dbd, raiyn, kona (danka?) and a couple of others.

Hey Mael, is SLC still up in your neck of the woods (yeah I know he is/was a bit south)? Have ya heard from him and hows he been?

DBD

SLC is doing well. Passed his final exam for the firefighter cert he was going for. He lives in Bellingham WA which is literally across a bridge from Poco (in canada). He has been busy and not riding unfortunately, he has a sweet v10 hanging out in his living room. We talk quite a bit on msn and on the phone. When he first got here he was up here every couple of weekends riding the local trails. Life kind of got in the way (as did those freaking gas prices) I will tell him you said hi

Let me take a different angle on this... it seems that some threads ONLY get this type of response, that is, not first-hand knowledge. Although not as good as first hand, I'd appreciate responses that were second hand, rather than nothing at all.

That being said, it might be helpful if posters cite where they hear things, if he/she doesn't have first-hand knowledge. For example, instead of "my friends said that ____" say "my friend owns an LBS and said that in his experience ____". Or, instead of "I read that those forks are good" say "I read a review in Mountain Bike mag (7/05) that said _____".

I think people are out riding more, and watching the tour. Personally that's what I've been doing, which leaves not much time to come on here and cause trouble. I'll make it a habit to come on and stir things up a bit, I apologize.

I hope nothing happened to Raiyn. He was posting nine or ten times a day, and then just stopped. His last day of posting was normal...just discussing this and that...no sign of unhappiness with the Forums or any members.

I talked to him like 2-3 weeks ago. He left because of some kind of disagreement with a moderator. He's still around, just reluctant to come back.

Raiyn is just fine! He's enjoying his life....(probably riding his bike and not at the keyboard like the rest of us!)