This Forum is not dying

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?

 

Nope. We're approaching the close of the season, so I guess that might be a factor. Might see a bit more activity come the Worlds, but once it's all ended, I doubt we'll see numerous Belgo-Cross threads.

 

Maybe people got tired of every thread turning into a tirade against doping, and went elsewhere.

I did.

 

Come on Klodi. Let's get some interesting (hopefully) threads going (on pro cycling).

 

Nail on the head.

This forum seems to gravitate toward doping more than any other (bar the actual Doping forum )

Typical thread, insert names as you like.

Poster 1....... Wow see *pro rider* go he's just awesome !!
Poster 2....... Yeah that's cos *pro rider* is doped up to the eyeballs.
Poster 3....... Oh yeah everyone knows *another pro rider* dopes/doped.
Poster 4....... They ALL dope. cows blood cows blood etc.

depressing after a bit.
I suppose that's the most corrosive thing about cheating, if anyone does anything exceptional then its discounted by the cynics as nothing more than a false result.
The fact remains people do achieve levels thought to be impossible.
e.g. 6 May 1954 R.Bannister 1st sub 4min mile run.

Personally I'll take the Liggett line 'now we've got a clean peloton' and just enjoy the racing.
Still hurts when your favoured rider gets beat and there is a big temptation to cast aspersions but unless its proved then I say the best man won.

Has this post turned into a tirade?
my bad.

 

IMHO Cyclingforums can ban a username, but can't ban an IP address (I don't know why - other sites can).

The particular banned member reinvents himself as a new member the next day and the cycle continues.

This particular user craves attention, and when he gets no response to his own tiresome threads, he hijacks others with the same, totally off-subject, cliched message. He thinks that people are in denial about his message - but he fails to appreciate that people don't care for his rude interuptions to a thread/debate, and really don't care about hearing his message for the 1000th time. His intense motivation to inform the masses gets fueled by negative responses to his posts ("You Jan Ulrich / Nike Pharmstrong apologists are ALL in denial"). But really - IMO we are just sick of being forced to wade through posts from a tiresome jerk.

You see if you make the thesis that all cyclists dope - you can never be proved wrong. Every time someone is caught doping, you can cite it as contributing to the proof of your thesis. But it is impossible to disprove the thesis. It is impossible for any rider to be caught clean. We all know that passing a dope test does not mean that a rider is clean. So the self-congratulatory, ego-fluffing cycle continues. And unfortunately people here suffer at the hands of a twisted personality.

PS BTW Your username is ironic considering your complaint about threads always running to a debate on doping. Weedvspeed.

 

First, I have not had much time to post as of late. Second, this year's Vuelta has got to be the sorriest excuse for a GT route that I can remember. Third, I seldom open threads that have Heinz listed as the last post because I know that it will be the same boring rant that he posts to every other thread.

 

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.

 

I blame it all on Lim.

 

I've only been a member since June of this year. I expect this forum, as someone stated, quietens down from fall to late winter. Is the current lack of activity a normal seasonal lull? Or is it because people are still winded by the TDF fiasco and relatively uninspired by the Vuelta this year? Or because of a negative retard taking advantage of cycling's challenges with doping? Or all of the above?

 

I DO think that the doping crap is part of what's killing discussion but you're 100% right. This year the Vuelta route was idiotically put together where there's waaaay too much time between stages that have an effect on GC. So anyone interested in the GC watches for 2 days then waits 10 days, watches for 1 day and then waits almost another 10 days before there's anything relevant again. What were they thinking?

 

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.

 

Up until the mid-80's the Vuelta was 17 days. Why not revert back to a shorter race and cut out some of those crap stages across the middle of nowhere.

 

ditto the above

 

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.

 

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.

 

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 TdF. 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.

 

I never had much interest in the Vuelta...... I'm a spring Classics and a TDF/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.

 

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.

 

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.