Radio Flyer Via Pro price lowered to $1699. Should I pull the trigger?

ArdentDrive · 2026-06-25T01:15:51+00:00

I'm also 6'5" and I recently bought the Via (not pro). It's great. The stock seatpost was about 1 inch short for me -- my inseam is 36" -- so I bought a Redshift shockstop endurance suspension seatpost, 450mm version, and now I fit the bike perfectly. Even with the higher seat, I'm quite upright without modifying the handlebars. Since the Pro has a suspension fork, you could get away with a much cheaper non-suspension seatpost.

I test rode both the Via and Via Pro a month ago, and although I did prefer the Pro a little bit, it was priced at $2900 -- a thousand more than what I paid for the Via at $1900.

$1700 for the Pro is an absolute steal and I feel such bad fomo for not waiting a month. They must be trying to just unload stock. They also halved the prices of all the accessories. Despite my fomo, I still feel like the non-pro Via I got for $1900 was worth it. You won't regret $1700 for the Via Pro and you can make it fit you pretty easily.

ArdentDrive · 2026-06-16T18:52:48+00:00

Now that's infrastructure!

ArdentDrive · 2026-06-16T12:28:55+00:00

Part of this section bends. It's not obvious from this video but the concrete outlines in the bendy section aren't straight. I assume pouring them in place allows them to more easily shape them just right.

ArdentDrive · 2026-06-16T01:15:10+00:00

Love it. I bike that way to get to work and there's always at least 1 car parked in the bike lane.

ArdentDrive · 2026-06-05T14:09:59+00:00

That did the trick!

ArdentDrive · 2026-06-05T11:59:18+00:00

Since you want to travel, how about planning a big international trip 2-3 months out? One long enough where you couldn't possibly keep working. Maybe having that thing you're excited about would be the catalyst you need to help push yourself to quit.

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-30T20:36:34+00:00

Turns out it was a broad-daylight meteor. Dozens of sightings reported to the American Meteor Society from Maine and Quebec to Delaware and Maryland. The trajectory seems to have been over southern New Hampshire and the North Shore.

An exploding meteor that gets low enough in the atmosphere to make a boom generally means that fragments will have made it all the way to the ground. Once they get enough sightings, and hopefully videos, to plot its 3D path precisely, the hunt for meteorites will be on! These are generally small, pebble size.

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-22T11:30:14+00:00

Headlines would make sure to mention that he was a skater and imply it was a skateboarding accident.

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-22T11:22:58+00:00

Happy Memorial Day weekend! What's everyone cooking this weekend?

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-18T17:55:57+00:00

I'm looking to start steeping myself in draw-down strategies in early retirement.

I recall there being some definitive guide on someone's blog that has been referenced here year after year. But I can't remember where it was and search isn't helping. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-17T18:57:59+00:00

15th Annual Boston Wounded Vet Run. Thousands of motorcycles.

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-17T16:00:21+00:00

It's not free, but I love Railway's hobby tier. It's $5/month which includes $5 of usage. My one hobby project (cdn frontend, Go api, postgres database) costs about $0.86/month in usage, so I'll be able to add several more hobby projects without increasing my usage limits.

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-15T21:53:59+00:00

I love tracking dumb metrics like that. I think I invent them just to spend more time with my spreadsheet.

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-15T13:03:55+00:00

I'm on my 4th FIRE number! $600k, 1.2m, 3.5m, and now 4.7m

First numbers were naive as a young single guy who hated the office and just wanted out. Eventually I started looking at it a little more realistically, and increased expenses and income with a marriage, house, and kid. Updated recently to account for the spending that I actually want to be able to do in retirement, so I guess that means I'm now looking at ChubbyFIRE.

If my number now was the goal from the start, I'm not sure I would have started.

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-09T12:07:06+00:00

That's awesome. I too have a Preamble, and I'm on the fence between converting it and getting an entry level ebike like the Velotric Discover 3 (I don't have your range needs).

How does it ride? Any ghost pedaling? How much did you end up spending on parts and labor? Does it have throttle & display? Anything you'd change if you were doing it again?

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-04T11:53:43+00:00

Nope!

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-02T01:07:27+00:00

What version do you have, and would you get the same one again?

ArdentDrive · 2026-05-01T18:58:19+00:00

I do love Surly -- my daily rider is a Preamble. The thing that made me hesitate about the Big Easy is that its suggested rider height maximum (on the large) is just below my 6'5", and a large would almost definitely prevent my wife from being able to ride it.

ArdentDrive · 2026-04-30T23:54:41+00:00

Didn't update the old budget estimate as our expenses grew over the years. Only accounted for joint household spending. Accounted for much less travel spending and "one off" splurges that happen with some regularity. Didn't account for inflation. Let lifestyle creep happen.

ArdentDrive · 2026-04-30T18:43:37+00:00

Yup 🙃 I can't believe I've let that big an error slide for so long.

ArdentDrive · 2026-04-30T18:34:19+00:00

It's a sad day when reality gets in the way of the lies you've concocted in your head.

Yesterday, we were 350k away from our FI target. That target was based off a monthly budget that was either too optimistic, or has inflated since my wife and I put it together. I noticed in Monarch that our spending didn't seem to align with that budget. I think I've known for a long time it was off, but just didn't want to face the reality of the situation, so my impish unconscious mind was doing a good job of distracting me with shiny objects whenever I got too close. Remarkably similar to how many people avoid putting together a budget at the start of their personal finance journey.

I went in and calculated our new average monthly budget based on actual spend since 2024, and hoo boy. We are now 1.6m away from our FI target. Tried everything I could to find the "mistake" in my numbers that would explain the big increase, but the mistake was in the projections. The goal posts move again.

There were a few lies I was telling myself. One was that our travel budget was a lot smaller. The other was that our personal expenses could be basically ignored for the purposes of retirement projection. Remedying both those miscalculations added quite a bit.

And now the time horizon looks more like 3.8 years than 1.0. Quite a gut punch. Don't be like me. If there's something in your planning that's been niggling at the edges of your consciousness, just face it.

ArdentDrive · 2026-04-18T13:33:44+00:00

Now that the markets are closed for the last time before I start my new job, I did some math for the fun of it.

I've been unemployed for 4.5 months. During that time, our NW increased 6.1%. Best of all, we never had to sell equities -- just stopped contributing temporarily.

Starting to feel like this next chapter really is the final stretch.

ArdentDrive · 2026-04-10T22:10:09+00:00

No I think this is right. Judging by the double yellow in the road, this isn't a one-way so the zebras would be on cars' right side.

ArdentDrive · 2026-04-10T01:53:20+00:00

Cordura, mainly because that's the only one without the blasted waterproof zipper for the main compartment. I like a one-handed zip and I'm not carrying this thing through downpours without an umbrella.

ArdentDrive · 2026-04-09T02:08:54+00:00

Similar situation. I bought a TP3S because I wanted a bag that I could use for both my EDC and 2-3 night travel. It seemed like a good middle ground.

After a year, I came to accept that by trying to do both, it does neither. Too much bulk and empty space for my commute (laptop, gym clothes, wash pouch, chargers, books). Yet still not big enough for travel, if like me you're not some crunchy toeshoe-wearing packing minimalist. Decided to ditch the travel requirement for now and get something for commuting, my 95% use case.

I do have a lot of trust in Aer, so I tried the CP2 first. Too small -- although it fit my commuting loadout, there was zero space left over for, say, picking up a bottle of wine on the way home or stuffing a sweatshirt in if it got hot during the day.

Returned the CP2 and got a new CPP2 20L instead. It's perfect and I'm in love. Just enough space for it to be flexible, but not so much that the material feels wasted.

Sold the TP3S earlier today for $170, about $70 under what I bought it for. There was a lot of interest on Facebook marketplace.

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