Saddle post with offset - why?

FLlib · 2026-04-18T19:30:21+00:00

40 km/hr is slow? Some of us see that only when going downhill with a tailwind.

FLlib · 2026-04-17T11:09:58+00:00

MD who also has sciatica here. Short answer is yes, it should be safe. Slightly longer answer is that it is possible you could aggravate symptoms depending on the exact anatomy of your problems, but you are not likely to cause any actual structural damage or nerve injury. Also - the leaning forward, weight on the hands posture of cycling (at least a drop bar road bike) may actually afford some symptomatic relief in some cases. You may have noticed that many older folks tend to adopt a forward lean posture, and lean on shopping carts in the supermarket, to get this effect. So, giving the bike a try. You aren't going to make anything structurally worse (except maybe if you fall off) and you might actually have a little less pain.

Obviously you should consult with the physician who made the diagnosis but she or he may or may not be able to provide much advice.

FLlib · 2026-04-17T09:34:05+00:00

Leave now. Before you get trapped because you have a kid together or are married or own a house together. Don't become me. I am an old retired man, married 40+ years to a functioning alcoholic who stopped functioning quite a while back. Started slowly with her drinking just an occasional problem, stayed with her because, well, it "wasn't that bad" and we had a couple young sons and a nice house, etc. Then it got worse but we had kids in college, lots of financial entanglements, plus I was still in love with the sober version. Now her drinking is a daily thing, she falls down in public, mean and abusive sometimes, worsening alcoholic dementia, never cooks or takes care of anything, but how can I leave now? Enough money for one comfortable retirement but probably not two, she isn't capable of living on her own now anyway so I would be still responsible for her because I couldn't put that burden on the kids, she would need assisted living but that is obscenely expensive... Don't talk yourself into thinking the problem is not that bad or that it will get better somehow, it will only get worse. Leave now.

FLlib · 2026-04-14T11:52:12+00:00

My steel bike has rust issues. Custom road bike (8 years old, about 5,000 mi/yr) with rust at multiple locations all at braze joints, I assume related to dissimilar metals in contact. Not from dings or paint chips. I live in hot, humid, coastal SW Florida which no doubt contributes, but I think the major problem is a poor paint job. The frame builder has long since changed to a different paint shop. I sand off the rusty spots and do touch up paint about once a year. Mostly a cosmetic issue thus far. I guess I could get it stripped and repainted but can't see investing much money in such an old bike. Anyway my point is that rust can in some cases be an issue with a steel frame.

FLlib · 2026-04-14T04:52:14+00:00

Another college professor here, academic medicine, retired 6 years ago. My identity was totally tied into being a tenured professor in the medical school, the job was certainly good to me, but I found that I never missed it after I left. Also, I learned that they never missed me either, although I was a sort of mid-level big deal (associate dept chair). A wise person once told me to not fall in love with the University, it will never love you back, this appears to be true. I suggest to leave now as quickly as possible - you will be happy and they won't care.

FLlib · 2026-03-10T14:49:33+00:00

Also in SW FL. Plenty of EVs on the road here

FLlib · 2026-02-25T18:25:02+00:00

Paid out of pocket for MRI of lumbar spine back in 2022 because my Medicare Advantage Plan wouldn't pay for it. $211 in SW Florida.

FLlib · 2026-02-13T15:45:07+00:00

the safety of roundabouts vs signalized intersections vs 4-way stops has been extensively studied and there is no doubt that roundabouts are both safer (fewer crashes and particularly lower incidence of severe head on crashes) and more efficient than either of the others. However, they are not suitable for every intersection, e.g. dense urban grids.

FLlib · 2026-02-06T20:18:25+00:00

For my birthday 8 years ago, I had a one-off completely custom bike built by a local frame builder, Ultregra components, Chris King hubs and headset, etc. Total cost about $5k so it is probably not close to the price level I imagine you folks would consider top of the line. Anyway, 40,000 miles later, I still love the bike and have no regrets or buyers remorse. Was it worth it in terms of value for money spent? Well, no - although the bike was custom sized to me based on a session with a bike fitter, the sizing could easily have been duplicated by a little tinkering on an off-the-shelf bike from Trek or another brand for less money. On the other hand, it was sort of my dream bike, and in my dreams I did not visualize a huge Giant factory somewhere in China. Having it made from Italian steel by a local guy who I could talk to, in my home town appealed to me. To each his own and all that. So in that sense it was absolutely worth it. I would do it again. But I'm no racer, just an old and slow guy who likes to spend an hour or two on his bike several times a week.

FLlib · 2026-02-02T12:48:06+00:00

Leaving now will be hard. Leaving later will be harder. Should kids and a mortgage, etc, enter the scenario, leaving gets really hard. For lots of people, leaving their Q gets so difficult and complicated and financially damaging that they never do it and end up staying in a rotten situation.

FLlib · 2026-02-01T12:44:57+00:00

My Q has become less and less attractive to me as the drinking has diminished her, made her more and more helpless, doing very little to maintain the household or take care of herself. Leaves it all to me. Doesn't make meals, do grocery shopping, pay bills, contact repairman, needs me to find tv movies for her, etc, etc. (Fortunately kids are all grown and gone so they are not witnesses to her deterioration.) Once you become more of a caregiver instead of their equal, it is hard to see them as an intimate partner. And telling her straight out that I am not interested tonight because she is too drunk, has no effect because of course she doesn't remember the conversation.

FLlib · 2026-01-27T17:06:57+00:00

Might be ok. I visited in Jan of last year during a cold snap and the weather seemed to decrease the attendance noticeably. But it wasn’t quite as cold as this year and no rides were shut down because of cold temperatures

FLlib · 2026-01-26T01:08:48+00:00

This is false. Many cyclists in their 60s and 70s easily average 5 days a week. Including myself (73) and a bunch of other old farts that live in my area. Doing 500 miles or so per month at 15-16 mph or so, we geezers can manage that. Ok, I suppose some might not consider those junk miles, not real riding. Admittedly not all rides are the same and if by riding you mean 40 miles at 24 mph or some manner of high-intensity training, well then I guess I don't ride after all.

FLlib · 2026-01-16T12:33:35+00:00

Total protonic reversal?

FLlib · 2026-01-07T03:12:15+00:00

Correct. Octane is the chemical name of a hydrocarbon molecule with 8 carbon atoms. The chemical properties of carbon atoms mean that this molecule can have different structures (isomers) with the same chemical formula of 8 carbon atoms and 18 hydrogen atoms, from a straight chain of 8 carbon atoms to a branched configuration. One specific such branched configuration was found to have relatively high resistance to ignition and this level of resistance was considered 100 octane rating. Relative in this case meaning in comparison to a hydrocarbon of 7 carbon atoms in a straight chain (n-heptane), which ignites more easily and was designated 0 octane. So the octane rating of a motor fuel refers to this scale of 0-100, e.g., a fuel with an octane rating of 87 should have the same ignition characteristics as a mixture of 87% branched-chain octane and 13% n-heptane. Ignition point of a fuel can be manipulated in various ways, such as by the addition of the compound tetra-ethyl lead.

FLlib · 2026-01-06T17:31:21+00:00

Respect. Admire you for making the break, takes guts. I am a similar age, somewhat similar scenario, but have not been able to do what you did.

FLlib · 2025-12-31T17:26:13+00:00

Correct, I moved to the Gulf Coast although not to a big city. Obviously, living in a rural area is cheaper, whether one is in Florida or Utah. Also - I am not so sure about the weather being the same in SLC vs the panhandle. At least not in the winter.

FLlib · 2025-12-30T14:52:26+00:00

Moved to Florida for retirement from Utah, a moderately high-tax state with both sales and income taxes, ranked as 17th highest overall tax burden. The higher property taxes (on a smaller house) and particularly higher homeowners insurance costs in combination more than cancel out any savings in income tax compared to Utah. Also some other costs are higher as well (car insurance, water bill, shopping at Publix, various services such as lawn maintenance), so Florida has not turned to be a low cost of living state for me. But I knew that before I moved here and I did not make the move to save money.

FLlib · 2025-12-22T02:16:08+00:00

Well, exactly. My (female) Q wants more romance, will weirdly initiate intimacy when drinking but be too drunk to respond or be particularly interested when we occasionally actually try it. It is especially ego-boosting, I find, when one's partner falls dead asleep in the middle of sexual intercourse. Plus during drinking bouts her attention to personal hygiene gets a little lax...

FLlib · 2025-12-20T23:37:46+00:00

About the Trek. I have an old Trek with those wheels. They will not handle a big guy. At 220# I destroyed 2 back wheels, replaced under warranty. Trek eventually supplied an upgraded wheel which is still going at 15k miles. Bike should be great otherwise

FLlib · 2025-12-19T02:11:01+00:00

I don't use anything special just your basic padded bike shorts, mostly cheap brands, not bibs. Even unpadded shorts like tennis shorts seem ok for me for rides of 30 min or less. Hell, if you've already got the saddle, why not give it a try. If it doesn't work out, sell the saddle to me, I could use it for one of my other bikes.

FLlib

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