What are your thoughts on having a sub-forum to SSFG for beginner questions? A place were new riders can post the questions that new riders post.

Basic guidelines would be:
- No flaming or poking fun.
- If you are tired of noob questions, then just don't go into the sub-forum.
- If you are feeling particularly helpful, then go there and help a guy out.

There is no guarantee that this will happen. I'm just soliciting feedback.

a lot of the mechanical related questions really ought to be moved to mechanics.
and a lot of the new rider questions seem to be related to how to convert their bikes to SS/FG.

I agree. I try to move some to mechanics, but I get grief over it.

I don't know if no0bs would know to look for a sub-forum. Not a bad idea though.

I think if it were there it would require moving a lot of moving threads, but I do think it would be a great idea. You might even think about putting in a subforum for just ssfg-related mechanical questions. Not exactly necessary, but this forum really does seem to like to keep it all in-house.

Define beginner.
I've been posting on BF for a long time.
Eventually they all seem like beginner questions.
How to convert?
Gear ratio?
Chainline?
Tires for skids?
Look at my bike?
Where can I find (insert color) tires, rims, seats, grips?

I say let them ask questions in the main ssfg forum, and give everyone else here a subforum to hang out in.

a lot of that is covered in the sticky

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...eed-Start-Here!

except, most of the people are either blind, illiterate or have short attention spans before asking a question that has already been answered in the sticky.

I'm torn on a noob subforum. Part of me would love to not see "Which BD bike should I get?" threads every day, but however when a thread is moved you still see a stub here, argh! (if people can't lurk for 1 week and see 7 other threads like the one they're about to post, I doubt >50% of them are gonna post it to the correct subforum on the first shot). And on the other hand I'm pretty sure I would still read the noob forum, and I think others would too, so I guess I vote no. I think the benefit noobs get from everyone seeing their thread outweighs people getting annoyed at "having to read" noob questions. The problem is that most all threads around here go on for like a week or longer so any annoyance of their existence feels magnified lol.

I think general bike mechanics questions should be moved, but anything mechanical specifically relating to fixed gear is ok/appropriate staying here imo. They're educational and not everyone probably checks both forums.

My idea would fix this!

A noob is just going to post - and apologize if it's in the wrong place. I think it's a waste of effort and introduces complications. Just don't read noob posts.

i think it could be beneficial as long as mods realize that they are going to be spending a chunk of time moving threads from the main forum to the sub forum. i agree that a lot of new kids won't know to go there, but after their first post is moved into it, they will get the hint. i've been on other bike forums with a beginner area that have been very successful.

i think that, as other people have hinted at, it is kind of vague to create a sub-forum for beginners, however, since that doesn't full address the problems people have with this forum. i.e. i think many threads about "help what bike/wheels/crank/etc to buy?" are started by people who would not consider themselves beginners, simply indecisive.

i'm still for it though, if it were to happen.

Not a terrible idea, but honestly all/most of the information a n00b needs is fairly easy to find on here.

I love giving advice, but also like to call out those who are blatantly stupid/unsafe/trolls.


...I guess I could handle just giving advice.

"no flaming or poking fun"
Wow what has the SS/FG forum come to?
Back in '04 the snarky comments were what kept me reading/posting.
Having read some of the recent posts I have to say this is like post Guiliani NY, friendlier, cleaner, but there is a certain gritty something missing....There is a strange disapointment in having visited only to returm home having not been mugged.

Come for the snark, stay for the tarck.

But yeah, if the stickies aren't working to quell some of the redundant threads, I don't think a sub-forum would.

do you really think the snarky comments of '04 are the same as they are here in '10? i dunno, maybe it's just because I'M 6 years older now, but i feel like when i came in here in '04 the whole feel was different. there was more camaraderie and support amongst all the snark. i feel like back then the forum was mostly supportive with a few *******s, whereas now it's 50/50 at BEST. back then, even the most rampant newb-bashing was still with a sense of acceptance, not dismissal... anyone else remember pistaboy? or nathan fabian?!? that thread was PURE GOLD compared to the drivel of the jackass thread.

i dunno, maybe i'm just turning into an old fart who looks longingly at the past... didn't think it would happen by 27.

seems like it couldn't hurt

Nothing gold can stay.

I seem to remember a policy change several years ago where the mods said they would tolerate less smarta55ery.
That was about the time I started dropping off for extended periods.
But I agree some of those old threads were golden.
It's like old hollywood movies where animals actually died. There was realism. Now we need disclaimers that say "no noobs were insulted in the making of this thread"

Come on man...

I agree! I mean do we really have to have a mature constructive discussion about bicycles?? What are we over 12 years old??...

yeah, but it's still in the archives... i have it bookmarked *runs off to flip through the thread like an old guy listening to AM radio*

Ahhhh...there it is. I've been looking for a new sig and it found me.

Cheers