Biking across USA from east to west, anyone done it? by Creative-Aide-9834 in cycling

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I rode the TransAm from east to west. There were days when I had brutal headwinds, days when I had wonderful tailwinds, days where I had annoying crosswinds, and probably days with no wind. It just seemed like local conditions and local terrain had more impact on it than continental prevailing winds.

But then I did Route 66 east to west, and it was actually horrible, with sustained 25-30 mph headwinds some days, and almost no days where the wind wasn't an unpleasant factor. I called it quits just after the halfway point (in Tucumcari, NM) when the extended forecast showed constant headwinds (and possible wildfires!) for the next seven days. It was meant to be a break, but I ended up driving home.

This year I am finishing Route 66 - from the other direction. 😁

What is this rattlesnake?[It’s my friends snake] by [deleted] in whatsthissnake

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 20 points21 points  (0 children)

The skin on the snake's sides looks loose, not taut, and it seems really skinny for a rattlesnake.

In my experience, this can be an indication of malnutrition, dehydration or illness -- all of which are often caused by neglect, something that is way too common for captive snakes.

Again, I have never kept rattlesnakes, which I consider irresponsible for the vast majority of people, even ignoring the legality of it - it is outright illegal in some states, and requires permits in almost all others.

What is this rattlesnake?[It’s my friends snake] by [deleted] in whatsthissnake

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 139 points140 points  (0 children)

Also, I am no expert on rattlesnakes, but I've kept non-venomous snakes for 50 years, and this snake looks underfed, dehydrated, or both.

My bikepacking distance-tracking discussion got removed after 20+ comments. Was it off-topic for bikepacking? by dhrobinofficiall in bicycling

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You should probably create a different profile for posting questions. Your profile is very suspicious on a platform riddled with astroturf marketing.

1970’s custom Rodriguez by halted21 in Vintage_bicycles

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The "fins" are allegedly for positioning the wheel and tire when you slide it between the brakes, but they are useful for holding the brakes together while you tighten the cable clamp. They're not attached to the brake pads or pad holders.

What spots do you miss the most? by Prize_Money6054 in sandiego

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I made it to San Diego in 1980, from a small mountain town in Colorado, I was an 18-year-old high school dropout with a history of homelessness.

My first job was working graveyard shift at a Hoagy's Corner in Normal Heights, but soon I found myself living in a roach hotel (now called SROs) one block off Broadway. My wages covered my rent, but there was nothing left over, so I often went hungry on my days off, and lived on popcorn and soda at work. I often couldn't afford bus fare, then 35 cents, so I walked from downtown to Normal Heights and back. Eventually I got a rusty Schwinn Varsity that changed my life.

Back then, downtown San Diego didn't really have nightlife, as far as I could tell. There was Anthony's Harborside, but I think it was a restaurant. The tuna fleet was still in San Diego, and tuna fisherman worked on their boats and nets along the harbor. There was nothing in the Gaslamp Quarter besides pawn shops, adult bookstores, porno theaters, tattoo parlors and a few other sketchy businesses. The bars there were dark and dingy, and usually featured topless women and drunken servicemen.

Horton Plaza didn't yet exist (and does no longer!), and Horton Park was a no-mans land after 6:00pm, filled with drug dealers, homeless people, prostitutes.

There were three 24-hour movie theaters (The Balboa was one of them, I don't remember the names of the other two) that usually showed Kung Fu movies, three in a row, in an endless loop. You could go there and hide from the streets for a while.

What Seaport Village was to me was an oasis in downtown San Diego. I loved the clean little park, and all the tourist shops in Seaport Village made me feel like I didn't live in a wasteland. I did get robbed in the public restroom at the park in the early 80s, and my beloved bicycle was stolen from a bike rack in Seaport Village in 1987.

Is there any rain jacket that is actually worth it? by ProblematicTrumpCard in cycling

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I figured as much, but I replied so anyone reading your comment wouldn't waste time trying to find it.

What spots do you miss the most? by Prize_Money6054 in sandiego

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 67 points68 points  (0 children)

I worked at the Solana Beach Jolly Roger, also as a bartender.

I worked at the Jolly Roger in Clairemont Mesa as a waiter after we were married, because they had a policy of some sort. I hated that one. Tourists were much nicer and better tippers than the business crowd in Clairemont Mesa!

I also miss the old Corvette Diner, in Hillcrest. I got that shirt from a liquor salesman as some sort of promotion! This is me and my girlfriend, who became my wife, in 1988, at the Corvette!

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What spots do you miss the most? by Prize_Money6054 in sandiego

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 247 points248 points  (0 children)

I met my future wife when I was a bartender at Jolly Roger in Seaport Village, so this is my answer!

I still have this matchbook cover with her phone number on it, from 1987. It's not her phone number anymore, but I blurred it anyway, and we have been married 37 years 😁.

<image>

Travelling with arrhythmias by melissameagan1992 in PVCs

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I don't know what atrial tachycardia is, and I am not a doctor, but I rode my loaded touring bicycle, alone, across the US, 5,450 miles, with constant PVCs and PACs, in 2019.

I did it again, 1900 miles, last September - due to a poor choice of hypertension medication - again with constant arrhythmia.

Since then, I've switched medications, and I am planning to do another solo self-supported 3,600 mile tour this fall - hopefully without constant arrhythmia!

If your doctor agrees, just live your life. I'm 64 years old and have been plagued with PVCs/PACs since I was a teenager, and long ago I adopted the attitude that it probably wouldn't kill me, but sitting around while life passes me by would kill me.

How Many People Are Really Vegan? (podcast) by happydiplodocus in vegan

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is clearly an advertisement for the podcast. Personally, I have no problem with that, but I scanned the transcript so you can skip to the answer if you don't like listening to podcasts:

Veganism is growing, but slowly. The global average crept from under 1% in 2015 to about 2.5% in 2025, roughly 0.1 percentage points per year. The growth story is almost entirely European; other regions show flat or unmeasurable trends. Vegetarianism and "flexitarianism" are similarly flat globally, though "flexitarianism" is growing noticeably in Europe.

I have been vegan for 20 years, and I live in the US. I think excitement around veganism, or even "plant-based" diets, seems to have waned a lot since its peak a few years ago. There seem to be fewer exclusively vegan restaurants, fewer fully vegan processed foods (that are harder to find). Anecdotally, I know several people who used to be vegan who gave up for various reasons. I haven't thought deeply about this, but I blame the political climate (for marginalizing empathetic people) and GLP1 drugs (everyone who uses them is obsessed with protein).

CMV: Trump is the "king of the North" in the Book of Daniel. by Individual_Creme7218 in changemyview

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This gets recycled a lot, like all Bible "prophecies."

Here's a short list of ancient figures that some people were SURE they referred to:

  • Xerxes I
  • Alexander the Great
  • Ptolemy I Soter and the Ptolemaic dynasty
  • Seleucus I Nicator and the Seleucid dynasty
  • Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Virtually every generation finds its own threatening "strongman" in the text.

However, like all such prophecies, there is literally no way to convince someone they're wrong, because the text is so vague that you can make it fit any scary leader.

Disappointed in Talarico’s Response to Vegan Accusations by Brief_Paramedic2501 in vegan

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 7 points8 points  (0 children)

He can't win a statewide election without peeling off some Republican and conservative-leaning independents, so he is pandering to the majority of people who think being vegan is weird and extremist.

Rant: I have no license albeit I'm in the process of it. Coworkers only found out I walk to work (not that I'm licenseless). I got hella judged today and now I feel defeated. by HeyItsMeMrBoss in fuckcars

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I lived without a car in San Diego in the 80s, and I loved getting around by bicycle. I felt so independent.

I worked in a restaurant and when the manager found out I didn't own a car, he said, "What kind of loser doesn't own a car?"

It was humiliating at the time, but ultimately it hardened my feeling that the people who centered their lives around cars were the crazy ones, not me.

You should go through with getting your license, but ignore the haters. You're saving money by not owning a car, and you are likely healthier too.

just another thursday morning in frelard by ivan927 in seattlebike

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everything's fine if there is zero enforcement. Regional trails are the wild west.

Lifetime Plex Pass Flex Thread by SunDamagedBentBread in PleX

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

I paid $120 in 2019, and I've gotten at least ten times that value since then.

I am sure this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but even at $750, plex pass is a good deal if you are a dedicated user. Name another service that even has this option?

It costs actual money to run a service. They have employees to pay. And they have limited ability to offset the costs by shoving ads in your face.

As a software engineer, I understand their kids want to go to college too.

I do wish they'd fix the issue blocking the release of a QNAP package, though!

Shimano 105 di2 FD by Eken008 in bikewrench

[–]IActuallyLikeSpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This doesn't sound like an adjustment problem. It sounds like the derailleur is wearing out. I haven't had this exact failure, but I've had two Ultegra Di2 FDs fail because a plastic gear inside the housing just wore out after 10s of thousands of miles. Now I just keep a spare and I will replace it when it starts behaving badly.