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Only forum member I’ve met (other than to buy/sell stuff) is binners maybe 10 years ago. I asked for advice on here for trails while I was working away and it was his neck of the woods. But, it was lashing down and dark/miserable so we went to the pub. Didn’t even turn a crank 🙂
I remember it well. Living in the north west of England, this 'Plan B' happens rather a lot 😀
Started firstly on the On-One forum when it existed (not even sure what year that would be...maybe 2005?) before then joining ST where i have been ever since
2003/4, got chatting to an older lady in the office who also cycled to work, she mentioned her son used this website called Singletrack, and that was that, I was in and now can't escape.
Late starter here (Sept 15). Had bought the magazine a few times and then found out about the forum so signed up, mostly a lurker though occasionally posting stuff
that was that, I was in and now can’t escape.
The Hotel California of fora.
Many years ago, when my Cannock Chase riding mates were starting to visit Tim Johnson's Sideways Cycles for singlespeed kit I gave a few bits off a Cannondale that I didn't want, like a Coda chainset (which looked super swish with a single 32T ring), to GaryM who was building his Bontrager Privateer into a singlespeed.
I thought nothing of it until a few months later issue 2 of the magazine popped through my letterbox with a 12 month subscription addressed to "Big John Wilson Esquire". The first time I'd heard of the mag, the first time I'd knowingly been called Big John (although a guy even older than me who we ride with was "Old John", a title that I'll inherit once the bloke, now in his late eighties puts away his lightweight carbon fibre toys and settles down for "The Chase" instead of Cannock Chase) and that's when it all started.
I guess my 56k dial-up forum browsing and procrastination must have contributed to getting the sack a couple of times, but Gary's unsolicited gift has given me 21 years of pleasure beyond measure.
Must have been on here 20yrs +. No idea how I found it though. Was previously SingleTrackRocks before the big reset, hence the current user name.
Late 90's or maybe very early 2000's. Introduced by colleague. Been around since, through some hard times 🙂
Joined in 2016 after lurking for a while.
Had a couple of riding mates who were on here at the time who introduced me from the old MTB-UK forum.
issue 2 I think, 2002. My wife and I were going away on holiday for her 30th, and I was looking for plane reading material
Subscribed soon after, still here.
Only forum member I’ve met
I've met three (I think) RobJ - now BikeRevive, muffin-man and Wrightyboy (not on here any more)
The forum, around 2003/4 when I got a pic at home, had read the magazine on and off since the late 90’s when it was in the odd bike shop, had a subscription around 2007/2008, knew Charlie before he owned a bike shop.
I did a WayBackMachine search yesterday to see if I could find any of my old posts - earliest I could find was 2003...
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...a few names I'd forgotten. And I wonder what happened to 42!?
Good to see the ‘HOW MUCH?’ brigade were alive and well, 19 years ago…
WayBackMachine
What is this voodoo you present here?
What is this voodoo you present here?
🙂
Takes random snapshots of websites to stop them being lost.
Another one who came over from the GoFar days (somewhere I have CNC cut Hope disk with GoFar cut into it). Can't remember how I got into GoFar - think is was mtb-london, but it was a long time ago.
Word of mouth from someone I've long since forgotten. 2007-8 or there abouts
Edit Turns out I've been on here since 2001 bloody hell. I must have lurked for six years.
Probably around 2004, post cessation of first marriage, living alone in a small town where I only knew a few people and basically a bit too much excess spare time.
I suspect I stumbled on the mag in the LBS or the site on Google trying to fix something.
Moved over from MBUK when it killed itself with tedium and triviality. Was quite active on MTBwales but it never recovered from being hacked. I was already occasionally dipping my toe in here any way so took the plunge. I've been here since pre-hack times, always as my real name.
I have an STW mousemat* that looks like the screen grab from MuffinMan.
* a mouse is a device that was often used to move the cursor around the screen and then you clicked it. The mat was to aid movement of said mouse over a smooth surface.
I suppose that dates me enough. But I recall the earliest find of STW was around early 2000 when working for BT and sat on a nightshift looking for a new bike I came across this website that talked about bikes and stuff. That was it.
Bought myself a 2000 Rockhopper with 63mm Judy forks and rim brakes and I was off!
Even then, within a few months I had been swayed by a review describing the wonders of disc brakes and an upgrade occurred.
OH boy, did it look good in blue and white with its Panaracer Fire XC 1.8's
I joined Gofar for planning rides beyond Wales and became more regular as Mtbwales faded.
Had a slight gap whilst the forum went through teething issues. Only subscribed in more recent years when money hasn't been so tight and after demise of Dirt. Always picked up odd copies, including #1 whilst working at Bike Show.
Panaracer Fire XC 1.8’s
Conti-Vert Pro's not available? (I tried both, neither were as good as those we pootle around on today).
I bought a hybrid to cycle to work and get fit. On the advice of a workmate I started looking at MTB and in a year had bought a Cannondale Trigger 29 and that was that. In between the 2 bikes the same workmate told me about Singletrack and the journey to at one point 9 bikes in the garage began.
Would have been around 2008/9
I can't remember how I first came across STW. Chances are it was either from the Bike Radar forum where I used to post in the London commuter section, or I might have just picked up a mag in a shop while waiting for a train and got into it that way.
Either way, been here since 2012 now, having got back into mountain biking in 2006ish. These days I don't even own an MTB, have a road and gravel bike instead (and living in Hertfordshire that's all I really need to ride 99% of the stuff round here). Maybe once the kids have grown up a bit I'll be able to justify getting one and taking the time to ride it further afield again.
Funny that people mention the Boards mag and forum. I used to be a windsurfing instructor working abroad in the early 2000s, and getting a new issue of that was like gold dust. My brother and dad once got a letter printed after they dried their sails (Tushingham Thunderbirds I think) on the lawn, leaving nice faded grass imprints for quite a while.
Can't remember but I think I bought the mag some time before 2004 and found the forum after that. Think my name stayed the same after the great hack as well.
Summer Polaris Trailquest at Dalby Forest in 2001 (possibly 2002)
'02 I think, and I was there too - it was a cracker, wasn't it?
I found this place when I moved to Bracknell at about that time and wanted a bike for Swinley, before it got sanitised mind, which led me to buy a Planet-X Compo, which was great for that loose, steep and rooty place.
’02 I think, and I was there too – it was a cracker, wasn’t it?
I just have a memory of the toilets - just a long thunderbox over a trench and you could see the pyramid of shit that felt inches from your back-side! 🤢🤢
I think the weather was nice though! 🙂
I think around 2004 when I was living in London, gravitated from bikeradar I believe. Answered a few posts from folk looking to find people to go riding with in London - been good friends with them all ever since. In fact one of the guys I met on here became one of my best friends and we regularly still meet to go on daft adventures with tiny tents in big hills. Wore my 10th anniversary STW t-shirt until it literally fell apart!
the Gnarpoon t-shirt.
I think someone on pinkbike mentioned it, so i signed up so i could buy one. Then stuck around.
Was a steep learning curve, but its a great community.
My profile says I joined in January 2012. I was another one who came over from Bike Radar. In ten years, I still haven’t knowingly met another forum dweller, although I did pass Tallpaul sometime last year, without realising it at the time.
We had a Tinder date. STW wouldn't put out, so I ghosted them
well..i was workings as a waitress in a cocktail bar..
sometime before time was a thing, i found Gofar looking naive and vulnerable. the rest is history
Kildale Polaris Challenge 2000,I may have bought a mag,joined the site when I got home.
2004 at the bike show. I was a shy bike-curious punter at the bike show that year. Saw the stand populated by some hippies and thought this might be a good hobby to take up.
By some quirk of fate my bike show ticket led to me winning a bike.
Twenty odd years ago. Office intro, read the mags then as well.
Still using a mousemat 🙂
Still cant bunny hop or wheelie 🙁