Why don't we have a product reviews board??

[Jarvicious]

Or maybe we do.  I haven't found it yet.  I know there are a lot of different gear and parts review sites out there, but I thought maybe it would be nice to hear from a couple of familiar "faces".  I'm not even sure if we could run such a format on this site (I know squat about interweb coding) but it would be great to have a section to post and search via brand, item, clothing accessory, etc.  I know some people have posted the occasional jacket review or helmet rant in the gear department, but a dedicated section with pics and pros and cons would be an improvement.  Anyone?  Maybe I'm just too lazy to search other sites, but when I was into cycling, sites like www.mtbr.com and www.roadbikereview.com were fantastic resources, partially due to the review sections.   

[superjohn]

I think this would be the place to put a review if anyone were to do one. That's where they were on TOB anyway.

I haven't bought anything really new in a while so I got nothing 

[Jarvicious]

Yeah, I wasn't really counting the TOB.  The 15 or so reviews they have on there hardly constitutes a decent review board.  Having a search function (I mean one specific to product reviews, not just a general forum search) would be great if anyone wanted to look up a specific product, or even PM the user who wrote about it. 

[Spidey]

I'm not sure we need *another* forum on this board, especially since people seem generally reluctant to take the time to post a formal review (though I don't know why they'll write a 3 page response to a post and at the same time we unwilling to write a 3 page article on the same subject matter).  On TOB, though there was a "review" section, people just posted gear reviews in the gear section.  It worked.  With a search, you could find a lot of info. The key is creating a community norm where people feel like they can and should post reviews.  You can start creating that norm by doing one yourself and convincing your friends and riding buddies to do the same.

[Statler]

The thing for me is that this isn't meant to be an encyclopedia.   If you have a question about a certain item, ask who has it and what they think.   You'll get a lot more info that way than a two-year old review by someone anyway.     It's also how people end up knowing each other around here.   I've read 'reviews' by brand new riders that I completely disagree with.   I'm not going to crap in their nice thread, but I'll certainly chime in when someone asks about something.

[superjohn]

Is it even worth making a guideline for reviews? Something, like

Subject line should be formatted:

Review:<Product Name> [Long|Short|Otherwise]

[DoubleEagle]

I agree w/ Stats, if there is an item that you are interested in .....just post a question if anyone has any helpful info. about that item.  Dolph

[He Man]

1 thread 20 opinions vs 1 post 1 opinion.

Just make the title search friendly.

[triangleforge]

Why not a sticky-ed topic for "Gear Reviews" at the top of this board, like the Gear that Worked or Gear Deals topics, or the Crash Report topic at the top of the Riding Technique board? I follow those fairly regularly and they seem to have a good balance of primary reporting and give & take for anything that needs clarification. Wouldn't need to be a new board.

[eltristo]

1 thread 20 opinions vs 1 post 1 opinion.

Just make the title search friendly.

Much like the oft-and-recently-revisited Sargent V Corbin debate (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=10170.0).   If you want to know something about these products, it has probably been addressed.  Or you can ask!