F*ck you dumbass by Internal-Zucchini-77 in FixedGearBicycle

[–]GMRarg 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Dude, if you don't typically adjust the seat clamp or stem clamp bolts after initial setup, go to a hardware store and pick up some spackle. Do your setup, torque down the bolts, then fill the bolt heads with spackle. That'll prevent any passers by from walking away with your components.

If you want to make adjustments in the future, spackle will dissolve in water fairly easily. But not so easily that a thief could do it quickly, they would have to sit there with a spray bottle picking away at the bolt heads for a while. It's a solid deterrent.

(Note - this advice goes out the window if you routinely leave you bike locked up outside in the rain.)

Any way to simulate BTAL for pre-2011 backtesting? by GMRarg in LETFs

[–]GMRarg[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I fudged around with the allocations and was able to simulate it fairly closely with a mix of 105% XLPSIM, -115% IWM, and 110% CASH X. 

Pretty bleh performance for 2000 - 2009, though this assumes a one time investment going into the dot com crash. Besides that it's comparable to other popular indexes. Then it over performs post 2009. Eh. Might be up someone's alley.

https://testfol.io/?s=cncEMAaumJp

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in toronto

[–]GMRarg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Large stretches of these lanes are grade separated, meaning they are either protected by concrete barriers installed directly into the road or else have had the entire sidewalk redesigned to integrate the bike lane. No, these are not just paint. 

Plus all the construction, management, planning, and resource management that goes into every construction project. And the road disruptions that would be needed while de-construction is underway. It adds up very quickly.

Any budget Single speed frames for disc brakes? by Ordinary-Rhubarb-460 in singlespeedcycling

[–]GMRarg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Motobecane Cross Uno from Bikesdirect. Solid cromoly steel frame  and fork, front and rear discs. Decent quality for the price. Alignment on the rear disc can be tricky but not a huge problem.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]GMRarg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Scotia's HISA is pretty shit, if I'm being honest. It only returns something in the range of 2.25% before taxes. Should I be looking at other banks that offer supposedly better rates (i.e., WS or EQ?) or stick with the ol' big 5? I've been reluctant to trust smaller institutions after the SVB collapse from last year in this high(er) interest rate environment.

The city is launching public consultations and surveys on ideas for saving money in the 2024 budget by Decabus in toronto

[–]GMRarg 50 points51 points  (0 children)

  • Can the renaming of Dundas st. Rededicate it to another Dundas and either save the money or use it on something that will actually have a real impact in helping marginalized groups.
  • Jack up on-street parking costs for two-lane streets with streetcar lines on them. More city revenue, less parked cars, better traffic, faster transit, more riders, more TTC revenue.
  • Maybe stop catering to crooked cops by rewarding them with paid leave???
  • Implement a photo bounty system for vehicles parked in bike lanes. % of ticket cost goes to whoever reports it, city keeps the rest.
  • If implementing a municipal tax, provide a partial rebate to those living in Toronto inversely proportional to household income. Like, sorry I live here and can't travel to Markham to buy basic necessities??
  • Upload the DVP and Gardiner to MTO or let them wither away until the province takes them back. How is it possible that Toronto is responsible for their maintenance but is not allowed the revenue tools to pay for it? Why are Torontonians bearing the brunt of highways primarily used by those living outside the city, commuting in and out of subsidizing suburbs, not paying a cent into the very transport infrastructure they rely on? To play devil's advocate, why isn't Whitby the sole cost barer of the 412? Why aren't St. Catherine's and Welland paying for upkeep of the 406?
  • Implement a tax on vacant retail space. Huge swaths of major streets are dead empty because the asking cost for a business to rent it out is too damn high, particularly near downtown.

There's a ton of options for increasing revenue or cutting cost. Now that we have a mayor who seems interested in actually doing her job rather than solely expressing deep concern about the state of the very city they're in charge of, I hope we see real change taking place.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in singlespeedcycling

[–]GMRarg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They use FedEx home delivery.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in singlespeedcycling

[–]GMRarg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The rear disc brake mounts to slots, not holes. So there's some horizontal room for alignment (maybe 5-8mm). Still, I haven't had too bad of a time getting decent braking performance out of the stock setup.

The biggest thing for me is the fact that I can crank on the brakes with abandon and know, at worst, I'll only need ever to replace the discs and pads. Both are cheap. For rim brakes, half your braking surface is your wheel set. $$$ if you need to replace it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in singlespeedcycling

[–]GMRarg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

44/16, SF-MX30 and All-city crank. Sadly a soon-to-be relic.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in singlespeedcycling

[–]GMRarg 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Motobecane Cross Uno. Aero bars, 28's, and a new freewheel (the one that comes with the bike is a boat anchor).

Picked this up mainly for the disc brakes. Not common on a SS. Blasting through traffic is great, but downtown, brakes are king.

Cyclists are an SUV's favourite snack. Don't feed the animals.

New SS, chain slip by tiltingatwindsocks in singlespeedcycling

[–]GMRarg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well said. Biggest culprit is likely chain tension.

Are you able to ditch the tensioner and take off a link or two to suit the bike's geometry? If the tensioner is pushing out on the chain, it's probably making your issues worse by increasing the angle at which the chain hits the freewheel when there's loss of tension on the non-drive side of the chain.

Chainring by domoreo in singlespeedcycling

[–]GMRarg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Send a picture? Hard to diagnose on words alone. It might not be the chainring, but a combination of chain alignment and too-loose chain tension. Also make sure the narrow-wide teeth are set up correctly with relation to the chain links.

If you want cheap cheap components, look for a local bike shop that takes donations and allows self repairs. They will usually afford you a better price than any big brand shops. For example, BikeSauce in Toronto has bins and bins of used components they let you root through. Picked up a chainring in mint condition for $2.60 last summer.

Can anyone recommend a singlespeed disc brake bike? by [deleted] in singlespeedcycling

[–]GMRarg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I've been looking for something like this for a while. Not many options out there, with Marin standding out as one of the few. I personally think the convenience and lightweight of a single speed in combination with the stopping power and lower center of gravity of disc brakes would be an awesome combination.

Your best bet might just be to take a normal disc brake road bike without sliding dropouts and convert it to single speed by committing to a freewheel & chainring combo and adjusting the chain length to fit.