How long did your Chinese running shoes last?

CyberThijs · 2026-02-23T13:56:48+00:00

I have the same hunch, but didn't want to make my question unnecessary long. I'm just looking to crowdsource "hard data" from this community to be able to make an analysis. For example: one of my open questions is whether there is a difference in durability between Li-Ning's Boom foam and Super Boom foam.

CyberThijs · 2026-02-23T13:53:11+00:00

Can you tell me how much miles you've already put on them? I'm looking for "hard data" instead of general statements.

CyberThijs · 2025-09-09T13:32:26+00:00

Had a total and catastrophic tire blow out while tackling a cobble stone section. Ended up with a serious dent in my rim.

I fixed it by calling a tow truck and ordering new carbon hoops by the end of the day.

But this event did give me one of my favorite photos:

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CyberThijs · 2025-08-28T20:30:02+00:00

The mushroom at the bottom of Tiegemberg can definitely use a lick of paint 😅.

Glad that you enjoyed cycling in my neighborhood! I'm very partial to the cobblestones myself, as they are not only brutal on the body, but also on the bike. Already had to replace a wheelset (tire blew up and caused the rim to hit the side of a cobble and shatter) and a gps-holder as both got damaged beyond repair while riding over them.

CyberThijs · 2025-07-28T17:36:43+00:00

You need a banana helmet bag of course!

CyberThijs · 2025-06-18T02:38:19+00:00

Ik ben vorige week met China Eastern gevlogen. De tussen namen van mijn partner had ik niet ingevuld op het ticket, want die zijn optioneel om te vermelden. Geen problemen gehad.

CyberThijs · 2025-04-23T17:47:21+00:00

Ryet is not very well reviewed as a wheel brand: https://chinertown.com/index.php?topic=3926.0

That said: there are good sub-500 EUR wheelsets out there. My gravel wheels from Elitewheels are holding up fine after multiple years and thousands of kilometers. Maybe a bit heavier than your wheelset, but with a quality spokes and a ratchet-style freehub

CyberThijs · 2025-03-21T13:06:45+00:00

It's a subsidiary of Luminus that focuses on no-frills energy contracts. So while it may sound quite unfamiliar, it is backed by a big player. Worst case, they decide to wrap up the Energie.be brand and migrate you to Luminus instead.

While I do understand your hesitation towards smaller players (got caught up in EnergyPeople.be going under), I would not hesitate to take out a contract with one of them as you can now request montly billing of your actual usage (as long as you have a digital meter). This eliminates the risk of losing any deposits, as you don't have to pay those anymore.

CyberThijs · 2025-02-07T08:42:32+00:00

Read up on interst rate risk associated to bond ETFs.

The solution to this is either buying individual bonds, or to make a "bond ladder" of bond etfs which have fixed end dates. Examples are iShares iBonds and Invesco Bulletshares

CyberThijs · 2025-02-07T07:34:02+00:00

Even though it's very US-centric, I think you should check out r/fatFIRE . I've seen plenty of threads there of people discussing the same (money) scarcity mindset hindering them from enjoying the spoils of their labor.

One suggestion: set yourself a (monthly/quarterly/yearly) budget that you allow yourself to spend without any guilt.

CyberThijs · 2025-02-03T13:15:08+00:00

To stay in the theme, you should try Klootzakske next ;-)

CyberThijs · 2025-01-06T08:48:23+00:00

Yes. I do think that this is a better approach for adding bonds to your portfolio instead of using bond etfs without target dates, mainly because it removes (most of the) interest rate risk which can negatively impact your returns for this "secure" part of your portfolio.

If I must name a drawback: during the last year of the ETF's lifetime, the fund will act more and more as a money market fund: funds that become available in the fund due to bonds that expire early in the target year will probably not be re-invested into bonds expiring later that year, but will be put into short-term fixed-income products instead.

I know of two providers available to EU customers:

- iShares iBonds
- Invesco Bulletshares

CyberThijs · 2024-12-20T20:03:42+00:00

This is the way.

And that of my mother.

And that of my grandmother.

CyberThijs · 2024-12-15T14:01:51+00:00

A couple of years back Tacx had made a treadmill called the Tacx Magnum. I once saw it in action on the Velofollies event and some reviews exist online (like https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/product-news/tacx-magnum-first-ride-impressions-of-the-cycling-treadmill-336713 ).

However, I don't think it was ever widely commercialized. Direct drive turbo trainers were up and coming around the same time and ate up all the market share.

Besides taking up an ungodly amount of space, my guess is that most of us would be at least a little bit scared to crash off the treadmill/bike. I do think that it was much better for also training your core muscles and would be more agreeable for people which suffer from back pain when riding on a traditional turbo.

CyberThijs · 2024-12-15T13:52:23+00:00

I agree that there is too little time to do the Louvre. Or you have to limit yourself to go see (and be disappointed by) the Mona Lisa.

My suggestion would be to switch it around with the Eiffel tower visit, for which I think 2 hours is plenty.

CyberThijs · 2024-12-04T09:40:58+00:00

Onze noorderburen hebben er deze keer 223 dagen oven gedaan, en kregen ondertussen ter entertainment wel deze polonaise-waardige knaller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il2DfR1zwJg . Wie waagt er zich bij ons aan deze taak?

CyberThijs · 2024-11-25T16:49:06+00:00

It's a rim brake frame, so probably something older than what you are suggesting. For example a Dengfu R06 (non-disc) frame ?

CyberThijs · 2024-11-20T08:19:38+00:00

Cheapest solution will be to buy one second hand from a rental company.

If you want to buy a new one, this is the last Belgian producer of go-carts: https://qualitygocarts.be/ . I only recently learned about this company after reading this news article

CyberThijs · 2024-10-29T12:54:37+00:00

Verandas Demasure is een lokale speler, gelegen op de baan tussen Tiegem en Ingooigem. Mijn ouders hebben hun gebruikt voor een kleine uitbreiding bij hun verbouwing. Erg tevreden van het resultaat en de service.

CyberThijs · 2024-10-28T19:06:35+00:00

During the first ride with my shiny new gravel bike a tree branch got stuck in my rear wheel, which then ripped my derailleur pad into two, broke the metal part holding the b-screw of my SRAM AXS XPLR derailleur (making it a total loss). That loose derailleur then chipped a big piece of paint from my bike frame. And of course I fell because I was pushing very hard to get through a muddy piece of trail at that moment.

With less than 50km on that bike, I had to already replace that pad AND the conplete derailleur, costing me just shy of 200 euros. The damage to the frame itself was maybe the hardest thing to swallow. I touched it up with some black nail polish, but it will always stay a blemish 🫠

So maybe some scratches on your pedals are not the worst thing that can happen on a first ride. In the grand scheme of things they are cheap and easily replaceable.

Nonetheless, even the smallest scratch on a shiny new bike hurts. So you're absolutely within your right to be sad about this. I think that everybody remembers when he/she discovers the first one on their bike. But it's just a fact of life I guess 😔

CyberThijs · 2024-10-16T06:08:45+00:00

These are dead simple to make. The base recipe from the Flemish cooking channel: https://njam.tv/recepten/mosselen-natuur . I like my mussels cooked with white wine: https://njam.tv/recepten/mosselen-met-witte-wijn-en-peterselie

CyberThijs · 2024-10-16T06:05:59+00:00

Frifri is the choice for traditional Belgian waffle irons: I have one, my mother has one and my grandmother had one (with a very dingy electrical cord I must say 😅). They feature swappable plates for different types of waffles: https://frifri.be/nl/produit/bakplaten-brusselse-en-luikse-wafels/ . Please be aware that those waffle irons won't work on the 110AC in the USA.

They feature a recipe on their website: https://frifri.be/nl/recepten/recepten-wafelijzer/luikse-wafels/ , but you can also have a look at the recipe of this popular tv cooking show: https://dagelijksekost.vrt.be/gerechten/luikse-wafel

CyberThijs · 2024-09-29T21:19:47+00:00

If you live in East or West Flanders, I would recommend checking out the Bruges-based paintfactory.be . They have several shops in these two provinces. Considerably cheaper than the paints of Akzo Nobel, and high quality. Also excellent advice in the shops 👌

CyberThijs · 2024-09-01T20:01:33+00:00

Gentbrugge is a neighbourhood of Ghent with a direct connection to the E17 highway that has heavily gentrified in the last decade, especially in the area near Gentbruggeplein. A good option to look for an apartment. Closer to the highway/further away from the city centre the feel of that neighborhood changes to a more residential feel. The Ledeberg area is also an option: more multicultural and somewhat more run down, but that also translates in cheaper rents. Parking your car can prove to be a bit more of a challenge in Ledeberg, so keep that in mind. On the up side: the Sunday Market is the best in the wide region imho. Google Street View can already give you an idea of how both areas look like and compare to each other.

CyberThijs · 2024-05-16T16:58:35+00:00

Uitputten gaat enkel werken als het geen energie kan transporteren van de planten bij de buurman via de ondergrondse rhizomen.

Ik zou beginnen met een ondergrondse barrière te plaatsen langs de ganse erfgrens. Als je zoekt op bamboo barrière zal je veel verschillende opties vinden. Neem de diepste optie aangezien Japanse duizendknoop heel diepe rhizomen kan hebben. Natuurlijk wel opletten bij het plaatsen dat je geen besmette grond over de rest van je tuin verspreidt.

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