usenet, rec.bicycles.rides or any of the rec.bicycle.* groups. Still there in some different form via google groups.
Same discussions and content today as then but with emoji and embedded picture support now. Usenet hierarchy and typical Usenet reader layout and format was much easier to follow than the current webpage formats. Much more clicking and scrolling now.
In the *tech group, you have the same exact discussions on chain lube then as you do now here, that debate is still not resolved. People were asking about putting drops on their MTB, all nothing new