How well known is cyclechat outside of the cyclechat community?

[srw]

Assuming a population of about 60 million, 99 percent of the population is completely ignorant about cycling and of cyclists I bet 99 percent are completely ignorant about CC so that makes, er, 600,000 who know a bit about cycling and 6,000 of them who know about CC. Seems about right.

Except that getting on for half the adult population cycle at least occasionally, one in six every month and 2 million people every day. And 42% of the population over 5 owns a bike.

So, to a first approximation, everyone in the country either rides or knows someone who rides quite well.

 

[Alan O]

We have been told that another forum - YACF - has this rule:

"Special rule (and this really is a rule): derogatory or strongly opinionated posts and threads about other Internet forums or their administrators will be moved or deleted. We do not normally post a "moved topic" message in these cases."

This rule is on their registration agreement.

It would be good if we also extend the same courtsey in return, not just to them, but in regard to other forums. We know that there has been previous disagreements in the past, but let us leave that as history now.
Thank you.

I've worked professionally moderating an internet forum as part of a wider job, not related to cycling (I still work for the same company, but in a different role). A key part of that role was treating competitors with respect and appreciating that all views and approaches are valuable - we surely benefit by learning from all approaches and all opinions.

And, in my humble view, I think that is exactly the way things should be handled here too - and I'm very encouraged to see that's the way things are, thank you.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Except that getting on for half the adult population cycle at least occasionally, one in six every month and 2 million people every day. And 42% of the population over 5 owns a bike.

So, to a first approximation, everyone in the country either rides or knows someone who rides quite well.

That's true, but forums in general are very much a minority pursuit what ever the subject is. Even the most popular motoring forums have only a relative handful of members despite the number of car owners.

 

[smutchin]

6,000 of them who know about CC

Membership at the time of posting stands at 41,459 - it's there on the front page, no need to guess.

That's an increase of 4 on yesterday's membership.

 

[Globalti]

A better jersey might help - I have the old CC jersey but TBH it looks a bit.... naff. How about a modern take on the classic road jersey, with a horizontal chest stripe containing the Cycle Chat name? I don't wear mine because it just looks old-fashioned, although ironically I'm suggesting an old-fashioned style. But you know what I mean.

 

[Venod]

in all honestly as i am a MTB rider above anything else, i should really frequent pink bike or single track, but i actually enjoy this forum, even though it's full of lycra clad people

You can wear lycra on an MTB you know.

 

[smutchin]

Wasn't the FNRttC started as a CTC thing rather than a forum thing? The first time I took part in one, I don't think I was aware of CC at the time.

 

[Bollo]

Sorry if any of this has been covered by posts in the six pages I haven't read, but a few thoughts from me...

I'm a regular with Let's Ride (guided and social rides), and I know a couple of my local Breeze leaders (though for genetic reasons I can't join their rides). I also have a fair bit of experience of software and web stuff, and I think the problems you describe are really because the site software is very simple and intended to be low-maintenance. It doesn't look like it sets cookies, and you can't stay logged in... the site software is primitive, to be sure, but I think that is the problem rather than any intentional bureaucracy.

But as for limiting the number of people a single leader can be responsible for, no, I very much disagree that that is "unnecessarily bureaucratic". If one leader was allowed to lead 50 people and there was an accident, you can be damn sure there would be people complaining!

I think Let's Ride is a great free resource, and the ride leaders I know are dedicated individuals who put a lot of personal effort into helping get people out on bikes. And they get almost nothing material in return - just a "Ride Leader" jersey and some discounts, I think.

And I actually find it a very easy resource to use, site wrinkles notwithstanding - it's greatly contributed to my cycling miles this year, and it's found me a new social circle.

I suggest you add your favourite leaders to your list of friends, and perhaps join any groups they're leading, and you should be able to keep in touch with oversubscribed rides easily enough. I've done that, and I don't really miss anything.

I've covered some of it upthread as I'm a Lets Ride volunteer, including some of the issues with the website and the bureaucracy. I conscious that this is maybe derailing the thread, so I might start one about the pros and cons of the various ride initiatives, but not this minute.

FWIW, the Letsride site sets three cookies on login; I'm guessing an authentication+session cookie and one each from double-click (activity tracking) and youtube (video on the front page).

 

[JtB]

CC is well known by my family members due to all the “rubbish jokes” (as they call them) that I forward on from the “Any Good Jokes?” thread.

 

[Drago]

CC is famous the World over you for the quality of its fish puns. Thats Cod's honest truth.

 

[Bollo]

And you can wear baggies on a road bike

That's not even funny 'trousers!

 

[Heltor Chasca]

You can wear lycra on an MTB you know.

And you can wear baggies on a road bike

Going back to the OP, it was organised rides that led me to CC. I was introduced to the FNRttC by a friend (dunno where he heard about it) became hooked, and found that this was its online home.

Web forums are not a big deal and are on the wane anyway. I would never expect someone to know of CC, except maybe on a FNRttC, and even then I wouldn't assume it. (As @User13710 noted above).

Whether people are put off from joining by bickering is something that we can't know, as they never join and tell us. It's a one of those "if a tree falls and no one hears it" things. I actually think that we rub along pretty well. Some deep unbridgeable schisms exist such as whether Progold Prolink is better than chainsaw oil, and whether it is shocking that people don't say hello. But the only real arguing seems to occur on threads that are nothing to do with cycling.

That's not even funny 'trousers!

Just wondering what @numbnuts would suggest wearing on a bike...

 

[fatjel]

Out of interest how many here post on forums that are not cycling related ?

I'm quite keen on forums generally

Is it possible that the same few posters are on every forum?

 

[Andrew_P]

Ranked 133k in the UK according to Alexa.

The best keywords for Cc is what bought me as newbie cyclist here looking for wtf is 700c in real money.

www.alexa.com/siteinfo/cyclechat.net

I think site had some luck breaks I also think it is lucky it has members prepared to help and those happy to organise some informal rides, I am not entirely sure that's ever really appreciated, but then should it be?

Not sure how you can relate it to BC two completely different types of organisations.

I would be one of those who doesn't quite feel the same about cc soon after the funding drive then the subsequent changes and what felt like CC making life uncomfortable for some nembers it became apparent that it was more business than a club. Which for so.e reason CC felt like up to that moment. I still look in post etc but less because if I am honest a lot of the cycling stuff bores me to tears. Even the other cycling forums the non cycling stuff is where the quantity of posts are.

Hence I cannot see the comparison between the BC and CC any club like activities are organised by members not the site. Kudos to those that do it.

 

[Ciar]

You can wear lycra on an MTB you know.

baggies all the way