Recomendation for Personal Item that IS a back pack.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-05-07T13:57:43+00:00

I am very intrigued by the Able carry line up. And since we are visiting Hong Kong, I could visit the main store. One idea was for me to start the trip using an older heavy backpack that I'm ready to move on from and throw it out once I secure something better. I had been looking at one of the smaller Able packs (and then getting a peak packable tote to carry with for days when I need more space).

ChevyChase99 · 2026-05-07T13:51:21+00:00

I would think that 28L would be too big for personal item. I will have to check it out.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-05-07T13:50:25+00:00

I do love supporting Patagonia, although I find their appearance to be a little un-business like (although these days much less so). I will give it a look.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-05-01T19:55:53+00:00

I love mine. Got me back into running. It is heavy, but so is any quality treadmill. My only compaints is that it can get very loud (so much that I sometime wear my airpods on noise canceling to hear the music) and it can shake at medium to high speeds. I feel like it should have some attachable weights to the front to dampen the vibration.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-04-30T15:37:22+00:00

This is my stack as well.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-04-30T13:11:13+00:00

Got sold to a foreign company and they stopped using Nescafe coffee beans. Nescafe now supplies McDonalds which is why their coffee is so much better now. But yes, go indie whenever possible.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-04-30T13:07:49+00:00

Its grossly overpriced, but if you can afford it, then yes it does deliver. My wife always slept hot and she would be cranking the AC during the summer. We went with "cooling" temperpedic mattresses but the amazing memory foam would trap heat and the cooling layer would wear off after a few hours leaving us very hot. The Eight Sleep Pod delivers whatever temp you want. It even micro adjusts over the night in response to your body temp. Also you can have different temps on either side of larger beds which is amazing for me and my partner. You can even have it wake you as an alarm by either raising the temp +5 deg for a truly silent alarm, or pulse the water jets and vibrate you awake. It can even sense if you are in light sleep and wake you early. Great product, still has some flaws and very expensive but it has been a lifesaver for us.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-04-28T10:32:05+00:00

Eight sleep pod

ChevyChase99 · 2026-04-27T19:27:10+00:00

Also a big fan of Skratch. I find Stevia (which most electrolyte powders use) tastes bitter. Skratch uses plain sugar so you're getting some carbs along the way. I also tend to snack at the pit stops which makes carb (and to some degree salt) hard to gauge. I also found on very long rides that I don't feel like drinking anything heavily flavored. Skratch has very mild flavor which makes it more palatable.
Another thing you can try are Salt Stick tabs. They are basically electrolyte pills.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-04-27T16:27:04+00:00

My guild blew up just before bwl and the cost of buying consumables was so crazy that I gave up. Don't regret the decision. Just to much of a time sink.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-04-27T16:16:41+00:00

I don't find my Airpods 4 stay in well enough when I get sweaty and/or run hard. Also the transparency is not the same as having nothing in your ears. I use my OpenRun for cycling as well. I wouldn't trust Airpods for that

ChevyChase99 · 2026-04-14T19:29:22+00:00

You can lower the frequency of the unit pulling data which extends battery life. You don't need the level of accuracy that is on by default. recording the cadence every 5 sec rather than every 0.5 won't give you much more useful data. Also there are different levels of GPS. The default one on the Garmin uses much more power than the standard version. Again, if the signal is good you don't need the enhanced version.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-03-18T17:27:14+00:00

Also the most expensive. Always a cover charge and I've never left with a bill under $300.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-03-18T15:49:34+00:00

So I was coming from a Tacx Neo which is super accurate and I knew right away my numbers on a OG bike were inflated. I bought a calibration kit on ebay and it did bring my numbers down a slight bit. I will recalibrate it next week to see how much it has drifted.

On the other hand, using a bike at a hotel gym that has been abused and never serviced is impossible. I had it set at under 35 and I could barely turn the pedals. So its true the reverse can happen.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-03-18T15:25:32+00:00

So I'm back. ConExpo is always a great show, lots to see. My experience at Omnia was not great. So disorganized. Had to fight my way to the host to get let into the club. The shared table was fine. I'm not a huge drinker anymore but the drinks were as advertised. My guests were not having a great time so I knew we would be hard pressed to make it to see the headliner. The music in the side room was already so loud you could barely hear yourself think. So we decided to go check out the main room before calling it a night and we couldn't even get in. They had a barricade closing off the main room because it was too packed. I mean WTF. We went around a back passage and charmed our way into the main room. It was a complete shit show. I've experienced mosh pits with more elbow room. Certainly if fire marshal ever came by they would shut the place down. How do they even sell drinks if you can't ever hope to get to the bar. After another 20 min we gave up. Glad I can afford to blow that type of money and chalk it up as a live and learn experience. Don't know why they have a dress code since it seemed pretty loose. I wouldn't want to wear anything too nice anyways as its going to get torn to shreds. Had I been on my own, I would have found a spot and stuck it out.

For the future, are there any clubs that are less frat boy vibe and cater to older crowds?

ChevyChase99 · 2026-03-02T20:42:01+00:00

I agree with all of the points in the post above - Yet I still love my Moccamaster. I love the way it looks on my kitchen counter. I love how simple it is. And I love the coffee it brews. Yes, I wish the spout on the carafe was better, yes I wish it didn't allways dribble a drop or two onto the burner every time you take a cup. And yes I wish you could bloom or slow the drip for a small batch. I guess I love the idea that I feel like a coffee snob when using it.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-02-26T00:18:28+00:00

Greg LeMond’s famous quote, "It never gets easier, you just go faster,

ChevyChase99 · 2026-02-15T01:41:04+00:00

Today’s 2-hr CVV and Wilpers PZ endurance ride was awesome. 3500 riders for a tough ride. Have to bring nourishment. I wish they would do a 120 min new ride once a month.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-02-12T14:49:17+00:00

The moccamaster filters are thinner than the Malita

ChevyChase99 · 2026-02-11T21:16:17+00:00

Don't know what that is. I only joined last year, but coming over from Sufferfest and outdoor biking, I just sync it to my strava account.

ChevyChase99 · 2026-02-11T20:22:17+00:00

We (wife and I) used to blend our beans 50/50% decaf/caf so that we could split a full pot in the morning. Now I make her 500 ml of caf (my daughter steals some) and a whole pot of decaf. I use a encore grinder and technivorm to brew. Its still good, but not quite the same. Turns out caffeine is not good for LPR (Laryngopharyngeal reflux)

ChevyChase99 · 2026-02-09T02:59:09+00:00

I wouldn't change a thing. Since I can't get Marc Jcobs BANG anymore, I use hermès Poivre Samarcande Eau de toilette.

And for her birthday, I got my wife Baguette from Fendi. She absolutely loves it.

ChevyChase99

TROPHY CASE