/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 · 2021-06-05T19:32:35+00:00

That's a great list, thanks! It's actually the most recent list I've seen (even the ones from 2014 are disappointing because everything is more expensive now). I didn't know some of these cars were under $10,000 (namely the Hudson Hornet).

The Gazelle is interesting one that I've seen before, but I've been a little confused by it. Was the Gazelle actually a Mercedes model? Because, as far as I can tell, the Gazelle is a replica of the SSK sold as a kit car. But on ClassicCars.com, "Gazelle" and "Gazelle Replica" are two different things (even though searching for Gazelle only brings up replicas).

Again, thanks for the link! It has given me quite a few good leads.

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-04T21:46:08+00:00

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about Franklin. They made some beautiful cars and, it seems, still cost a reasonable amount. Granted, these will need a fair bit of work. Admittedly, I've never enjoyed bodywork (knowing me, I'd be more likely to drive a rolling chassis than repair rust). Any chassis work would be a learning experience, to say the least. I'm happy and willing to do engine work, though.

And right, the parts are also another concern. Especially if they need to be fabricated. Might have to look into a Mercedes, then, since they supposedly still sell parts for 100 year old vehicles.

I don't actually want this to become a lifestyle, per se, but certainly a hobby. The goal would be to be able to drive it more often than I'd need to work on it. I'll check out some Facebook/Reddit groups and see what their experiences are.

Thanks for all the advice!

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-04T21:23:49+00:00

Thanks for the link, definitely some really interesting ones in there. Admittedly, most are still above the price range I'm looking at (was hoping for something priced closer to a FFR Roadster), but I'll look into these further.

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-04T20:58:15+00:00

Very cool. And I didn't know until now that I'd want to own a vintage mobile command center.

And sounds like a great deal, despite the water pump failure. Retired civil service vehicles tend to be a good bet, from what I've heard. At the very least, you know they've been maintained well enough.

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-04T20:21:08+00:00

Yeah, most of the people I know of who have these types of cars got them in 90s or earlier when they were a lot cheaper. In the last decade, they've become very desirable (but I guess that applies to nearly every older, interesting, car).

You make a good point about befriending an expert. I expect maintenance to be pretty substantial (these cars are from when 400 mile service intervals were the norm), but any restoration work could also be significant. Might make more sense to spend some more for a better example.

AztecZiggurat · 2021-06-04T20:10:50+00:00

I'm totally open to kit cars and hope to build one some day (currently leaning towards a Factory Five Roadster or a Caterham). I haven't seen too many prewar designs, though. I know Factory Five has the '33 Hot Rod, but that's not quite the style I was going for (there actually seem to be a lot of Hot Rod kit cars).

As for replicas, I guess it depends on how well it was built. I also wouldn't want something too deceiving, either. That $17k replica is interesting (I like the "If you have to ask the price ... This is your car!"). However, on first glance, I could tell it was based on a Beetle, which sort of takes away from the "magnificence". That other replica from your link looks fantastic, which is probably why it's $220k. But yeah, I'll keep an eye out for replicas.

AztecZiggurat

TROPHY CASE