[Closed] STW Changed My Life

Well, STW literally does pay my mortgage, so thank you everyone for that.
In a suitably circular connection, I got my mortgage advisor from a request on the forum.
I don't get to spend enough time on the forum as I'd like, due to having to write about bikes, but when I do get a spare minute, I love the depth of its rabbit hole - er, so to speak.
And in between the occasional bickering, there have been moments of brilliance (Picolax...), joy (when riders have had stolen bikes replaced by the good will of people here) and genuine heartbreaking empathy (see the many threads about suicide, depression and home life destruction).
We (in the office) have always maintained that it's not our forum, it's yours. We just keep the lights on for you.

That a plane on a conveyor belt doesn't take off. Or was it could take off. I can't remember. Not sure I learnt anything there then...

Cats do not like cucumbers. This is a real game changer.

If it hadn't been for STW I'd have never found mlehworld.

It has helped me escape my bubble, I like it. I've also appreciated some of the more skilled arguing on here - some folks really know their stuff

Hello again Rusty 🙂 I found out people on here I already knew which was great.

I bought a Kona Ute which has been one of my all-time great bikes I've owned because of how it got my kids to Nursery and school without having to be a two car family.

MNPR and Hit the North

Useless odds and sods of knowledge

I know what Picolax is, which isn't something I've been asked to take but I'm forewarned 🙂

The thread where a full sized balance bike was built for a lad who really bloody appreciated it.

If it hadn't been for STW I'd have never found mlehworld.

remembers not to click on any links

I know the difference between your and you're, working on where and were.

Peaks Pootles

Keeper of the Peak

Meeting some awesome riding buddies. And hora.

STW provided much needed reassurance when something (appeared to) go badly wrong with my daughter's late hamster's arsehole.

I am not the only person to experience Picolax
Cats, children and sudocream do not mix.
Louise should be avoided at all costs.
Will Kryton find a car he truly likes?
A very helpful thread about Fox 36’s
The degree of pious righteousness some forumites exhibit would get them a job in my Secret Police.

When someone comes with a personal problem that’s causing them turmoil the degree of helpfulness and support of the forumites dissolves a bit of my cynicism of humanity.

Mrs M is now worried when I start mentioning new patio’s.

The thread where a full sized balance bike was built for a lad who really bloody appreciated it.

Aye - that was a beauty - the joy on the chaps face when he was scooting was lovely

This place isn’t, unlike what some people think, a microcosm of real life. Neither does it very often produce anything approaching good advice. Let’s face it chaps, this is the home of bitter midlife sanctimonious bellendary. 1 in 100 threads produces something entertaining or useful, the rest of it is bored middle aged men passing the time by arguing the toss over something that really doesn’t matter. On the plus side, you do tend to get pretty quick responses. 😉

Lots of things which have already been mentioned, but also found a barrister on here to help fight a planning application.

Somewhat unexpectedly though - and I may be the only person on here to have had this experience - STW has significantly changed my political views.

edit: just remembered another one - this thread significantly changed my life
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-bought-a-unicycle-from-lidl

I’ve a very large circle of friends from here of days gone by who I must catch up with soon.

Fixed my mum's tomatoes

I’ve not heard it called that before

[quote=matt_outandabout ]Do not lease a car [s]from Ling[/s] to geordiemick

😈

I now have a new one. I started a thread that the chipps commented on 😀

Makes working from home far more tolerable than it would otherwise be.

I particularly value the depth of knowledge on bike stuff from some of the unsung heroes in the bike forum. Not the people (like myself) who post frequently but the ones who really know their onions and pop up to solve obscure problems.

You’ve helped me become a better person. You’ve helped me when I’ve been in a very bad place. You’ve become some very good friends. You’ve given me laughter. You’ve wasted so much of my time

Thank you

LOTS of people from here either..
Blag a lot,
Talk bollox, (same bracket)
Don't/can't seem to think before they type something,
Don't even own a bike (although maybe not a requisite)
Don't respect their wiser elders (me)
Love to have a dig at certain people.
Don't read OP's properly thereby wasting their own time answering 'non'questions,
Assume things.
Don't realise how nice a bloke TJ actually is, 😉
Don't realise how hard as nails Ton is, 😉
The list is endless.

A lot of people on here are also awesome/kind/caring/knowledgeable/sympathetic...that list is also endless.

I've learned that most people, when it comes down to it, genuinely want the best for their fellow humans. They just *love* to argue about what that is until it comes to the crunch when they all pull together and show what a good community this is.

That's a really good summary, well said.

My take was always, STW: you'll come for the bikes, you'll stay for the bollocks.

For me, STW is a [url= http://www.mono.org/ ]Mono[/url] replacement. Mono had the same community: one of competitive debating, humour, sarcasm and wit, and a wealth and breadth of knowledge, "is there nothing Mono can't answer?" Mono bore friendships, marriages, divorces, deaths. STW is the only 'modern' forum I've found which comes remotely close. Thanks for having me, folks.

thanks for letting us 😉

STW has significantly changed my political views.

i learnt aracer was gullible

The guy who went to Lilliput?

[quote=Junkyard ]i learnt aracer was gullible

😆 so you're telling me I was right in the first place?

Hang on, I need to go and support jamba and ninny on the EU thread...

so you're telling me I was right in the first place?

Good point, I failed to notice that glaring error in my point !

Can someone help me post a link to a Daily Mail article?

Hang on, I need to go and support jamba and ninny on the EU thread...

They'll need it. Farridge has just said that he'd entertain the idea of a second referendum 😆

Magneto Dog.
STW is my insomnia saviour.
Got me through 5 years of a dull boring job.
Advice and avoidance. I bought a lift (elavator) for my building (work) following consultation.
Holidays.
Insights on the wider world.
The only social media that I pay for.

For me?

Changed my political views quite a bit.
Alerted me to the dangers of modest house owners that own BMW's.
Gave me the Gif thread. Thank you so much!
Challenges my views.
Has made me very up for going to Centerparcs.

Amazed me that such a (relatively) small forum (and a forum at all....) could effect my life in such a mainly* good manner.

*It does drive me a little crazy at times too.

Sage advice on any subject, The amount of technical knowledge on here is fantastic and the different points of view on anything & everything is truly entertaining.
Second hand parts have saved my bank account many times.
Peoples generosity with time and money with regards to helping complete strangers is properly hart warming and for those who helped me with the Defender thing a few years back thanks very much, I would never have got any money back without Singletrack. I owe you all a drink.
My spelling and grammar has not been improved though.
Louise, well its all true in my experience, a close escape.

Things I have learned?
That big hitters are a bit sad, especially the ones who start threads that are essentially about themselves.

That an oscillating multi-tool really will change your life (as far as diy is concerned)

That the car is still king in the UK and an object of desire/status/ego extension even for those who call themselves cyclists

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He can't type that well anymore as he no longer has paws (and is quite powdery) but I believe he enjoyed being a forum dog. 😀 & 😥

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That an oscillating multi-tool really will change your life (as far as diy is concerned)

This x 100. Got one recently after reading a thread on here. Its the best tool in my garage.

Think what most of us get from STW is community. Before the days of t'internet we were a disparate, isolated bunch connected by MBUK. Now we're a disparate, isolated bunch connected directly to each other