But of course. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I don't reckon that everybody who wanders in here has aspirations of doing a group ride.

Not all the geese in North America fly south in season either. Some of them spend winters here and crap all over our parks. What's your point?

What's with the 'reckon' lingo esse?

Perhaps you boys could direct this Sturm und Drang towards the World Financial Crisis where it's needed.

I'm trying to take all this seriously. God help me, I can't do it.

is that the new Trump building?

You know what my point is.

We use the word reckon down here.

Wow - you guys really piled on that kid. He invited criticism but he didn't ask to get flamed. I'm a little surprised at some of the folks who did the bashing - they're people I normally wouldn't expect that kind of behavior from. Did someone take y'alls turkey or something over the holidays?

There's a little something called 'constructive criticism'. It's really neat. When you uses it people actually listen to your ideas (usually) and, I know its hard to imagine, you don't drive people away as much.

I don't regret one word I posted in response to LUUUKE's posts.

some of the things I said to Siu were a bit off-base though, and I apologize for that.

Oh, and btw you guys should have seen my first couple of bikes. The mechanics at the shop still laugh about them. Now I ride 300 miles a week, and race. A large part of it was because even though I had some ridiculous gear the guys at the shop took me under their wing and steered me in the right direction.

Another large part of your success is that you didn't look at an internet forum as your primary resource.

if only anyone knew the irony in a PCad paceline reference:lol:

Oh, I spent a lot time on the boards once I found them.

did you hook up at all?

Your post to the poster weren't bad (though I'd have tried to be a little more encouraging) - I was a little surprised at your behavior, as you mentioned, to Siu and East Hill. That's between you and them though.

Don't ask me to 'give me all you got' or for a wb in a race ever again you ungrateful little hoser. And no Pony for you this Chanukah either.

I'll bet you call soda 'pop' too.

:roflmao2: Don't get all emo. The smoothness of through and off just takes some time.

heh - not that it was the point but yep.

It is a bit eye opening to me how the opinions of the thread in question is so split. Some people look at it and shrug thinking that the OP had fair warning to HTFU before he posted and that there was nothing overly mean said in the thread and then there are others that can't believe how poorly the guy was treated. Not to much middle ground here. I tend to lean more towards the first group but I also see how others think that the OP could have and should have been treated better.

What a country, America.

I have the 'off' part down g.

For sure...worked like a charm too. The gull-e-bull people around here never cease to amaze me.

Hey, all, a little idea...

I tried to present the Road Cycling and posters here how I see them in the sticky thread for intro, but how about everyone here do a little give, as well as take. New posters help keep the forum from turning into nothing but the same old posters all the time, and they need a little time to learn the ways here as well.

How about a little bit of slack for the newbies? Remember, what you guys think of as friendly ribbing can be pretty intimidating at times to a newbie. You know you aren't trying to be over the top nasty, but do they? Remember that perception = reality, and there are no clues to indicate that you're teasing we normally use since this is a text base form of communication. No facial clues or body language.

Remember, I'm trying to help you folk out in preserving the edge you like, so how about helping back a bit and cutting the newbs some slack and teach instead of doing a dogpile?