How well known is cyclechat outside of the cyclechat community?

[I like Skol]

I was just talking to a British Cycling instructor that was running an MTB course after school at my sons school. We were discussing my cycling history and how I had encouraged my kids to cycle. He was surprised that someone as involved with cycling as I am was not a cycling club member. Then my youngest piped up 'you are a member of the forum dad!'
I then explained I took part in some rides organised through the forum. He asked which forum but when I named cyclechat he claimed to have not heard of it!

This raised two questions for me.
1st, how well known is cyclechat outside of the cyclechat membership but within the broader cycling community? I don't expect Jo Public to know who we are but surely we are as well known as BikeRadar or road.cc?
2nd, are British Cycling missing a trick by thinking that cycling and the promotion of cycling revolves around the traditional club structure while in reality it is possible that a lot more cycling activity takes place 'under the radar' organised via forums, facebook groups and other informal collections?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

British Who?

 

[Slick]

It seems pretty much unheard of around the few people that I either cycle with or even discuss cycling with. It did surprise me to begin with, but I soon came to the same conclusion as User13710 that this forum is not quite as all encompassing as I first thought.

 

[KneesUp]

I'm surprised. When I started cycling again and was googling for stuff, Cyclechat seemed to come up all the time, much more than other sites, to the extent that I thought I might as well become a member.

 

[I like Skol]

I'm surprised. When I started cycling again and was googling for stuff, Cyclechat seemed to come up all the time, much more than other sites, to the extent that I thought I might as well become a member.

Indeed. I signed up after googling advice for commuting and also looking for views/reviews of a bike that i wanted to buy. Most things seemed to lead to cyclechat so i signed up and posted my question the next day. The rest, as they say, is history.....

 

[smutchin]

I don't think any members of my club are aware of - or even remotely interested in - online cycling forums. The same goes for all the people I know who work in cycling media (unless you count Road.cc).

The club has a facebook group but only a minority of members participate in that - it's a small handful of people who make the vast majority of posts.

 

[I like Skol]

I don't think any members of my club are aware of - or even remotely interested in - online cycling forums. The same goes for all the people I know who work in cycling media (unless you count Road.cc).

The club has a facebook group but only a minority of members participate in that - it's a small handful of people who make the vast majority of posts.

So does this mean that cycling clubs still hold the key for access to organised group riding? Is cyclechat basically a glorified facebook group, putting like minded people in contact for discussion of the hobby and informal rides?

 

[ColinJ]

Most riders that I have spoken to who don't frequent CC have never heard of it.

TBH, I have spoken to CC members who have never even heard of other CC members who have made thousands of posts!

I have even spoken to CC members on my forum rides who have been on the forum for 10+ years, who visit regularly, and who know who I am, but who had never even noticed me blitzing the forum with hundreds of posts about my past health problems***.

So does this mean that cycling clubs still hold the key for access to organised group riding?

For a lot of people, yes.

Is cyclechat basically a glorified facebook group, putting like minded people in contact for discussion of the hobby and informal rides?

Yes!




*** Sorry for doing that! I'm fairly sure that I was suffering from a form of PTSD which made me quite obsessed with the subject. I still mention it from time to time when I think it might be useful, but not 30 times a day ...

 

[Heltor Chasca]

There are days when I don’t even know who I am, but a quick look through my posts and my memory is soon up to speed.

 

[Brandane]

Me Sir, Me Sir! I know of this CycleChat thing!
But nobody else I know has ever heard of it....
I have recommended it to a few fellow cyclists in the past, who I know signed up but faded away after a few posts - as I am sure the vast majority of registered members do.

Could it be that active members on here are not fans of FB and other social media? I know I am not, and this forum is about as close as I get to social media. Other people I know are more into FB and also use it for accessing local cycle groups/clubs. Not being attracted to club style riding, that is of no interest to me.

 

[ColinJ]

There are days when I don’t even know who I am, but a quick look through my posts and my memory is soon up to speed.

I have found 3 threads over on Bike Radar that I made long posts in but have no recollection of even reading!

 

[slowmotion]

We're pretty unimportant. Hey! it's the internet.

 

[dan_bo]

I was just talking to a British Cycling instructor that was running an MTB course after school at my sons school. We were discussing my cycling history and how I had encouraged my kids to cycle. He was surprised that someone as involved with cycling as I am was not a cycling club member. Then my youngest piped up 'you are a member of the forum dad!'
I then explained I took part in some rides organised through the forum. He asked which forum but when I named cyclechat he claimed to have not heard of it!

This raised two questions for me.
1st, how well known is cyclechat outside of the cyclechat membership but within the broader cycling community? I don't expect Jo Public to know who we are but surely we are as well known as BikeRadar or road.cc?
2nd, are British Cycling missing a trick by thinking that cycling and the promotion of cycling revolves around the traditional club structure while in reality it is possible that a lot more cycling activity takes place 'under the radar' organised via forums, facebook groups and other informal collections?

You're also youth secretary of a club you boob.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

this place started out in 2005 and was inhabited by a few sheep and a unicycling cat.

the popular cycling plus forum morphed into bike radar, which resulted in the mass exodus of disgruntled punters in 2007 who found this place and and had enough of a critical mass to make it their own.

other forums came and went (notably another cycling forum), and this forum has grown with the increase in interest in cycling that extends beyond the pre-2012 cycling subculture.

most social media was in its infancy in 2007, so the fact that the forum is not only surviving but thriving is testament to site owner, moderators and, more importantly, users, who keep the good ship running in good order…

 

[smutchin]

So does this mean that cycling clubs still hold the key for access to organised group riding? Is cyclechat basically a glorified facebook group, putting like minded people in contact for discussion of the hobby and informal rides?

If I might answer your questions with two more questions...

How many members does CC have?

How many members does British Cycling have?