mack_turtle

I have an Osprey Raptor 10 hydration backpack and a Seral 4 hip pack. I've had the backpack for over 8 years and, while it does not get as much use as some riders would have put on it in that time, it's held up very well. the hip pack is rather new to me, but it does the job. I think the bladder is a bit oversized for the pack, so you really have to cram it in there when it's full, but it's comfortable and I am unconcerned with hurting it. yes, the magnet does not work that well. the solution is to clip a retractable lanyard to the pack near the magnet. this cost me $0 and works 100% of the time with zero fuss. the retractable line works better because I can grab the hose, take a sip, then spit it out and just let it go. the line snaps it back into the magnet. if the magnet loses its hold for a second, the line keeps it from bouncing around until the magnet finds its home again. any similar pack from another company would benefit from the same feature. it would be nice if they included a clip to really secure the hose better, but I have no doubt that if they did that, people would bitch about how they put a clip there instead of using a magnet. I have to tighten mine every few miles as well. It's not because the belt slips, but because I am drinking water from the pack, making it less full. as the water volume goes down, the pack effectively loosens. as a control, I use this pack sometimes without the bladder (shorter rides on cooler days when I can get away with just a water bottle on the frame) and the pack does NOT come loose. the tension stays consistent because there's no water bladder in the bag changing the tension as I go. There are other products on the market that have reasons they might meet personal preferences, but mine is fantastic such that I would not think of replacing it.

ankes explodeded. that street corner has changed a bit in the past 20 years

DHF. might have a slice in the middle of the tread that needs a good patch.

Tires collecting dust Maxxis minion 29x2.5 Continental x-king 29x2.4 with a lug ripped off. Kenda flintridge 700x40 I also have a maxxis high roller to 29x2.5 that is on my bike. Has some life left. Might trade for something in 29x2.35-2.4 flavor.

I tried using Velofix tape on my gravel bike. I got a deal on it for a massive roll. You get what you pay for! I've tried applying it several times and it always slips off the bead shelf of the rim, exposing existing holes in the rim and letting the tire go flat. I cleaned the rim and reapplied it several times with the same result. either the adhesive is not strong enough or the tape doesn't stretch enough. I tired all of the usual techniques that I have used with success on Stan's tape and nothing worked. to fix it in a pinch, I just removed the tape and applied two layers of 1" wide Gorilla tape. that's going to suck to remove some day, so hopefully I can just leave it there for a long time.

yup, not a cult.

the skills park at Milburn is getting a major upgrade right now. photos on the KOM trails Instagram page.

I like EVs. they are the future. Tesla is doing a lot of cool things to bring technology to us. but can y'all Elon fanbois dial back the messianic buttkissing? it's really hard to welcome change when so many of its proponents are weirdly obsessed with it. everything sounds good until you suspect that the proponents are really evangelists in a cult.

I thought BSS had them to rent before the merge with Trek. otherwise: https://www.feeltheberm.com/

seems like there's a parallel phenomenon in every hobby: https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20220110a Texas Game Warden’s Investigation Results in Organized Crime Ring Bust and Multiple Arrests Jan. 10, 2022 The two year, multi-agency effort led to high praise, award nominations and safer coastal communities GALVESTON – What started off as a run-of-the-mill investigation into a series of boat title discrepancies, concluded this past summer with multiple felony charges against three individuals suspected of running an interstate theft ring and the recovery of over $275,000 worth of stolen watercraft and other vehicles. Sergeant Game Warden Jonathan Griffin of the Marine Theft Investigation Unit facilitated an impressive two-year investigation into the organized crime ring leading to a nomination for Investigator of the Year Award by the International Association of Marine Investigators. “Considering that this is an international award I am really humbled to have been nominated,” said Sergeant Griffin. “I am very grateful to the Galveston County Auto Crimes Task Force and the other agencies across Texas, Alabama, and Florida who assisted with the resources necessary to build a strong case to hand over to the district attorney’s office for prosecution.” Sergeant Griffin further explained that the case began with a tip from the La Marque Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Office regarding an individual titling numerous jet skis in their name at very low purchase prices. Eventually, a Florida county tax office notified the Sergeant that the suspect and a second individual were also titling a number of jet skis in Florida in the same manner. Over the following months, the Marine Theft Investigation Unit worked to trace the jet skis that were bought and sold by the suspects. The investigators uncovered that the jet skis being titled were actually stolen throughout Texas and then sold across multiple gulf states with false titles and identification numbers. Their work then identified a third suspect who had participated in the activity. “After recovering 27 stolen vessels and trailers, we filed charges and arrested the three suspects for theft and engaging in organized crime,” said Griffin. “While the charges are pending, we are working to locate and recover more stolen jet skis and boats that may have been sold using the same scheme. It has been satisfying to be able to help get this property back to the rightful owners.” The case is currently being handled by the Galveston County District Attorney’s office.

my basic understanding is that devices like this don't work from inside a bike. they have to be exposed or there's too much interference from the material around it. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that is why no one just drops one inside the frame. if only it was that easy!

sorry, that was a lame attempt at a joke. to clarify: if you think you have an effective way to hide an Airtag, sharing your method with the rest of us would benefit all of us, but it would expose the secret to bike thieves. the current market options I have seen for Airtags might as well have a label that says "NOT A TRACKING DEVICE" because it's so obvious. they may be scum, but thieves stay in the game if they are good at what they do. anyone who is serious about stealing bikes probably knows how to cut or pick most locks, and they're paying attention to how people are using tracking devices. put yourself in their shoes: if you wanted to steal bikes, you'd be scanning the internet for discussions about tracking devices and ways to "hide" them so you know how to remove one and drop it in the nearest storm drain 30 seconds after grabbing the bike. if you have a good way to hide one, keep that secret for yourself!

ethical quandary: sharing with us would make a better concealed Airtag an option for more bike owners. however, sharing this info with the public also makes it easier for thieves to know how to beat it. I usually lock my bike up in the garage. if someone does steal it, getting that POS back is probably not worth the effort.

indeed, I think putting an Airtag on your bike provides a false sense of security. it's like putting a doorbell camera on your house: you get a good photo of the person who stole a package from your front porch for the police to pretend to file and then ignore.

Air tags seem pretty obvious to any bike thief who takes 5 minutes on the internet to recognize one. Something would need to be designed to look like an ordinary part of the bicycle so that it can go undetected.

Here's a bike box for $40. Get it fast! https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/641156263741519/

http://carverbikes.com/parts/cockpit/myti-carbon-handlebar/ ?

my arms were sore for a few days! so much "rowing".

I got Pfizer for the first and second round, Moderna booster. While I know I am not bulletproof, this gives me peace of mind that if or when I get it, it most likely won't kill me. It's going to suck and I'm more worried about "long covid" and spreading it to others if I don't know I am contagious. still not messing around in public: masks whenever possible, not going to crowded bars and such. while I like to curse our hot climate here, I'm enjoying the mild winter so far. Several family members in other states have gotten covid. one died in October from it. the one who died refused to get vaccinated for stupid reasons. everyone else just had what felt like a really crappy flu.

Just watched Pee-wee's Big Adventure. HBO has it and this movie stands the test of time. Tim Burton's debut as a film director delivers! 1980s Murray BMX team, car chases, clay-animated VFX, Texas humor, a love story about a man's relentless devotion to cycling, a fantastic soundtrack with Twisted Sister, and a script written by Phil Hartman. It's an under-rated classic for sure. If you have not seen this movie as an adult, give it a shot.

I'm going to explore this on my own bike. I just became aware of how balanced I feel on my gravel bike and I am not sure how it feels on my mountain bike. https://www.mtbr.com/threads/weight-distribution-is-ok-why-is-the-front-of-the-bike-so-heavy-and-how-to-make-it.1153521/page-4#post-15014657

I've seen people actually test this by putting scales under a stationary bike to see how the front and rear weight bias plays out. some say there should be about a 60/40 balance rear/front, but there's really not a single approach that suits everyone, nor is there consensus on this. it is helpful to play with wheelbase, front and rear, on bike design to change this dynamic. but as far as I am concerned, the distance between your feet and your hands and your saddle height should not change much. that leaves chainstay length and the elements that make up front-center length as variables.

I was just noticing on my gravel bike, with it's slack seat tube angle and offset seatpost, that fitting is a package deal. the front-center of a drop-bar bike is much shorter than on a mountain bike due to the short, rigid fork and steep head tube angle, but the effective reach is must longer when you consider the forward bend of the handlebar and the way the hoods stick out. you might think that one should move the saddle forward to shorten the effective reach, but the opposite is true. shifting your saddle forward would throw off your balance and you'd slide forward on the saddle, bracing your arms to prevent that, and the result would be too much pressure on your hands. sliding the saddle back cantilevers more of your weight over the center of the bike and that's what it's all about. I like John Weirath's approach to saddle position, which is similar to Steve Hogg's. you body weight should be mostly in the pedals. I can pedal my bike with my butt just barely touching the saddle and my hands only loosely holding the bar on both of my bikes because I figured this out. on a modern mountain bike with a longer fork and resulting long front-center, a steeper seat tube angle helps to center your weight between the wheels. dropper post or not, this helps you keep the front tire down without the old school "sit on the nose of your saddle" approach, which might not ever be enough on a bike with a long, long front-center. also relevant: https://www.handbuiltbicyclenews.com/c23-bicycles/328-nakeds-framebuilder-notes-on-a-prototype If sitting on a bike with the saddle further forward doesn't work for you, you need to consider the other dimensions of the bike because forward geometry is a whole-bike deal, or the bike is just not designed for the way you are used to riding. It might also not be designed for the kind of terrain we have here, which is likely when you consider how PNW riding is fettishized everywhere. You can chose to adapt or just ride a different bike.

relevant https://www.pinkbike.com/news/not-so-fast-how-dropper-posts-created-steep-seat-tube-angles.html

STA means nothing in isolation. Bike geo and fit is a package deal.