This Forum is not dying

[limerickman]

Originally Posted by Klodifan

Maybe it is just me, but there hardly seems to be lively discussion about anything here. And if there is a thread or two, it isn't about cycling.

Are people just burned out? where are all the regulars that have kept this forum going?

Is this forum going the way of the vuelta?

Hard to retain an interest when practically every thread in the GT section descends in to an exchange about doping.

I created a number of threads for the 2007 Vuelta stages : and there has been little or no contribution to those threads.
I'm not complaining, just remarking.

I've watched most of the Vuelta and would be happy to discuss same - but there just doesn't seem to be any interest in discussing the race.

In addition, I note that ES have covered the Tour of Britain and Tour of Poland : so people can't use the excuse that limited coverage prevents them from commenting here either.

[nns1400]

Originally Posted by fujibike

I think this forum is refreshing compared to the other major forum. I guess I prefer fewer, non-controversial posts. The other forum has more than its share of off topic categories that have to be sifted through. My only objection to this forum is the articlebot that picks up every little news item from every little source.

For me, I'm a teacher, so I only follow cycling in the summer, I admit to being someone who has really only been interested in the Tour de France. I am way too busy to keep up with it now that my family is back in school and sports. But I miss it.

However, my interest is expanding -- I just went to Stage 5 of the Tour of Missouri and we had a blast. Getting more interested in US cycling. Just not much time for it. I'll be posting like crazy come June.

[wolfix]

Originally Posted by limerickman

Hard to retain an interest when practically every thread in the GT section descends in to an exchange about doping.

I created a number of threads for the 2007 Vuelta stages : and there has been little or no contribution to those threads.
I'm not complaining, just remarking.

I've watched most of the Vuelta and would be happy to discuss same - but there just doesn't seem to be any interest in discussing the race.

In addition, I note that ES have covered the Tour of Britain and Tour of Poland : so people can't use the excuse that limited coverage prevents them from commenting here either.

I never had much interest in the Vuelta...... I'm a spring Classics and a Tour de France/Giro guy. The World's of course.
I have been following the Tour of Missouri . I should have gone down to see a few stages since it is just half a day away.
I'm going to attempt to follow American cycling next year. I live at the halfway point between 2 big American stage races so the interest should be high for me.
The UCI/ASO have screwed up so much interest of mine in the Euro peloton with it's inconsistencies. The sport has turned into a joke. I hope it rebounds quickly.

[limerickman]

NNS and yourself - are free to open a ToM thread if you wish.

I'm interested in reading about races from any (and all) regions.

[Crankyfeet]

Perhaps we should rename the thread "Pro Cycling Events Around the World" or words to that effect. The current forum title is limited to GT's.

Originally Posted by limerickman

NNS and yourself - are free to open a ToM thread if you wish.

I'm interested in reading about races from any (and all) regions.

[TrekDedicated]

I've become less and less inclined to come to the forum because everyone rants about doping all the time. Or they hijack threads and make it about doping.

[stevebaby]

Originally Posted by weedvspeed

The fact remains people do achieve levels thought to be impossible.
e.g. 6 May 1954 R.Bannister 1st sub 4min mile run.

...Bannister...DOPER!

[nns1400]

Originally Posted by limerickman

NNS and yourself - are free to open a ToM thread if you wish.

I'm interested in reading about races from any (and all) regions.

If you are interested, the turnout and the support for the race was phenomenal, apparently much more than the teams expected. So cycling isn't dead in the US; we are excited to actually see it.

That being said, the television news virtually ignored it, which blew me away considering they shut down half of downtown for the race. They spent a full 30 minutes discussing the both the Rams (football) and the Cardinals (baseball) LOSING, but they don't have 5 minutes for the Tour.

Big crowds everywhere for it, though. We were blessed with phenomenal weather for the week, so that helped. I look forward to it being an annual event. I figured I wouldn't see Hincapie racing in it again, but since he won, he was asked if with T-Mobile, what were the chances he would come back to defend his title, and he grinned and said "very good!"

So that would be great. I never expected to see any European cycling teams, like, ever, and this is a very exciting and unexpected development for the Midwest.

[donrhummy]

Originally Posted by TrekDedicated

I've become less and less inclined to come to the forum because everyone rants about doping all the time. Or they hijack threads and make it about doping.

The real problem is that everyone who wanted to talk about the actual cycling kept responding to posters such as doctor_house instead of ignoring him. That eabled him to take over every post. If we ignore the doping comments (outside the doping board which does exist) then I think we'll all start having good conversations again. That means responding to everything else and acting like those posts/comments aren't even on your screen.

[janiejones]

Originally Posted by TrekDedicated

I've become less and less inclined to come to the forum because everyone rants about doping all the time. Or they hijack threads and make it about doping.

It seems to be a lot better now - once the Tour finished all those ****** went away.

I think I'll take next July off the forum and just ride.

[Eldron]

Originally Posted by Frigo's Luggage

Its the Vuelta. Does anybody care about this race at all? Frankly, I prefer the Classics to stage races. Paris Nice, Romandy, California, etc. They all tend to have the same formula. Start with a prologue which has little impact on the GC. A few sprinters stages. Couple mountain stages that shake things up a bit and widdle the race down to a handful of contenders. A time trial that decides the race followed by a processional last day for the sprinters. The Giro is a beautiful race and the Tour is the Tour. However, the Vuelta is just a long stage race at the end of the season for guys that didn't really live up to expectations in the Tour. It is just boring.

I'm counting the days to Het Volk.

Agreed - but on a much larger scale - the grand tours are getting more and more boring - and more and more drugs are used/blamed/promoted/whatever. It's been ages since more than a minute separated the top 10 GC finishers in a stage - 10 secdons here, 20 seconds there - YAWN.

The classics are much more exciting - bring on the European spring!!!! Attack - counter attack - five different groups chasing each other at warp speed through little towns and short steep hills.

[Tim Lamkin]

Originally Posted by Bro Deal

This site uses software that is used by many other sites. I don't see how it can be lacking a feature to ban IPs or IP blocks. It was pathetic how he was banned twice in a couple of days and then they let his new incarnation continue. A sad example of moderation. I think we are seeing a lack of will rather than a lack of ability.

You can ban any IP, you can place someone on MU, you can use Coventry to stop unwanted people form coming in, there are 30 different ways to keep someone out…and three are “for ever” you can even kill floating IP’s…so if you want someone gone it can happen.

[wicklow200]

The Tour de France was a nauseating experience this year.

The sport is a joke

[helmutRoole2]

Originally Posted by wicklow200

The Tour de France was a nauseating experience this year.

The sport is a joke

+1... I spend most of my time on the fishing forums now... There's a doping joke in there somewhere.

[donrhummy]

Originally Posted by Eldron

Agreed - but on a much larger scale - the grand tours are getting more and more boring - and more and more drugs are used/blamed/promoted/whatever. It's been ages since more than a minute separated the top 10 GC finishers in a stage - 10 secdons here, 20 seconds there - YAWN.

The classics are much more exciting - bring on the European spring!!!! Attack - counter attack - five different groups chasing each other at warp speed through little towns and short steep hills.

Been a while? You mean 1 year, right? Floyd Landis had an epic stage that everyone said brought them back to the times of Merckx. And that was only 1 year ago. And even this year, while they ended up ruining it, the mountain stages between Rasmussen and Contador were incredibly exciting! And how about the first stage where Rasmussen broke away and took many, many minutes on his rivals and then suddenly people started talking about how he'd been working on his TT over the winter? Suddenly, it looked like a brilliant tactical move. And this year's Giro had two AMAZING stages: stage 10 where everyone literally collapsed crossing the finish line (see the pic of Andy Schleck leaning, near death, against the railing) and stage 17 on the Zoncolan. Have you been watching the GT's?


NOTE: as for banning IP's, it's not always simple. If people are using dynamic IP's given by their ISP, banning that IP may block them for a week or so, until they shut off their modem and upon re-logging in, they have a new IP and their old IP now belongs to someone else, who unfortunately is now banned.