It’s not all about tyres. Except it is.
1. What tyres for UK winter?
Probably the most repeated thread on the forum. An absolute classic.
Standard reply: “Magic Mary front, DHRII rear.” Followed by 50+ further comments debating compounds and casings.
2. Hardtail v full sus
Usually either posted by people buying their first ‘proper’ MTB or returning to the fold after years away/roadieing.
Standard reply: “A good hardtail teaches you to ride properly.”
3. What bike for £3 – 4k?
Kinda like the next level to the post above; someone buying their next ‘proper’ MTB.
Standard reply: something costing £5k
4. SRAM v Shimano brakes
One of the eternal arguments. Pick a global cycling conglomerate and be a d*ck about it.
Standard reply: “You’re wrong.”
5. Are e-bikes cheating?
A debate that has evolved significantly over time. From ‘burn with fire’ through to ‘meh’ and ‘e-preacher’.
Standard reply: “It’s still riding a bike.”
6. “Which bike rack for my Transporter?
With van ownership being pretty common amongst forum regulars, this is a perennial favourite (that also helps bring in lots of non-STWer web traffic).
Standard reply: “I gave up and built my own interior storage that ended up costing several hundred pounds more.”
7. What is the best UK trail centres
This is pretty swiftly hijacked by the Natural Trails Alliance who go on list everything they don’t like about trail centres.
Standard reply: “What I don’t like about trail centres is…”
8. Tubeless won’t seal – help!
Much like the e-bike debate above, this is an area that has evolved over the years. It used to just get endless “just use inner tubes” comments but now things are a bit more helpful. Usually.
Standard reply: “Just ride it, it’ll seal.”
9. Anyone still riding 26/27.5/29?
A thread of varying degrees of nostalgia combined with ‘science’ and general resentment towards the bike industry.
Standard reply: some cliche about “playfulness”
10. What car for bikes?
Most folk don’t live bang adjacent to decent riding it seems. Transport discussions are very popular on the STW Forum.
Standard reply: “Skoda Octavia” or “Ford Transit Custom”
11. How much travel do you really need?
Underbiked, overbiked, Wombling free. The age old discussion about the amount of travel and the effects it can have.
Standard reply: some cliche about “playfulness”
12. Budget lights for night riding
Common debate topics: lumen claims, battery life, helmet mounted versus bar mounted.
Standard reply: “AliExpress” or “Exposure SixPack”
13. What bags for bikepacking?
Sign o’ the times. Queries about frame bags and bar bags are becoming the new ‘what tyres for…’ style threads.
Standard reply: “I’ve not used them yet but.”
14. What’s your coffee setup?
Off-topic thread that appears surprisingly often. The STW forum has a large coffee nerd population.
Standard reply: “Aeropress.”
15. How do I get fitter/better?
This type of posts are usually started by riders who don’t want to really hear the truth.
Standard reply: “Just ride more.”
Be interesting to see what the most popular topics were 20 years ago
Presta vs Schrader
Conti Vert Pro vs Fire XC Pro
is 17mm rim width ok for 2.3″ tyres?
How do I stop my front mech rubbing?
I’m suspecting that this is AI written or at least very heavily influenced by it which I find puzzling. While I understand the publishing world is being hit hard from all angles and there is a probable need to adapt or die, I’m very surprised to see a publisher actively using AI to write articles.
I guess the AI is stealing our jobs point is counteracted by the fact that no one would really have been employed to write something so basic.
If Benji is a robot, we should be told!Â
Benji has spent much of this morning putting that together from the forum software reports we have access to.Â
20 years ago, forums were dominated by arguments about:
1. Disk brakes are too complicated and unnecessary. Rim brakes are better because they are just disk brakes that have a really large disk. Plus, you can repair them in a blacksmith’s shop if you have problems while crossing the Serengeti.Â
2. Hydraulic disk brakes are too complicated and cable disks are much simpler and just as good. Plus, you can repair them in a blacksmith’s shop if you have problems while crossing the Serengeti.Â
3. Dropper posts are a solution looking for a problem. If you have a problem while crossing the Serengeti, you’ll be waiting weeks for spare parts to be airlifted out to you.
4. Suspension bikes are just skill compensators, hardtails are lighter and just as fast on rough stuff if you just bend your knees. If you have a problem while crossing the Serengeti, you’ll be waiting weeks for spare parts to be airlifted out to you.
Panaracer Fire XC Pros were awesome! Loved them, but then the Contis were pretty damned good as well. The only gripe I had with the Panaracers were how thin the sidewalls were. I used to get no end of punctures when I was out around me.
My little sis was a Conti-preferrer and had nearly no punctures on exactly the same trails.
Also, tubeless tyres are a solution looking for a problem, and how will you fix one if you’re stranded while crossing the Serengeti.
Cats, gangs of cats🤟
I think the title is supposed to be topics rather than posts, otherwise ‘it works on my iPad’ would be in the top three 😀
Cats, maybe cats operating in gangs?
*bike forum.
Else it’s ’Political! Opinions! Mine Which is best?’
Will the plane take off.
Helmets and rotational injuries.Â
Penguin jizz.Â
Ghetto tubeless techniqueÂ
How much is my bike worthÂ
Specialized warranty period
Is this a crack?Â
How to set up Magura hs33 brakes
If I do xxxxxxx , will I die?
Snowdon bike banÂ
I don’t know what happened to the original, but…
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/the-first-of-the-lost-threads-the-picolax-classic/#post-184245
Can I borrow a keyring?
Less AI, more oh aye
Useless without pictures.
Something something something Insert! Political! Figure! something something something
^ surely are the biggest threads, even if 95% of them are the same 5 people arguing with each other?
I thought the most common reply toÂ
4. SRAM v Shimano brakes
was Hope!
[random non-bike question]trackworld
[random bike or non-bike thing] du jour
are the Natural Trails Alliance in league with the Big Derailleur cabal?
probably the most posts. whether or not it was ever a popular topic might be moot.
To be fair, I still put my commuter bikes together with the same mindset I put my trail bikes together.
I put my trail bikes together whilst imagining that I am living in Finale Ligure with endless options for punishing relentless double black diamond features that will snap me and the bike in half.
I build my commuter with the mindset that I will be touring remotest Mongolia for six months and every part should be easily serviceable and replaceable.
The reality is that the ‘big’ downhill near me lasts two minutes and the two ‘punishing’ features are mid at best. And if I got a puncture on my commute I’d probably just walk the rest of the way rather than fix it (it’s a whole two and a half miles).
Always build your bikes for the type of riding you’d like to be doing, not the kind of riding you are actually doing!
More posts about the forum not working than ‘what tyres’ these days…
I’m currently saving up for a Cotic Solaris, but based on this reasoning maybe I should go for the new Jeht? After all, I’m bound to make it from the bridleways of Hertfordshire to the black runs of BPW one of these days, right?