Question for non-Anglophones

[jaylew]

Let me get this out of the way: I love the fact that there are people here from all over the world. I like that there are posters from S. America who can tell us about their riders. This place wouldn't be near as much fun if everyone was from Australia, the UK, and the US. I actually wish other countries/areas were represented better. For instance I don't think we get too many (prolific) posters from Italy. France is even a bit light. I wish there were more Asian and African posters.

Anyway, my question is, why are you here? Are there no good sites to talk about the races in your native language? Is CN simply the best? Do you come here because you get insight and views from different perspectives from your own (the same reason some Americans may prefer CN to Velonews, for example)? Am I just underestimating the pervasiveness of English?

I'm purposefully asking this question here as I'm curious about the people who like to discuss racing and riders.

More accurately, I mean people from non-Anglophone countries

 

[Ryaguas]

mmmm Well I'd been looking for diff sites to post, in french or in Spanish that are my natives languages but I haven't found one really active like CN... but those sites are not always active, but when they are active they are really funny and nice...

I like to be here cuz CN forum is really active, and some posters are really serious and know about they are talking about, also has a good positions and thoughts, some ppl like: Publicus, Francois The Postman, Hitch, Alpe D'Huez (Moderator), Bala Verde and other ppl... Also there are a lot of ppl who are really funny and spice the threads like Moose (that guy is really funny, specially when he put Fail cat pics! )...

Another feature about this forum is the thread about "Rumours & Reality" where ppl put links and things that they heard in TV about the riders and their probabilities to change team... Also I really like the threads about the races, they are fresh, although sometimes (if not always) we end discussing about the same all the time (Lance, Contador, EBH, Sagan, Kreuziger, etc) but they are quite entertaining!

About the Velonews - Cyclingnews "thing"... mmm I prefer here... Velonews seems boring for me... also here we have more Lance Fanboys, Schlecks fanboys to fight!

I don't know... those are some thoughts from me... I would like to extend my response but I don't want to make an infinite post

 

[ingsve]

Two reasons: There aren't that many options for discussing cycling in swedish and the ones that do exist has very few contributors. Also, discussions are much better when they are shared between people from different countries with different perspectives that your own. Domestic language forums tend to be more homogenous.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Posted on a few Dutch forums, but most of them grow into circle jerks for a few regulars.
Still visit some but more as a news source, I don't post there anymore.


Registered here at the start and found the other perspectives refreshing so I became a regular.

/plus what ingsve said

 

[hrotha]

The big selling point of this forum, if you ask me, is The Clinic. I don't know of other message boards where people are willing to talk about the issue in such a direct and honest manner. I value the international point of view, of course, even though sometimes the Anglo-Saxon focus can be a bit tiresome.

Also, it helps that I can justify all the time I waste here as "English practice."

 

[Cerberus]

As the other say limited options to discuss cycling in my native language (Danish). Also I think in some cases you are underestimating the pervasiveness of English, for me it's not an extra effort to communicate in a English compared to Danish, I might make a few more spelling or grammatical mistakes, but it's not taxing, so the fact that the forum is English language isn't a minus.

 

[Barrus]

Well, for me their are several reasons.

The first proabbly being that English has grown to be more of a first language than my actual first language (Dutch). It is easier for me to get my thoughts out on paper in English than in Dutch.

Probably second is the fact that this is a very international forum, so you get good information from all over (although we could do with some Asian posters, would be really interested in the Asian cycling scene, the bits I've seen is really impressive and quite frankly the places where they ride are beautiful)

Another good aspect is the Armstrong stance of most of the posters here, I myself can't, nor could ever, stand the guy and for that, this forum is perfect

But really there are quite a lot of really good posters, with a wide array of opinions and especially the clinic is really an asset to this site

 

[Parrulo]

pretty much that

 

[HL2037]

Why would I not be here? This is the most active cycling forum with the most well-informed and knowledgeable members and the most intelligent discussions that I know of. And by a lucky coincidende it is in a language I understand and am able to express myself in.

I never felt I was intruding. Until you asked this question

 

[saganftw]

steephill copies results from this site so i thought what the hell,i ll sign up

 

[indurain666]

CN is the best forum. Hopefully is not going to get full of spammers like other cycling forums I have been.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I;m here because it's a pretty active forum and nice people that don't immediately ridicule your standpoints. I'm on 2 other dutch cyclingforums of which one is the best forum there is imo, and the other is an "elite xenophoobic asskissing forum" for old guys that probably bore their wives to death. but it's very active and I like to give my opinion

 

[Ryaguas]

"elite xenophoobic asskissing forum"

Which is that forum Ryo? I would like him a try

 

[ak-zaaf]

Which is that forum Ryo? I would like him a try

http://wielrennen.startpagina.nl/prikbord/

???

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

yeah...

 

[Ryaguas]

http://wielrennen.startpagina.nl/prikbord/

???

Is really that Xenophobic??? hahaha

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I like that the one that you complain about the participants in is called "prikbord".

 

[jaylew]

Why would I not be here? This is the most active cycling forum with the most well-informed and knowledgeable members and the most intelligent discussions that I know of. And by a lucky coincidende it is in a language I understand and am able to express myself in.

I never felt I was intruding. Until you asked this question

Ugh. I had hoped no one would take my post that way, but I just re-read it and see I could have phrased it a bit better. I'm extremely appreciative of the fact that we're from all over. I was just wondering how and why some landed here. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Because it's active here.
And it's more fun to discuss cycling with foreign people than only dutch or belgians. Most of them are so biased, yes, even way more biased than i am.
For example wielerflits. The guys are so biased and their expectations are so high it gets really annoying. So stopped posting there.
Then there are some forums with, like AK-zaaf said, the circle jerk regulars, who annoy you as well quickly.

Still visit them once in a while, but the only forums im really active is a dutch PCM forum and this one.

 

[HL2037]

Ugh. I had hoped no one would take my post that way

I know, I was just kidding!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Is really that Xenophobic??? hahaha

xenophobic yes, afraid of everyone different (opinion), not race if that's what you thought

 

[craig1985]

As the other say limited options to discuss cycling in my native language (Danish). Also I think in some cases you are underestimating the pervasiveness of English, for me it's not an extra effort to communicate in a English compared to Danish, I might make a few more spelling or grammatical mistakes, but it's not taxing, so the fact that the forum is English language isn't a minus.

I reckon your English is better then a lot of people who speak it as a first language.

 

[Ryaguas]

even way more biased than i am.

Who said that??? who said that??? I will fight that person cuz is a lier!!!!

xenophobic yes, afraid of everyone different (opinion), not race if that's what you thought

Yeah yeah I get it... is still weird for me... I haven't met ppl like that

 

[khardung la]

There are some forums in Spanish, going around about the same topics from time to time. In CN there are thousands of times more contributors, which have so different backgrounds and points of view. That is refreshing.

However some threads tend to get too focused in anglo-cyclists (i.e. the first posts in the thread about the favourites in the Junior UCI WC this weekend), instead of more objectively focus in all other good cyclists with good chances. Probably it is the fault of us contributors from other parts of the World, which are sometimes shy to talk for example about who could be the next Contador in Spain or the next Hinault in France. Americans are not shy at all to proclaim that Phinney is the next big thing in the World (poor guy) .

 

[Bernardus]

I'm on 2 other dutch cyclingforums of which one is the best forum there is imo, and the other is an "elite xenophoobic asskissing forum" for old guys that probably bore their wives to death. but it's very active and I like to give my opinion

Your opinion of the "prikpagina" is obviously not very high, but you're not exactly unbiased. You've been trolling that forum for years using dozens of different names (mostly variations to Arend Appelberg) that all have gotten banned. Most people will agree it's mainly an asskissing forum for old guys, but it's also one of the more influential cycling forums. Founders of CQranking, Cyclingstartlists, Wielerflits, Wielerland etc. are regular posters and the site is read by several Dutch and Belgian cycling reporters.

Ontopic: I have been active on a very large general discussion forum. Cycling is just one of the sports during most of the season (classics/Giro/Vuelta get plenty of attention, small races get no attention at all). The Tour de France however always has a dedicated subforum.