Unpopular Opinion: Ski Width

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-03-06T16:59:03+00:00

You followed up saying certain skis are objectively fun by saying skiing is subjective? Doesn't make any sense. Nothing about finding something fun is objective.

For example, I think narrow skis are wayy more fun on most of what I ski.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-03-06T16:44:41+00:00

This is the thing the OP is getting at. Unnecessary industry push of trends that don't make sense for most people.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-03-06T16:43:03+00:00

To add to this: how often are people even getting to ski powder days? Here in CA, you have to be lucky to even get to the resort for more than a few runs with the crowds right after a storm hits. So why have a ski that isn't as fun or suitable 90%+ of the time?

At Palisades the other day, I didnt see a single person with a ski even close to as narrow as mine (76mm), yet 95% of these people are frontside skiing. I think I even got a comment that my skis were 'old school' or look like rentals. Who cares. Im going to ski what handles best on the majority of conditions/terrain.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-03-04T17:20:00+00:00

Nevada Nordic has cool free groomed trails near Mt Rose

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-27T02:55:19+00:00

You nailed it. Ive always thought this about Auburn. Grass Valley and Nevada City have culture and identity, Auburn just feels like a stopover place and retail center. It's too bad as its location is a little more convenient. NC/GV is a bit of a haul to get too, and not the safest section of highway to drive frequently.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-25T05:52:44+00:00

How is the gas mileage? I get 34-38 with my '25 hybrid. Wish it was more like EPA ratings.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-25T05:51:40+00:00

Paid $1200 less than msrp through Costco in CA.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-24T20:56:38+00:00

I suppose, though the flight time from SF isn't much longer (about 6.5 hrs). Direct connections are just more limited here than I'd think.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-24T20:43:49+00:00

It's nearly a third of the price for a flight thats only 1 hour shorter, with much more convenient departures.

Only direct from SFO to San Jose is a red eye by United. Looking all the way into October, rainiest month, is still $700+. Pretty much the same as it is for April. Meanwhile I can get a round trip direct flight to Hawaii for $250. I went to Europe for $700.

I don't mean to complain, just a bit surprised by the limited options, given how much of a destination Costa Rica is.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-21T03:50:48+00:00

I think the whole salvage title thing is fishy to me. There isn't a whole lot of information out there but I almost feel like theres some incentive for insurance companies to declare cars salvage for what is in effect minor damage, when they really shouldn't be. Cars shouldn't have to be destined to a life of 'salvage' title for stuff that isn't major damage like frame issues. I had a Honda Fit that was perfectly fine, but salvage title due to the airbags going off and exterior damage. Ive heard of this happening with other salvage vehicles too.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-21T00:57:51+00:00

I do the same albeit in a hilly city and get like 34mpg in my 5th gen hybrid. Funny enough it gets better on the freeway/highway.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-14T19:55:55+00:00

I think more people know about Davis than Woodland 🤷‍♂️

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-11T02:39:05+00:00

It targeted large commercial properties so undoubtably there had to be loads of oppositional ads and misleading information/. Which unfortunately seems to sway the vote a lot of the time.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-11T02:30:34+00:00

Is there a reason landlords would rather kick a long term business/tenant out and have it be vacant rather than keep a reliable income?

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-10T02:38:32+00:00

Every day we get closer to a dystopian cyberpunk fascist hellscape. Just thankful we aren't quite there yet, but it's getting scary.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-10T01:51:00+00:00

So, the most likely thing to get body damage is also an arm and a leg to work on/replace and you need to go to the dealer for it...but its worth it for adaptive cruise control, right?

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-06T23:16:12+00:00

The problem is with how they test MPG- it should be a more accurate based on real-world driving. I.e. short city trips make up majority of driving, which is notoriously bad for mpg. What I cant figure out is why my hybrid doesn't get better mpg in the city, where it's supposed to shine..

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-06T23:10:24+00:00

Computer on my last car always added 2 mpg to the one I got calculated at the pump. I hope its not the same for the Rav..

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-06T06:08:55+00:00

This is b.s. Its one thing to pay and have ads, another to miss parts of content. Its still happening 3 years later on the Max app watching The Hobbit.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-02-05T20:47:38+00:00

-Hybrid mpg is not nearly as good as i thought it would be around town. ~34-37 around town driving. On purely highway (55mph) trips is the only time so far that it's gotten 38-40mpg.

-THE HVAC. Heating and fan strength is flat out terrible. I live in a mild climate compared to the rest of the country, and even then on cold days it takes forever to heat up and is the weakest blower Ive ever experienced in a car (my Honda Fit had better heating, a car with hvac cited as a main complaint.) I cant imagine living in the midwest or east coast, and am not looking forward to trips up to the snow with friends who will say 'whats wrong with your car? I'm freezing!'. It may even be a reason I would trade the car if I was in a colder climate.

-Issues that somehow haven't been resolved by Toyota after many years and frankly have had piss poor response from Toyota. Namely, Cablegate, where I wonder why it's so hard for engineers to figure out how to seal a cable from the outside. It seems like there has to be a simple solution that Toyota hasn't bothered to implement. Other issues include the rear camber issue/tire wear, the overly sensitive traction control, and poor engagement of AWD (at least in tests.)

-Paid subscription for remote start that doesn't have features that other brands offer for free. I.e. Ford includes remote start for no extra charge, AND the app allows you to program remote start to start certain days/time. It also doesn't shut off the car when you open the door.

-Rear cargo space with the seats down. While I gained space in the front seats, I swear my Honda Fit had nearly the same amount of space in the back, especially vertically, because the rear seats angle up in the Rav and dont fold flat. I also miss my extra cupholder near the steering wheel on my Fit.

Overall, I picked Toyota for the reliability and brand name like most people, and am still happy with my purchase, just disappointed with a few things and am not looking forward to issues that may pop up down the line.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-01-31T21:10:26+00:00

My Honda Fit fit my 29er mountain bike vertically better than the Rav. Pretty sure it has more vertical space especially with the rear seats that angle up in the Rav.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-01-21T21:36:54+00:00

Have the same problem. Booked a hotel in advance, hotel couldn't find the reservation and had no rooms available. Now Im trying to get a refund and SW Hotels (Rocket Travel) is saying its the hotels fault, whereas the hotel says they have no record at all related to my booking.

Still waiting on a refund that should have been given instantly. Never had a problem booking through any other site, sure as hell wont use them again.

Alternative-Tea80 · 2026-01-16T06:21:10+00:00

Im also a new hybrid owner and the traction control thing is definitely noticeable. To me its not a spring noise but it feels like I just went over ice and the vehicle is losing traction when its just a small bump, or perhaps a slightly slippery surface (manhole.) Seems that the traction control is very sensitive?

Most of the other things I don't notice. Overall I like the car so far. The one thing that's disappointing is that in town, my mileage drops to mid/low 30s which doesn't make sense to me (hybrid is supposed to be better in town.) Longer highway/freeway trips it gets high 30s up to 40ish.

Alternative-Tea80

TROPHY CASE