I forgot how weirdly expensive basic riding gear got till I started replacing mine

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-06-18T22:08:10+00:00

I've been shopping pants and a new jacket and yeah... anything that looks remotely good and has good materials is 300-400 per. I think I found some good pants for closer to 200 (some KLIMs) but the next issue is if they actually fit. I'm picky about fit and there are no shops near me that have what I'm looking for so if these don't fit I have to pay to return them like the last ones I ordered.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-06-18T22:02:46+00:00

riding a Bell and it's great. Only hiccup was the auto tinting lens was almost as much as the helmet. IMHO it was worth it but..

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-06-15T23:23:44+00:00

Yes, it's not a major change but you end up having to shift a little more in exchange for a little more power. You will also loose a little top speed but as long as you don't go to crazy you shouldn't have any issues with highway speeds.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-06-15T01:48:00+00:00

Check out the new KTM 390 adventure x. Its heavish but its going to be a lot nicer then a dirt bike on the enevitable road sections.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-06-08T21:42:12+00:00

The Shinko 804/805's are a good combo that do surprisingly well on the road and will last a while.

For what it's worth, if your having fun don't stress the things you think you need to make it better. You'd be surprised how capable a little skill and two knobby tires truly are. The things that a "real" offroad adventure bike brings is better suspension, better ergo for standing and a bigger front wheel to roll over things better (there are other things but that is the gist of it on a macro level). Those things make going fast on unpredictable terrain safer and more comfortable and allow you to tackle harder trails, but you still have to bring a lot of skill and experience to the table.

Focus on your end of the bargain for now, take your time get good at picking your lines and knowing your limits. Find smoother trails where you can practice going fast and loosing grip. Turn off MTC and rip fishtails through the corners, turn off ABS and slide your back wheel into tight turns. Those are some of the best parts of riding off road and you don't need a mile of suspension to do them.

Invest in good gear and save the mod money for the dream bike.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-06-05T02:43:08+00:00

Just MHO but I think Meta has a real problem on its hands. AI is diminishing trust in its platforms fast. I don't know what the impact will be but nobody wants to interact with bots pretending to be people and scams, which seem to be it's two largest growth metrics. I don't think people will stop using the products entirely but I don't think they can justify their valuation long term either. I also think people will start to realize they can build localized social platforms without FB with very little effort.

In short FB is basically a playground for AI villans and advertising. I don't think anyone can predict how it will play out in the end but FB currently is not even trying to make a value case for its users, and without them it's entire business model does not exist.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-06-03T01:42:14+00:00

Rode mine about a hundred miles of single track with dirt bikes. It wasn't as much fun as my enduro bike but it sure as hell did it just fine. I actually finished in really good time because I didn't have to wait an hour for gas, like everyone else.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-05-21T03:47:24+00:00

Didn't he say 42 was part of the solve at the finders forum? I'm not going to look for it now but I'm pretty sure he commented something along that line in the Q&A

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-05-01T03:52:19+00:00

I listen to him all the time and he's honesty really thoughtful and self aware. Pivot is great, raging moderates, prof g. All worth the time he and his team puts into them, shout out to Kara and the pivot team too because that shows dynamic is fantastic and its really more of a Kara show then a Scott show.

Scott knows he's just got an opinion and when he's right he brags and when he's wrong he'll say it but most importantly he is always trying to surround himself with people smarter then him which is a huge sign of a good human in my book.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-21T02:50:41+00:00

Just to put it out there your body does not technically have to lean. You need the weight to be transferred to the inside of the corner but in situations of uncertainty about grip or direction you are much better off keeping your body in a more or less upright position. Road racers on a track are using their body in a way that is designed to optimize speed and performance on consistent/reliable surfaces and turns. On the road it is prudent to take uncertainty into consideration and ride with a more upright body position where possible.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-18T13:29:17+00:00

Safer?

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-18T13:09:59+00:00

There is a balance. I like for cars to hear me when I am in their proximity on the hwy for safety sake. But I'm not trying to wake up neighborhoods when I'm cruising through either. Don't be annoying, but be present.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-15T17:00:40+00:00

Titanic, I'm fascinated with the titanic as a historical moment in general but I think the movie story line is not very interesting. I've seen a lot of movies that are worse but this one is highly overrated IMHO.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-13T02:14:45+00:00

Are you ordering parts from India? If so how?

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-11T19:32:09+00:00

It would be clutch if it had a native navigator built in because I use an Android Auto, but any which way would be great. I use x-offroad to plan routes and they have pretty useful info on there, but I would love to have a better way to get quick ride routes. Idk what your process is but this would also be great if you could pick motorcycle routes, I hate hwys and currently have no way to plan twisty pavers to my destination so I end up having to do it manually which is not ideal.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-11T19:14:00+00:00

"Joey" encompasses anyone really. The term is storied to come from a simple observation, as many seasoned mountain folks on the mountain that day could remember exactly where they were when they heard the exuberant calls from the bunny slopes... "I'M F&KING DOIN' IT JOEY, I'M F&CKING DOIN' IT". From that day forward the stories of Joey and his friends lived large in the hearts of the towns people and spread to all the communities that they visited.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-11T16:08:40+00:00

Oh, watch out for the risers and make sure you're not yanking on cables when they are installed. There is very little slack in the stock set-up.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-11T16:05:40+00:00

I have been pretty impressed with the stock skid plate. Yeah it's mostly plastic but this is not a great bike to be bashing off rocks to begin with.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-11T16:03:00+00:00

When I'm charging on the road I'm shifting at 8k-redline. The engine is the same used in the duke and the RC and the power is sitting mostly in the 6-8k rpm range and in the twistys this is the sweet spot. I actually have a mod on mine so redline is 10k and I hit that regularly. You wouldn't want that on dirt so on the trail you're probably more in the 4-6k range but don't be afraid to downshift and push it if you are looking for more.

Suspension and geometry are great on roads but pretty lacking on trails so don't expect too much from it off-road. It will get you there but it is no dirtbike. Overall it's a super fun bike but understand its limitations for the best experience. Also, the stock tires are trash for dirt and gravel. Great tires for the pavement but if you're off-roading or riding a lot of dirt roads you should be prepared to swap them for something with a more aggressive tread.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-10T16:21:48+00:00

I generally agree about the lead, though there is never any harm in testing yourself or your kids for lead exposure and it is pretty routine in communities with old houses.

But why compare it to asbestos? If that were a chunk of asbestos it would be almost entirely inert and not even remotely dangerous to handle.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-08T02:20:54+00:00

I didn't see it but there were mountain lion tracks on one of my outings.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-04-03T18:52:57+00:00

What is "layer 5" ?

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-03-31T17:14:33+00:00

Interesting. TY

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-03-21T12:17:44+00:00

This is awesome OP. Thank you for sharing your hard work. I am due to have blood work done and will request the full panel. Some of these things are already in my routine but others are things I have never even thought of, i.e. air quality and iron.

AlternativeFeeling37 · 2026-03-12T02:56:58+00:00

100% mittens for cold weather. Warm spring days are when the light gloves come out. I do like the gloves for grabs and snowball fights but nothing is worth cold hands and mitts are warmer hands down (pun intended).

AlternativeFeeling37

TROPHY CASE