[Closed] Singletrack vs Bike Radar forum

Too many what full sus for £1000 and what tyre threads. Never get anything particularly interesting on there. Much more witty on STW. The regulars (including quite a few of the moderators) seem to resort to name calling all the time.

I may be biased though.

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I admit the "what so and so should i buy?" posts do get a bit tedious.

More what £1k full sus? on Bikeradar, more pig-headed know-it-alls on STW. Balances out really

Seems to me to be more of a newer person to the sport forum, though i could be wrong. Also the mod's seem to be the know it alls of the forum 🙂

Does TJ talk bollocks over there too?

The proletariat over there. The middleclass wannabe proletariat over here

Younger people, less knowledgable, but also less niche snobs.

I like the road forum, though there are lots of 'what road bike for a £1000' posts there too.

The workshop sections are useful. The pro race cycling section is very entertaining, the regular posters do actually seem to know what they're talking about and I've never heard of the mods bitching about their magazine readers on twitter.

I've never heard of the mods bitching about their magazine readers on twitter.

Ooh what's this?

I can't be bothered with all the sub forums over there.

I am also banned.

As a variation on what tyres for, how about "what forum for winter riding?"

If they have anything to match the cheese thread on here the other day I'm all for it...

Try the MBR forum for tedium, getting very bored of that lot!

ss...............that's the difference

you mean there is somewhere else out there in this cyberinternet thingy other other than singletrackworld?

i have never been able to get on mbr

dont really like the layout and useability of it. This forum is so much straightforward and better laid out

BR has its good points.

But if you ask a tech question - only 2 people are allowed to answer - nicklousy and sub-supersonic.

I've given a couple of very bike specific answers to newcomers over there (eg what size bearing balls are in the headset races of a GT avalance 1.0 2008). I replied 1/16th - 0.1678mm or whatever it was) to which the OPs answer was - supersonic / niclouse: can you please confirm. FFS over a 99p replacement.

I stopped after that. Here is better, you'd get an answer to the same quesion and folk wont post unless a: they're taking the piss b: they know what they're talking about.

can you discuss the pros and cons of regreasing bearings and the differences between cheap Chinese ones and other makes in a grown up and intelligent manner without resorting to insults and allegations over on Bike Radar?

No?

Thought not

you'd get an answer to the same quesion and folk wont post unless a: they're taking the piss b: they know what they're talking about.

Your wrong

Bike Radar's handy for the forum rides section. The Wyre Forest thread is over 130 pages now, even though only 30 pages worth of that is actually organising rides.

I think Mrs MTG summed up the difference between the forums well when she was first thinking of having a go at MTB marathons.
She asked on BR for team mates and no one was interested. She asked on STW and everyone was already in a team.

For some reason they keep talking about bicycles on BR,why?
Ian

BR's better.

They do take the word of Supersonic and Nicklouse as gospel, they're certainly both very knowledgable, but they may as well just email them, as they won't often believe what anyone else says!

Younger people, less knowledgable, but also less niche snobs.

That covers it!

It's heavily dominated by a few regulars, who just talk rubbish. There's a hell of a lot of the "what's wrong with roadies" types, and a lot of morons generally, much like here. There's an epic amount of cooing over very ordinary stuff:

"I just bought this £300 Hardrock"
"Mate, that's one sweeeeet ride, love that"

Type stuff. Not a problem, just makes me chuckle.

But... it's generally more active than over here, which is why I use it, and you do get some good discussions, particularly if you avoid the CrudCatcher, which is why it's there. I may go and post this on the thread they've now started: [url= http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12735927&highlight= ]here[/url]

**waves at BR posters**

I always just go to the forum index and do "posts since last visit" thus negating all the ridiculous sub-fora which are a real pain, must admit I only ever tend to look at the MTB section though. On occasion when I've stumbled into the road section they seem a lot more knowledgeable, perhaps par for the course considering it's the fallout from the MBUK forum.

Topics don't come & go so quickly on bikeradar

i might register just to go in all special ops like and take em down.

down to china town.

It's funny that often trolls on forums don't think that the 'other' people read what they post 😉

Sticks hand up - I was banned from bikeradar/mbuk for questioning the intelligence of a moderator. That was years ago though and I've not even been on the website since.

a higher percentage of bikeradar users indiscriminately drop litter on trails..*

this is the main difference and should tell you everything that you need to know..

*this information is based on extensive and meticulously recorded scientific research that can be viewed [url= http://www.mygoldmusic.co.uk/sectional.asp?id=18956 ]HERE[/url]

Sticks hand up - I was banned from bikeradar/mbuk for questioning the intelligence of a moderator. That was years ago though and I've not even been on the website since.

Similar for me - the website is moderated by 12 year old know it all kids. A lot of what SS and Nicklouse say is BS and they get very uppity about cars too 😉

The forum has no soul on BR- I don't tend to use it anymore. The reviews are very good though, as are the rides/routes and technical help sections.
Some people on here just love the sound of their own voice(keyboard) and have an opinion on everything. They should take things less seriously I think. I like this site though and use it more than anything else online

WTF! There are other forums on the internet?

WTF! There are other forums on the internet?

With that username, I suspect you know some of the "darker" forums on the internerd too...? 😉

..... and they get very uppity about cars too

[img] [/img]

Bike Radar has the digusting filth that is the 'girls in lycra shorts' thread. I believe it is in the road bike, cake stop forum but that is only what a friend told me.

STWho?? he says dashing over to the road bike cake stop forum, see you loooosers!

Jamie jamie jamie - I talk about and discuss cars and use a decent background knowledge and experience to back up my points. BR mods just get ar5ey and ban people while crying into their old french hatchback ashtrays.

Yes they know a bit about bikes, no they don't know a thing about cars - so when they get repeatedly (for want of a better word) owned, they ban you.

Not very mature.

The "rides" section was useful (ish) and the roadie section is full of utter c0cks.

The road forum is good.

Every bike that appears in the Show us yours on the MTB bit is a "Custom Build W.I.P" I had a bit of a rant about that and got chastised for it.

They also seem to only like FS and there is a plethora of absolute nuggets, hmmmmm 😆

That are also all mostly fat bar stewards that can't climb a hill without whipping out the fags... 😉 😆

A lot of what SS and Nicklouse say is BS and they get very uppity about cars too

Really? 😈

It appears I have a BR login as well! 🙂 Dunno why.....

you get more help on here definitely, I just think the forum here could be designed a bit better

I have a BR login but rarely visit. As others have said, the sheer mass of forums puts me off.

Also, I'm not keen on What MTB and MBUK, and I tend to think of it as the forum for those mags (rightly or wrongly).

There are no lasting threads on here, which is the disadvantage of the 'all in one' layout, it's not necessarily better or worse, but there must only have been a handful of threads to reach 1000 posts on here, whilst other sites with multiple sub-fora have many, which can be good for organising events.

As has been said on both, I enjoy both, it's all talking about bikes (usually).

**waves at BR self**

couldashouldawoulda - Member

"But if you ask a tech question - only 2 people are allowed to answer - nicklousy and sub-supersonic. "

[i]Total[/i] pish. Take a 2 second look at the tech page and see.

njee20 - Member

""I just bought this £300 Hardrock"
"Mate, that's one sweeeeet ride, love that""

Something wrong with that? It'll be a more effective bike than the rigid singlespeed beardmobiles this forum gets wet gussets after all 😉

I like it. More nonsense, less up itself, yes more noobs but still plenty of experienced riders. Just a different approach to the same thing. Oh and it has a wanted and for sale section instead of lumping them in together which gets it about 10 million points in its favour.

And also Surfmat, Fourcrossjohn and Grantway are all banned there 😉

Something wrong with that? It'll be a more effective bike than the rigid singlespeed beardmobiles this forum gets wet gussets after all

I specifically said it's not a problem, just amuses me, it encourages people, which is good.

Northwind - come on, don't get too bitter, your diesel Focus isn't THAT bad... 😆

Sorry Njee, you're quite right. What I guess I should have said was, why is that amusing? These guys love bikes, and appreciate the ordinary as well as the flash, that's only a good thing right?

Surf-Mat - Member

"Northwind - come on, don't get too bitter, your diesel Focus isn't THAT bad..."

It is cutting edge driving excitement and charisma personified and you knows it 😆

Or cutting "edge" maybe?

My mate has one (estate) - it's perfectly decent.

Don't know how anyone has the patience to use all those sub-folders and whatnot on BR.

Sorry Njee, you're quite right. What I guess I should have said was, why is that amusing? These guys love bikes, and appreciate the ordinary as well as the flash, that's only a good thing right?

I guess it's because I'm a snob! I think I've spent too much time working in a bike shop to be excited by anything any more, certainly not bread and butter bikes like Hardrocks which I may sell 5 of in a day!

I used to post pretty regularly on BR, I just got a little bored with it.

Migrated over here and have been enthralled by the vitriolic arguments between the regulars on here ever since! Better than a soap opera

Seriously though, advice on here is generally better, you can ask a fairly obscure mechanical question and get an answer.

njee - do you get your kit INCREDIBLY cheaply? You always seem to have all the most top end kit yet working in a bike shop (unless you own/part own it) can't pay a particularly big wage? Do you have any money left for stuff like living expenses or do you not eat/live with parents/in a tent?

Advice wise - I think every question I have ever asked has been very comprehensively answered here leading to some useful and interesting purchases. BR is too "big brand" led and some of the reviews are utterly useless.

I used to work in a bike shop, then got a proper job, but still get trade discount at the bike shop as I ride for them and do the odd day. Since been made redundant, gone back to the bike shop, although now got another proper job!

Get a nice enough discount, get given some kit, and spend virtually all my disposable income on cycling, although realistically that's one bike a year, and I sell them for around what I buy them for, so it's self perpetuating. I forget my exact account turnover, but it's something like £53000 since June 2000, so I spend a bit.

Live with the girlfriend, so rent/bills etc to pay as well.

njee - yep that £53k figure is embedded into my mind!!

I fear some bike shop workers may be a bit miffed at having their jobs labelled as not "proper!"

Just interested really - even at trade prices, you have some very pricey kit. Nice.

Surf-Mat - Member

I am also banned.

DaveyBoyWonder - Member

Sticks hand up - I was banned from bikeradar for questioning the intelligence of a moderator.

I knew I couldn't have been the only one.

Lard - I think there are rather a large number of banned ex users. See the mods like banning because it makes them feel POWERFUL.

I think it makes them rather gay.

[img] [/img]

sometimes end up reading a review on BR. are they affiliated with MBUK or that other shit mag? layout and text reminds me of those mags.

don't like the stratified layout of BR or mtb-news.de. far too many pigeonholes to choose from. much prefer the slighty random and chaotic style of STW. it'S the only forum i use other than mtb-news.de, but then hardly ever bother to post. used more as a research tool. also very euro-jay-core.

might i be the first to suggest a rival schools style fight.

we meet up in a neutral trail centre and throw down.
i reckon we can take em.

they'll all be [s]granola[/s] [i]pie[/i] eating, [s]mail[/s] [i]guardian[/i] reading, [s]spritzer[/s] ale drinking, 2 wheels on the ground riding [i](true)[/i] [s]vegans[/s] on [s]fragile[/s] [i]OTT[/i] [s]race xc[/s] [i]8" travel monster[/i] bikes.

Corrected it for him.

alpin - Member
sometimes end up reading a review on BR. are they affiliated with MBUK or that other shit mag?

Yup, they came out of the merger of What MTB and MBUK forums, plus some road ones.

I don't like the 'review' section, as you can never be sure if someone has actually ridden the bike or just regurgitated a press release. At least on here you can be sure that it's a proper review of kit because it's aligned to the magazine.

i hate BR, its full of repeated jokes that werent funny the first time they were typed and arent getting any funnier.

can you discuss the pros and cons of regreasing bearings and the differences between cheap Chinese ones and other makes in a grown up and intelligent manner without resorting to insults and allegations over on Bike Radar?

No?

Thought not

that's what makes STW so much better

 

maybe we should love them all as they also enjoy the peace and "at one with cogness" that riding bikes provide.

This obsession that people have with constantly dividing into tribes and focusing on the differences between rather than the shared ideals can only make us weaker as both individuals and as a riding community.

How can we ever get land access issues etc.. sorted out as a cohesive group when we can't even agree over which internet forum talking about bikes is the one true way.

*wanders off in a hippy daze and thinks that maybe the meds are a bit strong*

on here you don't get yer general teenager thinking some bike thing is important and whoo and wheey! It's more mortgages and depression.

It's more mortgages and depression.

that's due to the fact that about 99.999999% of STW forum users are fat middle aged IT nerds, rather than gnar young dudes from BR (who are still valued members of the mtb fraternity and have an equally valid point of view on all things bike related)

All those with the exception of the world class numpty yeemanchee or what ever it's called.

Dunno if this has already been covered, but check out the Nigel Lawson thread - it's not really the kind of thing that you'd expect to see on br (at least not back in my day), but has me in absolute stitches.

And picolax - you wouldn't get THAT on br!

Both Forums have their merits but I prefer STW - mainly because everything is lumped together it seems more active - although this can be equally annoying when interesting threads drop off the front page too quickly.

It is AWESOME here

What makes laugh is that one time I got into an in depth
talk about making bikes and materials etc with one of there
modes called Supersonic he got clearly out of his depth
and at one point got truly embarrassing for him
then i was messaged and told i may be Banned
also with nicklouse too

Was banned in the end when people was defending the then cracking
deal on the commencal meta 5
And was i not right I believe i was indeed

So, apparently, we are all children over here, who ask too many questions and are not 'witty' enough?

Sweet, I just cross trolled from one forum to another. Do I win a prize for that?

I don't know what makes me think it, but I get the feeling that the average weight of a BRer is about 20kg more then the average weight of a STWer. I also think of a BRer reading MBUK and thinking doddy is cool. Where as STWers obviously read ST.

In STW you can have a debate. On BR you can have a debate, as long as you agree with the moderators. BR was way better when I was there.. 😆

Also, GTs are rubbish.

The fascist rules of the BR classfieds make me chuckle.
The forums over there are a bit meh and are wayyyyyyyyyy to over complicated in their layout.
Plus I am not gnaaarrrrrr to the power of sick enough.

Has supersonic started riding yet? he spent a long time talking the talk but not actually riding.

your both shit
my forum is much better
members 1 - me
Im arguing all the time

Don't like the avatars, and the rest of the gubbins that takes up half a post, makes it difficult to read and follow.

besides I have enough forum shite in my life with this site, don't need more... 8)

The point made earlier about BR posts hanging around for longer is a good one - the volume of posts given the combined format of this forum can mean that questions get buried - but both have their pros and cons.

BR = less elitist but more repetitive (what bike/tyres/etc)
STW = a bit too niche-obsessed at times but lots of purdy photos

Has supersonic started riding yet? he spent a long time talking the talk but not actually riding.

I think he's got a condition or disease or something that means he gets really tired really quickly (serious). I don't know what the excuses are for the rest of them.

I post on both and find one or other usually holds my interest. BR is a bit more simplistic, definitely don't ask a question more technical than what's casuing this creaking noise. Haven't found the mods to be a problem, interesting that ones on here complaining are the ones banned (or in Realmans case) hounded from the forum. I quite like the sub fora, doesn't take long to get used to, often find on here I either miss threads or they've gone mental and are 10 pages long, seems certain people live at their keyboards.

More mature people on here generally although you don't get abused for actually earning your living on BR like you can on here. Note to self steer clear of the political threads, it's not worth the aggro.

don't get the loads of different forums thing.

and i hate signatures.

(or in Realmans case) hounded from the forum

Oh really? 😀

What have they been telling people..