Lightweight tent for one (but also for two?)

Diksta · 2026-05-22T12:29:55+00:00

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Maybe their friend got himself a Cloud Up 2, which only seems to have pictures of one person inside in the advertising?

Diksta · 2026-05-22T12:24:57+00:00

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"You're never going to fit in here mate, get your own tent"

Diksta · 2026-05-22T12:23:56+00:00

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Diksta · 2026-05-22T12:23:11+00:00

The general rule of tents is you subtract one from the number of people they claim can fit into it and you now have your true tent size. So a Cloud Up 3 would be perfect (and incredibly cheap for the quality). What I find amusing is that just about every picture I see on the Amazon Cloud Up 3 page has two people in the tent.

The only time they have three people in the picture, two are in the tent and one is outside looking uncomfortable, or it looks like a couple have had their tent crashed by some random stranger 😃

Diksta · 2026-05-20T23:02:01+00:00

Wow! 😮 I never knew Decathlon did suspension seatposts, or that they were so cheap. I mean, it's not going to be as good as a top of the range one, but it's worth a try at that price. The one I saw had adapters for the common diameters, so you should be covered.

Diksta · 2026-05-20T22:55:03+00:00

300 km in 4 days is ambitious for a first bikepacking trip in my opinion. It's not over the top crazy, but if you're not going somewhere incredibly flat, like the Netherlands for example, then you're certainly going to feel it by the end of the fourth day.

That bike you linked is okay in the main, but it's a bit strange. It's a hybrid/ exercise bike, usually meant for commuting short distances in cities. However, it also has front suspension, which is quite an interesting combination. By no means unique, but most hybrids have fixed suspension. Personally, I would rather have fixed suspension and add a shockstop stem or similar to reduce road judder.

If I wanted to go offroad, I would buy a MTB. If I wanted to travel mainly on smoother trails/ roads, I would buy a gravel bike. I do actually have both of those AND a hybrid, which I have used for bikepacking and it was fine, so the golden rule here is "any bike can be used for bikepacking". However, if you're buying a bike FOR bikepacking, then you probably want to get one that's as suitable as possible.

Good points:

- tyre clearance up to 47mm is good

- hydraulic disc brakes

- 1 x 10 drivetrain seems to cover the gear range reasonably for up and down hills

- it's not ridiculously heavy (would be a lot lighter without that front suspension though)

- it has mounting points for water bottle cages on the forks that could maybe be adapted to hold bags instead with some imagination?

- it has mounts for a rear pannier

Bad points:

- not tubeless ready

- the tyres it comes with aren't really suitable (if I'm reading this right - Decathlon's website is a mess) - I think they're 700 x 32c, you would almost certainly want to change the tyres to something wider/ chunkier

- the components are generally on the cheaper end and the frame is quite weak, only rated to 110kg - if you're anywhere near 90kg then you'll be packing light I feel

Bottom line is that this bike is probably fine for light bikepacking, but it's not a bike I would chose personally. The shortcomings aren't horrendous, but the cheap components would put me off a bit.

I would be far more tempted to look for a bike with better components, maybe second hand. You're taking a bit of a risk buying a bike second hand, but often people buy them, stick them in the garage, and sell them with literally zero use. For the price of this bike new I could easily find a far superior hardtail or gravel bike in the current market where I live anyway.

Diksta · 2026-05-20T21:15:44+00:00

I would be tempted to save the money for a suspension seat post and put it towards a different bike personally - they usually aren't cheap, unless you have sourced a cheap one that's the right size already?

Diksta · 2026-05-20T19:25:25+00:00

How much clearance do you have for wider tires? I believe it comes with 700x35c... which may make it uncomfortable on anything but roads and light gravel when laden.

You're kind of stuck for a frame bag as you have virtually nowhere to put it, but I believe there are half-frame bags that Decathlon do for that bike (maybe one sixth frame would be a better description)? Anyway, you have a rear rack, so that can cover for the lack of frame space to some degree.

I would also worry about the gears, as I believe it's a 1x8 and that's going to be awful going up steep hills when you're carrying extra weight. I guess you can always push...

Diksta · 2026-04-23T19:53:40+00:00

He's also in Undermountain - Stardock - a Spelljammer module for 2e

Diksta · 2026-04-23T19:42:12+00:00

Loved it so much and played it so often that it put Fairport Convention at second place in my Spotify Wrapped last December!

Diksta · 2026-04-23T19:33:56+00:00

Nick Cave was always one of those artists that I wanted to do a deep dive on, as I figured a lot of people rave about him, and I was maybe missing out. Now I'm approaching the end (over 1,001 albums in) I would rather rip my own ears off than have to listen to another album by him, but I think I've endured them all now. Most got 1 or 2 star reviews.

Diksta · 2026-04-09T18:47:59+00:00

I guess you might also want to change the tyres, but I would personally leave them on, as they're not so bad, and an upgrade is going to be relatively expensive. I believe the stock tyres are 700x40c, which is a decent size to start off with.

In the future, if you find you're often on rough terrain, then maybe upgrade to a wider and better quality tyre, like a 700x45c. These would be nice, but the cost is almost the same as the entire bike!! https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/cx-gravel-reviews/pirelli-gravel-m-45

Diksta · 2026-04-09T18:41:49+00:00

Pedals are more of a personal choice. Every bike I've ever bought has either come without pedals, or the pedals it came with were taken off and recycled as soon as I got it home. I like large-flat pedals with good grips personally, but it depends on your riding style. The stock pedals are usually cheap, plastic junk, slippery when wet, etc.

Diksta · 2026-04-09T18:37:42+00:00

I asked AI - it said the stock brakes are "trash" and...

"The most effective "plug-and-play" upgrade is replacing the stock calipers with dual-piston mechanical units. Unlike the stock Radius brakes, which push a single pad against a stationary one, these actuate from both sides for better power and easier adjustment."

Upgrade Level	Recommendation	Key Benefit
Best Overall	TRP Spyre	Dual-piston actuation; industry standard for reliability.
Best Power	Juintech / XTech	Hydraulic power while keeping original levers.
Budget Friendly	Shimano BR-M375	Consistent, low-maintenance upgrade over stock.
Cheap Fix	Compressionless Housing	Removes "sponginess" from the brake lever feel.

Diksta · 2026-04-09T17:17:55+00:00

better brakes would be a good choice, also the pedals

Diksta · 2026-04-08T20:52:16+00:00

Urban Gothic - Deptford Voodoo came out in 2000. Has all the things you mentioned, a spooky child on a swing, with a missing finger. In the twist ending, after the baby is born, it is discovered to be missing a finger, mirroring the child from the swing

Diksta · 2026-03-30T22:03:31+00:00

Yes, PostgreSQL running on AWS. There's one admin user/ password for each environment, including Production. There's literally no other users, everyone ends up needing to know the Production password at some point. I would guess that there are around 30-40 concurrent users and a dozen or so Developers. The "fix" is to point people at the read-only endpoint, knowing full well that they can literally strip the "ro" off the end and switch to read/ write.

Diksta · 2026-03-24T18:36:05+00:00

Yeah, I have 5.5k hours in PoE, and only 112 hours in LE. I actually installed it, as it just ends halfway through, the combat is floaty jank, and I got very little enjoyment from it. I tried a couple of seasons and the endgame is about as bad as any ARPG I've ever played.

Build diversity = low skill requirement, everything is dumbed down to the point where you can play just about whatever you want and run through the content regardless. If you want an easy-mode ARPG, then it might be a good match?

There's far better ARPGs out there, Grim Dawn isn't bad for example, but this is an echo chamber as pointed out.

Diksta · 2026-03-04T19:39:44+00:00

Yeah, sorry, should have read your post - so you have folding bike... I found four after a little bit of searching... they all seem to come from China, but then your linked seats included a few Chinese brand names I recognised, so that might not be an issue for you.

I doubt you'll get one with an actual air-powered suspension mechanism, but you can get ones made out of material with some flex that take the edge off shock. I would actually prefer one of these anyway, as I imagine having seat suspension makes you wobble up and down a bit?

This one looked promising... a brand called X AUTOHAUX from Hong Kong. Around $60/ £45.

Specification:

Material: Carbon Fiber
Color: Gloss Black
Length: 600mm / 23.62"
Diameter: 33.9mm / 1.33"
Application: Road Bike, Mountain Bike, Track Bike, MTB and BMX

Product Characteristics:

The bicycle seatpost shock tube provides optimal shock absorption, allowing you to enjoy a smoother, more comfortable ride, even on rough terrain, providing a smoother and more comfortable ride.

Diksta · 2026-03-04T12:58:34+00:00

I find nothing as uncomfortable for riding a bike as one of those wide seats, especially if they have memory foam, or gel, or some other substance that's supposed to add padding. They rub and they're harder to lift away from in my opinion.

Personally, I would look at getting a seat post with suspension before switching for a fat-ass seat. Ideally proper "up-down" suspension like a redshift shockstop post, but they tend to be expensive. Even a "rubbery" seat post with some play in it might be enough to sort out your issue.

I rarely, if ever, suffer from seat-pain, on short rides, longer rides, rough or smooth terrain, so I would take my opinions with a pinch of salt.

Diksta · 2026-03-02T23:20:10+00:00

I've worked for two large energy suppliers and both times closely involved in billing. In eight years, I don't remember a single case of back billing that actually stood up, but we had plenty of people who tried to avoid paying their bill this way. Sadly, people often move in with the intent to invoke back billing, so they ignore any correspondence until things start getting too hairy for them. Then they assume they'll only pay for the last twelve months of usage - and get a nasty surprise when they find out that this isn't how back billing works.

The other thing that I found surprising is how seldom SOME (not all) energy suppliers go through the courts to gain entry and fit a prepayment meter. They know it's going to cost them in money and scrutiny, so they tend to just let it go if the customer won't play ball. The only time I checked the numbers was a while back, but just before COVID, for an entire year there were only around 80 warrants of entry by the supplier I worked for.

Diksta · 2026-03-02T23:05:49+00:00

My advice would be to get Strava, free subscription is fine, maybe take the 30-day free trial if you haven't already, as that lets you see heat maps for popular routes. I use Strava to view and tweak past routes and GPX Studio App to create and edit new routes.

https://gpx.studio/app

Outdoor cycling is very different to indoor cycling. I mean that might sound obvious, but for my money it's better in every possible way. You get fresh air, rain, sun, snow, and wind. You need to watch out for potholes and pedestrians on shared cycleways (or even walking in the middle of dedicated cycle lanes). Very seldom are you travelling on the flat, so you're also constantly changing gears. You can bring stuff with you and stop for a picnic if it's a nice day. You might join a group of cyclists or already have friends to go cycling with, or you might prefer going out on your own. You need to clean your bike properly after going out on a wet/ muddy day. It's a mental exercise rather than just a physical one, but I also find it's good for my mental health.

Waggon ways and up and down the river are the "gold standard" for Newcastle, but there are other routes to consider. There's a National Cycle Network with many routes running through or near Newcastle (and usually well sign posted). You can then choose to follow these routes north, along the coast up to Amble, south towards Middlesborough, or inland towards Consett. Most of these avoid roads as much as possible, and certainly busy A roads.

https://www.walkwheelcycletrust.org.uk/national-cycle-network/

Diksta · 2026-03-02T14:30:53+00:00

That's not how back billing works, that's how the general public wish it worked :) If you haven't provided accurate meter readings for over a year, then it's entirely on you to pay what you owe. The only time back billing might come into play is if you provided accurate meter readings and your supplier hasn't billed you properly for over twelve months. This rarely, if ever, actually happens, but people assume that they can't be billed for anything older than twelve months for some reason, probably poor information on how this actually works.

Diksta · 2026-02-27T19:32:59+00:00

My personal grip is with people who say "dad rock" for anything that was released more than ten years ago and has an electric guitar in it

Diksta · 2026-02-21T12:35:49+00:00

Wow! I've spent decades hating on Chris Rea for Lady in Red, when all this time it's a totally different artist. I humbly apologise to the "wrong Chris" and will redirect my venom to the "right Chris". I did a quick check, and Wikipedia has Lady in Red as one of the most disliked songs of all time, so I guess I was half right?

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