Here's the challenge. No discussion here, if you want to talk about a specific aspect, please start a new thread. Write a new "about us" paragraph for FM. Take a look at the existing about Faster Mustache page and write something new here. Things it should incorporate:
-The old tag line was "less gears, more beers." The new tag line is "ride bikes, save the world"
-We've been around a few years
-We ride bikes and like it that way (mountain/urban/commuter/track/road/race/casual/etc)
-We party and like it that way
-We want you! (and don't care if you don't ride bikes. you're welcome to hang out as long as you don't mind people helping you figure out what part of riding a bike you like best but don't know it yet)
-We're out to save the world, raising money for good causes, etc (what are some things that FM should strive to do in this area)
-anything else!
edit: this is an about us for who were are _and_ who we want to be, it doesn't need to make explicitly clear which is which, but they both should be in there.
edit2: Get a free year of membership to the site if your paragraph is picked!
No kidding we need a new paragraph
The one there at the top looks like some PR flak went to town on it.
"we are all dedicated to promoting safer riding conditions in Atlanta" PWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Please. Half the time we're *causing* the damn unsafe riding conditions. But we really, really want those stupid cars to behave.
"being ambassadors for Atlanta's broad bicycle community" Unless you have an unrelated argument or off-topic post, then you can shove off.
"and working to improve the world around us for cyclist and non-cyclists alike." Hasn't someone (maybe guercotti?) gotten extremely militant on the forums about how we're not trying to "save" or improve the world or do anything specifically about global warming or gas prices? Does that mean he's not invited anymore?
"we are all dedicated to
"we are all dedicated to promoting safer riding conditions in Atlanta" PWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Please. Half the time we're *causing* the damn unsafe riding conditions. But we really, really want those stupid cars to behave.
Shit the only reason I ride in the city is for the adrenaline rush of causing mayhem on the street.
I'm saying this only once and I mean it. If Faster Mustache is about promoting safe biking than I'm out. I'm cool with the people that want to ride bikes safely, but I want no part of it. I guess if were going to promote safe cycling we should rename it Slower Mustache.
Promoting biking and all the craziness (and beer) that comes along with it will works for me.
My bad ckdake. I'd delete it but I think only a higher power can do that.
NO DISCUSSION HERE PLEASE.
NO DISCUSSION HERE PLEASE. JUST NEW PARAGRAPHS. K THX.
(I wouldn't have suggested a new paragraph if I didn't think we needed one)
Tagline: We want you! To ride a bike.
Here's my homework assignment:
Faster Mustache (FM) began in late 2004 when a group of friends in Atlanta decided to take their love for bikes to the next level. Though the name encompasses a variety of information, the reality of FM is that we just like to have fun and ride bikes. Whether it’s mountain, fixed, free, geared, road, track, racing, casual, slow, fast, beginner, expert, everyday, every once in a while, you name it --- if it’s on a bicycle then you’ve found the right place. From the beginning, FM has been dedicated to getting more friends on bikes and that continues to date. As FM has grown tremendously, our rationale remains the same: anytime we ride, we have a good time.
beautiful! Let's see some
beautiful! Let's see some more of these! The winner gets a spot on the new front page once it's ready, and hell, how about a free year 'o membership.
Tweaked, short, simple
Faster Mustache is an independent organization made up of a diverse group of Atlanta residents with one thing in common: riding bicycles. Fixed or free, geared or single, cruiser, chopper, racer, clunker, we ride 'em. Our interests vary as much as our riders but we all agree that riding bikes is fun!. Faster Mustache is all about using bicycles to enrich our lives in our communities and city and inviting others to do the same. [insert necessary media links, etc here]
You Americans
What about the London and the Paris residents? What are we, chopped Hummer?
You need Mike's apt
You need Mike's apt description, "Bike punk kids", in there somewhere.
please everyone, keep the
please everyone, keep the discussion somewhere else. thanks.
In a city as auto-centric as
In a city as auto-centric as Atlanta cyclists have to stick together. Enter FasterMustache.org (FM). Founded in 2004 by a group of friends and Georgia Tech alums, FM's purpose has always been to unite the cycling community. Besides its popular discussion forums, FM has been directly responsible for organizing many cycling events in Atlanta, from large rides like the monthly Critical Mass or the annual FM 24-Hour Urban Relay, to smaller get togethers like summer time Wednesday night rides. FM members not only enjoy each others company at these rides but also gain safety and security from riding with other experienced cyclists.
The viewpoints of FM may be as diverse as its membership, but one thing is clear: good things can happen when FM is around. To date FM has helped raised over $1,500 for charitable organizations. Many FM members are also actively involved with the SoPo Bike Coop, another do-gooder organization in the Atlanta area.
If you like to ride bikes, be it for transportation, recreation (or procreation?) then you should give FM a try. After all, nobody should have to ride alone.
me fail english?
faster mustache is an internet message board that facilitates the social networking of generation y (and some x and beyond) bicycle commuters in atlanta. the message board and branding of FM lend to the planning and promoting of bicycle-related events.
ride bikes, save the world.
Saving the world starts in individual communities. Faster Mustache has been enriching lives and changing lifestyles in Atlanta since 2004 by getting a variety of people out of their offices, classrooms, and cars, and onto a bicycle. No two people are the same—mathematical mind-frames to artistic endeavorers. No two bikes are the same—fat tires, skinny tires, fixed, or free. What we all agree on is RIDING BIKES IS FUN! We’re here to have a good time and to use our favorite pastime to impact our city. Everyone’s invited!
Thanks for all of your input
Thanks for all of your input everyone! My version is below, feel free to discuss here and now, and I'm thinking niCki is the winner of a free year!
Saving the world starts in individual communities. Faster Mustache has been enriching lives and changing lifestyles in Atlanta since 2004 by getting a variety of people out of their offices, classrooms, and cars, and onto a bicycle. No two people are the same—mathematical mind-frames to artistic endeavorers. No two bikes are the same—fat tires, skinny tires, fixed, or free. The events are exciting and diverse --- bicycle commuting, night mountain biking, velodrome racing, beer drinking, fundraising for charity (over $1500 to date), and more. What we all agree on is RIDING BIKES IS FUN, and in a city as auto-centric as Atlanta, cyclists have to stick together! We’re here to have a good time using our favorite pastime to enrich our lives and impact our city. If it's on a bicycle for transportation, recreation (or procreation?), then you've found the right place. Welcome to Faster Mustache, everyone’s invited!
still... "saving the world" ?
how about "contributing to our community" or "Improving the lives of Atlantans"
a) less cheesy
b) more precise
+1
I'm still not a fan of "saving the world." It's kinda...captain planetish in a bad teenybopper kind of way. Both of Gabe's suggestions are pretty awesome, in my opinion.
+1
"out of my way to save the world"
-op ivy
-- op ivy sarcasm
Could you throw something in
Could you throw something in about the aesthetic and practical value of bicycles? The idea of bicycles as beautiful, handcrafted, practical tools makes me want to interact with others who appreciate their appeal.
and...
that everyone should "put the fun between your legs"
speak for yourself
i don't know about your bikes, but mine weren't handcrafted. they were excreted out of the ass ends of robots.
My Gitane, IF, Titus, and
My Gitane, IF, Titus, and DEAN were; my Trek and Sears weren't. All assembled by craftsmen.
draft 3.3
after modifications from ckdake, x, and then me, try this:
Through endless discussion, real action, and entertaining events, we are a progressive movement that believes in the power of bicycles to change our communities and our world. Online and on the road, at work or at play, we challenge everyone to use a bike, fixed or free, geared or single, cruiser, chopper, racer, clunker, and ride 'em. No two bikes are the same and certainly no two riders are the same, but in the auto-centric city of Atlanta, we have fun sticking together. Simply put, we invite everyone to bike everywhere with us. Welcome to Faster Mustache!
Note, due to litigation, we cannot comment on the band Faster Mustache that performed a glorious death from chlamydia while attempting to procreate hipster douchebags. (a nod to this)
---
edit away
Eh, -.5
I prefer the previous draft. Just swap "saving the world" with "contributing to our community" or "Improving the lives of Atlantans." I really hesitate to call us a movement.
You mean we're not a cosmic bowel movement?
We're talking about fm,
not your face. (j/k, I love your face. Hopefully you know this. And now, so does all of fm.) /OT
Dude, stop shitting up the thread.
;) (Ok, I'll stop now, I promise.)
I don't know...
I'm moving.
er, not referring to my bowels here.
Actually I like "progressive movement"
Yeah, but
is FM itself a progressive movement or simply a social club that has overlap with a few progressive movements? I get the impression that some people are really trying to redefine what FM is. I have no problem with this, per se. But if we want to clean up our image a touch, let's do it with actions first and let the words come later. -1 to false advertising. Right now, I still find more truth in "less gears, more beers" than I do in "ride bikes, save the world." Simply put, we ride, drink and party more than we do charitable works or participate in activism. (other than the tacit activism we engage in simply by riding, but I digress...) And that's ok. Generally, I see no reason to be ashamed of our lifestyle or our fun.
I think there's little point in trying to turn FM into a service organization. If we want a youthful, hipstery, bike-oriented service organization, we've got SOPO. It's already up and running well. It needs all the help it can get. Why compete? SOPO is perceived too much like a club when it's not. It shouldn't be in competition. Dual association is encouraged. Have fun with FM, save the world with SOPO? Make sense?
Ok, stepping off the soapbox now.
Read the paragraph that is
Read the paragraph that is now on the front page. I think you'll likely be down with it!
Noone is redefining what FM is, it's just that things like riding bikes to pick up toys for tots, getting crazy drunk and partying to raise money for hurricane victims, and eating all the tater tots one can eat so some kids can experience the great outdoors are AWESOME. It's all about drinking/eating/biking but doing good for the world, that's cool. We aren't competing with SOPO.
FM is getting a lot more exposure and it's important to have a concise description on the front page for media. That doesn't have to be what everyone feels, but if it said that we get drunk and ride bikes, it's likely that the APD would make it out to our next event instead of Creative Loafing. just my 2 cents..