Whether to split the thread 'Cycling using trains (in UK and EU)'

[MrsHJ]

I think it might help to split this thread between UK and Europe?

Moderator note - Split off from viewtopic.php?t=158863 and moved to 'Using the forum' for discussion of whether or not to split the thread 'Cycling using trains (in UK and EU)', and if so, how it should be split.

NB I am willing to split the thread if that is what members want, although it would be extremely time consuming to do it (the last one I did took the best part of an hour and only involved posts on a few pages). If it needs to be done, then so be it. However, as I have previously commented (viewtopic.php?p=1817535#p1817535), I think the default starting point for moderators should always be not to merge or split, i.e. avoid intervening as much as possible. Therefore I will not split the thread unless this discussion shows a reasonably strong and clear consensus, especially from those who are significant contributors to the thread and who are probably the best judges of the benefits and disadvantages of splitting.

slowster

[Jdsk]

Thanks for the dates, very helpful.

Jonathan

PS: But the UK is still part of Europe. : - )

[TrevA]

Thanks for the dates, very helpful.

Jonathan

PS: But the UK is still part of Europe. : - )

Yes, but having such a massive thread means useful information gets lost. Best to have a separate thread for UK and Europe, indeed you could even have separate threads for France, Netherlands, etc and inter-country.

[Jdsk]

...
PS: But the UK is still part of Europe. : - )

Yes, but having such a massive thread means useful information gets lost. Best to have a separate thread for UK and Europe, indeed you could even have separate threads for France, Netherlands, etc and inter-country.

And that would result in even worse duplication than at present... as many tours cross borders.

The length of a thread doesn't make it harder to find information. Information doesn't "get lost" because it's in a long thread. And the search engine on this site is pretty good.

Jonathan

[mattheus]

Sorry, some harsh editing in the following quotes:

Yes, but having such a massive thread means useful information gets lost. Best to have a separate thread for UK and Europe,

The length of a thread doesn't make it harder to find information. Information doesn't "get lost" because it's in a long thread.

With respect that's an absurd statement!

My opinion is no more valuable than the next member's but i'd MUCH prefer to have had a
- UK trains thread, and
- EU/Continent trains thread
- And probably a separate Eurostar thread, as it behaves nothing like the other trains in any country!

Very little you learn about German trains is of relevance to UK trains. Sure, your tour may cross borders, but do you also want chain lube in the same thread - cos you're gonna use that on any international tour!

I know people just want to be helpful, but chucking all the info in the universe into 1 thread ain't the best way. Is Wikipedia one long page?

No. No it isn't.

<vacates soapbox>

[Jdsk]

...
I know people just want to be helpful, but chucking all the info in the universe into 1 thread ain't the best way. Is Wikipedia one long page?
...

Wikipedia is curated. This forum isn't, and that makes a crucial difference.

And a straw man argument about "all the info in universe" is a diversion. No-one has suggested that.

Jonathan

[mattheus]

...
I know people just want to be helpful, but chucking all the info in the universe into 1 thread ain't the best way. Is Wikipedia one long page?
...

Wikipedia is curated. This forum isn't, and that makes a crucial difference.

And a straw man argument about "all the info in universe" is a diversion. No-one has suggested that.

Jonathan

It's not a straw man at all - as clearly this forum has more than one thread - it's just rhetorical hyperbole. :-)

[TrevA]

Why is it UK and EU, and not UK and Europe. What if you want to catch a train in Norway or Switzerland, are you expected to start a separate thread?

[Paulatic]

And the search engine on this site is pretty good.

Yes it is but we regularly witness examples of people never using it. Take a visit to Fb and read the continual stupid questions, Is there a hairdressers, When does ** open? etc Using a search engine must be a black art to some.

I'd split the thread purely for personal reasons. After deciding, years ago, I was never going to ride PBP I have zilch interest in riding in Europe. Living where I do and as someone who will never fly I consider it too much hassle and expense to get there. Whilst envious of some of the train services in Europe I’m only interested in U.K. trains.

[mattheus]

Why is it UK and EU, and not UK and Europe. What if you want to catch a train in Norway or Switzerland, are you expected to start a separate thread?

Because then some bright spark would moan that "Europe" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe#Li ... erritories )
includes the UK.

[mjr]

Very little you learn about German trains is of relevance to UK trains.

That depends where you are travelling in the UK. The Siemens Desiro is used around the Midlands, on the Transpennine Express and some routes out of St Pancras and Waterloo, but is also widespread in Belgium, Austria and of course Germany ( all with fairly good bike access). Eurostar's Siemens Velaro is also Germany's ICE3 and some of Spain's high speed trains (all with pretty poor bike access).

The rules may differ, but they differ between UK operators. The on train accommodation is rarely unique to the UK. I'd say keep train discussion across Europe as one.

[Jdsk]

We've now got four or five active threads about bikes on trains within the UK. This isn't helping anyone to find the information that they need from all of the helpful responses.

BTTT so that we can discuss advantages and disadvantages of the different options away from the threads about bikes on trains.

Jonathan

[mjr]

This important EU info getting buried under UK posts.

It is a bit of an unwieldly thread, there's loads of useful info lost in it's 46 pages, The original question was about a specific UK route, maybe we could ask the mods to discourage such generic thread titles.

The original title of this thread was 'Travelling with a touring bike on a train in the uk' - it was changed on page 22 when a new member's thread/post was merged into the thread. If you wish to discuss this further, I suggest you do so in Using the Forum here - viewtopic.php?t=160176.

Is there a point? Are the mods willing to even entertain the possibility that the merge tool should not be used (not least because it is broken and mangles the 'post read' statuses), or are complaints being sent here to a ghetto to die?

[PH]

I didn't pursue it, I wasn't requesting a split, I was suggesting a more pro active monitoring of thread titles and , wishful thinking, that threads other than in the Tea Shop, be kept roughly on topic. Simon pointed out how useful info was getting buried and IMO that's inevitable with such wide ranging, almost generic, thread titles.

[slowster]

It is a bit of an unwieldly thread, there's loads of useful info lost in it's 46 pages, The original question was about a specific UK route, maybe we could ask the mods to discourage such generic thread titles.

The original title of this thread was 'Travelling with a touring bike on a train in the uk' - it was changed on page 22 when a new member's thread/post was merged into the thread. If you wish to discuss this further, I suggest you do so in Using the Forum here - viewtopic.php?t=160176.

Is there a point? Are the mods willing to even entertain the possibility that the merge tool should not be used (not least because it is broken and mangles the 'post read' statuses), or are complaints being sent here to a ghetto to die?

See viewtopic.php?t=159252. There seemed to be no strong clear consensus then.