The middle group is out riding.

Would this be like having a racing sub group?

Only to read about Crits, TT and such in the road forum?

Yes

Yeah, that's from the noobs who don't know better...

One of the reasons that a beginner sub-forum was rejected was that the precise people that should be posting there wouldn't know to post there, and then would get yelled at for posting in the wrong place in addition to getting yelled at for posting a stupid noob question.

You should have done a search before you posted this....

Bahahahaah! That's a good one. From my limited experience here, NOTHING is going to save noobs from the flaming....from certain members. Though reading the sticky would most definitely help.

Who decides who is a noob? What about the noobs who don't think they're noobs. Is noob'ness determined by post count? Is there a test? Once labeled a noob, how do you graduate out of noobdome. Who decides what questions go in the noob section and what are allowed to grace the 41? Would the noob section be protected from those who feel the need to throw snide sarcastic comments that do absolutely nothing to contribute to the topic of the thread? Don't think the idea would work so well and would add a huge headache for the mods.

Seems redundant.

Only if there was a sub forum to the sub forum for first time posts, just so you have a place to post your first post.

And the forum could automatically start the thread "Help me choose my first bike" (I'm guilty, too!)

I hope you understand there is more to road riding than racing. Because I don't race, or have 29,000 post, does that make me a noob?

No that means I don't race, and haven't been a geek to post 29,000 times.

There is a race forum, and a road forum, if people would post race info in the race forum, then the non-racers would not bother you quite so much.

With 350,000 miles under my wheels, I am far from a noob. I'm just not a racer/poser.

I feel the 'help me pick my first bike' threads are a vital reason this site exists.
You have to support new riders, and besides- we've all done it before.

I agree COMPLETELY - and (for the most part) people are great with the repeated requests of first-time posters. I know the old-timers here get frustrated with the "should I buy a huffy or a colnago" questions (OK, I'm exaggerating) however, most first-timres don't read the sticky then search for answers to their questions. They just ask. I know I did! And, even though I've been riding for 35+ years, I want to get much more serious and have learned a lot from those here who enjoy sharing their passion and helping others develop theirs. After all, none of us were born with all this knowledge - we all had to learn it somewhere. Still, there are usually a few that, even though nobody held them a gunpoint and forced them to open a thread and respond, make sure the OP knows that this question has been asked a million times and just do a search. To those, I think moving those questions to a noob section would be desirable. That is all. I guess I didn't clarify my point well.

The plural of anecdote isn't data, and my one anecdote certainly isn't data, but:

I was never flamed.

So coming out with personal attacks already? I didn't say I was bothered, I was just giving the reasons that the beginner forum was rejected by the mods.

Yeah! Apologize to the 41!

maybe we could rotationally designate a veteran bike-guru-of-the-week to answer in the noob sub-forum? noobs should be subjected to 90 days of this hell. bgotw should consider it community service.

I fail to see where the much vaunted sticky proclaims that the Road Cycling forum is solely for discussions other than racing.

It's my understanding that 'racing' would be for racing only- no ' how can I work up to 20 mile rides" type posts, but "road cycling' can pertain to anything on pavement.

(with the possible exception of unicycling)

forums, serious business

There are many members of the racing forum that don't like to read or post in the road cycling forum. If you post your racing questions here, you will likely miss out on a lot of experience with little to no upside.

So they can't post here until at least 150 posts??

lol

There also seems to be a lot of off topic discussions and a healthy serving of "what should I get for my 1st race bike" threads as well.

Is there a point in there?

I fear your little racing forum over there may not be all that you hold it out to be. Don't get me wrong- it's nice and all...

Um, ok, whatever.

I don't know how this thread became about the racing forum. It's about a beginners forum. My point which you keep quoting is that beginners wouldn't know to use the beginner forum. Do you disagree?

I've been using this site for almost four months. Does that make me a newb? If not, when did I graduate from newbness? Is it a function of time, of post count or what? And how does one distinguish between being a newb to the site - which everyone is when they join - and a beginner at cycling, which many of us certainly aren't by the time we find this place?

A newbs/beginners forum isn't going to work. In the first place, it wouldn't be any use to anyone unless non-beginners posted in it. And anyway, in my experience and from what I've seen, newcomers to these forums get treated pretty gently. But maybe I'm just thick-skinned...