This post is the perfect manifestation of the antiquated, "things can never change" mentality that the moderators have adopted and that so many users oppose. This philosophy essentially maintains a position that this forum is provided by the moderators for the registered users. The moderators determine the direction of the content, and if you don't like it, you can leave.

+1

i feel we would all benefit from a more friendly than arbitrary approach towards topics and posts that somehow go against forum rules, wouldn't we? especially when the largest thread in WW is at stake... on the other hand i can't disagree with mods who can't put up with constant 'off-topicizm' and BS around here. as i said when some doping thread was removed, although many of us including myself often contribute to those BS topics, i really liked the WW from few years ago, more informative and factual in it's nature

Move it to Chat Forum then.

After reading a 9 pages thread asking you to bring the topic back you should reconsider your purist point of view (which I respect but don't understand) and ask yourself what people is looking for when entering the forum.

Forums are alive... and they evolve to what their users wants to. Maybe this evolution differs from the original definition but, who cares?, this flexibility is what makes internet great.

You may have a "just-ww-parts/bikes" forum in the future, but with just little use and interest.

IMHO...

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Frankie you stated:

Everytime I look at the road forum is it full of non WW stuff. It is more of a "bike tech/equipment- how to with weight focused components or bike porn." Not sure how many of these thread fit the "spirit and original idea of the forum." If you take a very strict view of the content here, you might as just blow up the forum and delete all of the popular threads and most of the content of the forum.



Wheelbuilding thread? Some WW stuff, mostly a bunch of folks trying their hand at buidling wheels.
Tubular repair? Not much WW stuff there
3t White Limited Edition? Less WW content than anything in the Pro Equipment thread. fashionweenies.com?
Is the RD FD really that bad? Maybe something WW here as the Red FD is lightweight. Bike Tech.
26.0mm Roady stems? Maybe, but poster just doesn't like they way 31.8 stems look. Perhaps better posted in fashionweenies.com?
Aerohead 20 spoke front wheel? Less spokes is WW, Aerohead rim not so much. Bike tech.
Final Fixing of Bar tape? Really? Bike tech how to, not WW.
Giant TCR Advanced SL in a bike box? Not a WW topic. Bike How to.
Defintion of a WW bike? okay, therorethcial perhaps.
Clincher Open Tubulars and 20 vs 23 help? Bike Tech.
Bianichi 2011? Some WW bolts on the bike. But really just bike porn.

I seems to me that the mods have become focused on the Pro Equipment thread as their source of frustration and are missing that the entire forum is full of posts on bike tech/equipment forum with lots of how to.

If most of the forum content is related to bike tech/equipment why would you delete the thread with the best examples of bike equipment that the professional riders use???

Your decision to delete the Pro Equipment thread seems ego driven, and just plain silly, to me.

I will also point out that this is not a user-pay forum, public domain, democratic webspace. In short, their forum, their rules. If people choose not to abide by the rules set by the mods then the options are simple, either 1) live with it, 2) leave, 3) start you own forum wherein YOU then make the rules and have to listen to the complaints from everyone who knows better.

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I respect your opinion , but I think your shooting yourself in the foot. By adopting that kind

of mentality you will drive people away from the forum. I like way more fairwheelbikes forum now. They have a more open mind. I don't see why a pro thread is not supposed to be part of this forum! alot of the equipment used is weightweenie anyways. I don't see why one thread would be a problem when there are hundreds of stupid topics started, but you leave them there. very poor moderation I think.

I know that this is a private forum, but who made this forum a success are the users over the years. So by adopting this kind of action, your saying you don't respect the users and what they think. I find that sad really.

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Another long time reader of the forum who is deeply disappointed about the removal of the Pro Bikes thread.

Mods - can we have the thread back please?

someone started a pro bike thread in fairwheelbikes forum. so we can keep reading and contributing over there.

to all the people who contributed to the thread in WW , you can post your pictures , etc..

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Well that's an alternative but I wan't to keep on tracking just weightweenies and not switching between 20 sites for some info. Weightweenies covered all the info in one site, from new bikes to protour bikes and press releases. Just great, check weightweenies and you are along with the news in biking world!
But moderators you made a mistake. Just open the thread and all the fuss will go away. We don't like you any less because you closed it ( still respect for all the work! ). Like we made the mistake by off topic chat you now made some mistake also. You see all the reaction and this won't stop, freedom of speach you know.
I think when the thread will be open again we get the point that you made. Less OT chat...

Please open it...

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Good luck Sheldon Brown and may Igor fly with you.

I'm really upset to see the thread go. It was a great resource and the first place I saw a lot of new stuff. Like many people here, it was the first thread I'd click on every day. While excessively OT posting is a bit annoying, it pales in comparison to the nuclear option that's just been chosen.

They made the right decision to pull the thread.

They should be trying to keep the threads on topic as much as possible. Everyone from time to time gets side tracked and goes off topic. We all do it. That being said, we have lost a lot of great people that felt that the diluted information on the site and personal attacks had taken away form what the site is about.

So a thread is pulled and what do we see once again, personal attacks on the mods and other comments that just do not have any place in this forum at all.

Weight Weenies should be about weight as much as possible and I am all for more threads being pulled that take away from this. If my thread is one of them so be it.

Weight Weenies - all about bike weight.

Fairwheelbikes and BikeForum - more general bike information.

Slowtwitch - Triathlon related topics with some great aero discussions from time to time.

If you do not like what is going on the choice is simple. LEAVE. Take it or leave it. There are enough sites out there to fill your need for all bike related topics. Weight Weenies is not a one stop bike information forum. That is pretty clear.

Fairwheelbikes forum has a thread about Pro Equipment 2010 and you can go there all you want. But if they pull the thread which is their right to do so, what then. Will everyone be up in arms again. Remember these forums are not public domain and as such are subject to the site administrators descretion to remove what ever they want when ever they feel like it. Such is life.

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BIG DADDY B FLOW
AERO & LIGHT is RIGHT

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Take a good look over the 10 pages of responses that are overwhelmingly at odds with your stance. Why should your inability to ignore one thread rule out its very existence if it's enjoyed by so many people? Your position, the mod's position, is plainly selfish and antithetical to the idea of moderating for the greater good.

[I won't quote because I know it's a sensitive issue... but in following nothingman's post]

... particularly when there is a whole section for "training!"

that just shows the utter confusion in the moderation of this forum. Sure, the forum started as a place to talk about uber lightweight (and rare) parts and how to modify existing parts to make them light weight, but how many posts now are dedicated to the do-it-yourself mods? It seems like the the forum has simply grown to reflect the ubiquity of the uber-light parts and the fact that it's proving ground has become professional teams and/or races. (Cervelo is a perfect example of this).

Now weightweenies is just as much about professional cycling and even training as it is light parts. All you have to do is count how many times people have suggested others lose 5 pounds before being concerned about the ten grams here or there... There are even high profile members that have been embraced in the past that are part of the professional peloton. Not only do those pros here give us an insight into the rigours of the professional tours (something woefully off-topic now), but also insight into new product and developments.

Yes, the thread in question did venture off at bits, but nothing so much so that it was unbearable (the down arrow CAN be a friend). And I am all for the mods stepping in when things got overly aggressive between members. But it seems like they have become increasing aggresive themselves, and now "they" want to turn the clock back five years? Unfortunately, the development of lightweight parts is now hand in hand with professional cycling which again, WAS reflected here which is what made the forum so great. It was a serious forum for serious cyclists, professional or not and lightweight parts are integral to that.

Now I guess it will be a bunch of guys drilling out AX seatposts... should be fun reading about the results though...

M_b said it pretty well.

You can claim that its a private establishment and you can demand we only talk about stripping paint off stems to save 5 grams but that is not what brings us here. Sorry. Never was and never will be.

Why not just let the thread continue in the chat area? What are you actually losing by allowing people to make comments on pro-pictures. And do you not enjoy pictures of pro bikes frankie? Are you not a probikelover? Should I be embarrassed to admit on this forum that my interests go beyond seeing parts in the nude carbon colorway?

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drjones96: My frames, past, present and future, will have standard headsets and a flat top tube....if I have to build the damn things myself....