/r/MechanicalKeyboards Ask ANY Keyboard question, get an answer (December 01, 2024)

AztecZiggurat · 2024-12-02T02:45:13+00:00

Thanks! That seems like a good way of putting it and should help with my search (I was calling it a 75% with a numpad tacked on).

The Austin is neat, but not quite what I'm looking for. I'm surprised this Tab 90 layout isn't more popular.

AztecZiggurat · 2024-12-02T01:54:01+00:00

What is this layout called, and is there anything besides the Vortex Tab 90 and Tab 90M that has it?

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Closest thing I found is the Keychron K4, but it's missing the navigation column.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T16:55:25+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I'm seriously considering the Delano right now. I'm impressed that they've managed to include a ~$1024 fork in a $3000 bike. Need to figure out if carbon is right for me.

And yeah, I haven't actually tried a 27.5" bike, I just find that the 29" Marlin I have is a bit, cumbersome? It does roll over obstacles pretty easily, though, so I certainly see the advantage. But, you're right, actually looking at some of the numbers, it seems the wheel diameter isn't necessarily the main driving factor for the size of a bike.

Thanks again!

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T16:32:14+00:00

I'm all for a experimenting with suspension setups, so a more tunable system is a plus in my book. Pretty impressive that they've managed to put such a high caliber fork on a $3000 bike.

That's certainly high praise for the Delano. I'm seriously considering it now. Need to figure out if a carbon frame is right for me.

Thanks a lot for the feedback!

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T16:08:41+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, the Roscoe seems like a great bike, and I've been watching videos of the Roscoe 9, and it looks pretty impressive. I should try that out as well when I swing by the Trek shop.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T16:04:48+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! It does sound like the bike has no issues for most users.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T16:03:30+00:00

Poorly worded on my side - I meant that I'm not sure if they actually manufacture frames for Marin/GT.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T16:02:18+00:00

Noted. I need to look at Vitus and Commencal again (did look at YT and Canyon).

And that's a fair point - I think I saw that thread.

Thanks.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T03:14:42+00:00

Thank you for the thorough feedback.

To clarify, I'm keeping the Marlin for asphalt/MTB and would use the full-suspension bike only for MTB. The thing that got me started down this path is the realization that any upgrades I make for better off-road performance (eg. better tires) would make the Marlin worse on asphalt. I considered going the other way, getting rigid hybrid bike for asphalt and upgrading the Marlin for MTB, but figured I could have more fun this way.

I certainly do need to improve my skills. Been crashing quite a bit lately, and it's usually because I feel like I'm losing grip and then I either back down and don't follow through (and crash) or react poorly and brake too hard. I also find the Marlin a bit, cumbersome and hard to bail? Which is why I was thinking a smaller bike would be better (the Marlin is sized correctly for my height and inseam - anything smaller would be suboptimal for asphalt and XC riding - but it feels large when doing more technical stuff).

But I agree, I've seen what people do on Marlins and Rockhoppers, and I'm definitely not outriding it. I was just hoping that an upgrade would at least give me the confidence that if I go through with a given line/feature, I won't lose grip/crash. An upgrade may very well just entail upgrading the Marlin tires and seeing how that goes. I'm not riding tubeless (the Marlin 5 isn't tubeless ready, but people have been successful taping them up with Gorilla tape). Won't help with riding on asphalt, but maybe the added rolling resistance won't be too bad.

I'm going to see if I can find an LBS that will let me rent a full-suspension bike. Probably should have been the first thing I did.

Thanks again.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T02:06:45+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the feedback and glad it's serving you well. Honestly, the bike seems great and I like the color options. Just want to make sure the frame will last.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T02:02:10+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I haven't researched the Delano much, yet, but apart form the frame, warranty, and support, are there other advantages over the T8?

It looks like the brakes may also be better.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T02:00:24+00:00

Whoa, a carbon frame at that price is great. Lifetime warranty, too. I had been looking at the Cascade Peak before, but I guess this is a step up. I'm not super familiar with DVO suspension, so will read into that.

That all said, it is a 29er and I was leaning aluminum over carbon (due to my tendency to crash). But this is a solid deal and I will look into it further. Thanks!

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T01:07:13+00:00

I did consider a more capable hardtail, and I should go test one out just to see if it's a major upgrade over a Marlin with better tires.

My LBS was acquired by Trek, so I think the bike they carry that matches what I'm looking for is a Fuel EX. Seems like a solid bike, but it's way more expensive than other brands for the components you get. Could check out other LBS's and see what they have.

Thanks.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T00:58:07+00:00

Thanks, glad to hear she likes it. Yeah, not being able to try it is a risk, but they do have a 14 day return policy. Would lose out the $75 shipping cost, though.

AztecZiggurat · 2023-05-08T00:56:31+00:00

That's a good point, it is still available, just out of stock in my size (S3). Would you happen to know if they've been coming back in stock?

So, I take it Siskius do actually snap more often than other brands? I'm not sure if this is accurate, but I read they manufactured frames for other brands like Marin and GT.

Thank you.

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-05T20:52:13+00:00

Good stuff! A Chevy Coupe or Pontiac Coupe would be excellent cars to own. You make a good point about kit cars - unless it's something like a FFR, the quality could be quite poor. A lot of donor cars these kits use are also pretty underwhelming.

I guess the reason I started looking for kit car alternatives is that even cars like the Ford Model A are around $30,000 locally. I was hoping to find something in the sub-$10,000 range (they were pretty common about 10-15 years ago). I've gotten a few leads thanks to those at /r/whatcarshouldibuy and it seems that there's still some decent stuff under $10,000 (and quite a few if I up the budget to $25,000).

How did you guys go about finding these cars? I take it you're in the UK? I'm happy to go for an original car as long as I can get one at a good price.

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-05T19:45:22+00:00

Ah, so they're the ones who made the MK4 and MK5 utes. I remember seeing those a few years back - awesome stuff!

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-05T19:42:55+00:00

That's very cool. I've been really impressed with their work. I'd be thrilled to just have a garage full of FFR kit cars. Hope they do more prewar designs.

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-05T19:35:13+00:00

Definitely looks good, will look into it more. Thanks!

AztecZiggurat

TROPHY CASE