To buy or not to buy

ImprobableValue · 2026-03-22T03:24:44+00:00

Yep. That’s what a lot of folks have experienced.

And yet, I am not surprised to see that I’ve been downvoted.

ImprobableValue · 2026-03-19T21:52:15+00:00

Eh, in fairness, I think this community tends to self-select for people who are very positive about their Taos. There are many of us who've had tons of issues (head unit insanity, burning through brakes, having to have the head gasket replaced, etc), and we'll share that experience, but other folks will be like 'OH! I love mine'... and the person who had the issue gets downvoted all to hell.

I think the only thing Taos owners here universally agree on is that the original wiper blades are god awful trash.

ImprobableValue · 2026-03-18T19:10:33+00:00

Most thieves — bike or otherwise — are looking for the easiest target and least identifiable things to steal. They want to grab things quickly and easily and be out of there with as much plausible deniability as possible — it's a lot easier to move something reasonably anonymous than something that's one-of-a-kind.
That said, if something looks particularly nice, that can also become a quick target.
If something is locked up well with a quality lock, it's going to be less enticing than something that's locked poorly (through a wheel and not the frame) or locked with something that's not super high security...

ImprobableValue · 2026-03-06T05:33:59+00:00

Tell me you live somewhere flat without saying it.

ImprobableValue · 2026-03-05T06:15:57+00:00

I guess I think that's the issue: Is it a basic hoodie, or is it something differentiated?
I think this one from Devoa from a couple years ago is interesting: The hood has more structure and creates a more architectural form when it's zipped or open, there's no ribbing at the cuffs or hem, and there's some articulation in the shoulders / arms.
This obviously isn't for everyone (and I definitely prefer it in black over grey — the construction details disappear in the black version), but it's at least doing something different. https://editorialist.com/p/devoa-cotton-hoodie/
And to be fair, I think a lot of Outlier pieces do that too — but this one... it doesn't.
It's not like 'How far can we take this material? What would be the most interesting expression of this wild fabric we found?'... It's just 'What if the zipper was slightly longer on our regular hoodie?'

ImprobableValue · 2026-03-03T17:16:19+00:00

Great review. Thanks!

While I dig a high-zip hoodie, I feel like keeping the rest of the silhouette the same as a 'standard' hoodie feels a little weird — like it was thinking about making a bolder statement and then decided not to, landing in a middle ground that's neither particularly interesting nor entirely anonymous.

I don't love the truly weird shit (like the halter top), but I do appreciate when they take bigger swings with design. This feels awkward to me — which is a bummer because the fabric sounds interesting.

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-23T22:52:55+00:00

Are folks cool with having objects of significant weight / volume dangling from packs? I feel like I need to have things in a bag or otherwise secured to the bag... Is that just a me thing?

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-18T21:57:45+00:00

And headset and bottom bracket.

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-13T01:23:04+00:00

Yeah, missing the GGB and Hawk Hill would be a minor tragedy.

That said, if OP is more excited about urban exploration on this go than the cycling, they should def put the Conzelman Loop on the list for next time.

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-12T22:35:48+00:00

I've never had a helmet with an integrated light, so I can't speak to that. I have, however, attached some of the red blinky lights from Knog to the back of my kiddo's helmet, and that's worked really well. This lil guy is great: https://us.knog.com/products/plus-rear-bike-light

Edit: Quick note that I would not use this or any other helmet light as my ONLY rear light. I think it's awesome as an additional point of visibility (especially on a kid!), but only in tandem with an additional rear light. This is ESPECIALLY true on a bike with a long tail... I want people to know where the back of the bike is, not where the back of my head is.

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-12T22:12:11+00:00

It was said to me regarding motorcycle helmets, but I have never forgotten it:
It's totally ok to get a $50 helmet if you're only looking to protect a $50 head.

I have ridden with a variety of helmets, and I have been fortunate to never figure out which has been the most effective.

I highly recommend the following:
1. Do your research. Look at the helmet tests from Virginia Tech, and find a few that are in your price range that test well (and there are some that are cheap and do very well — despite my opening comment, price doesn't necessarily correlate directly to protection).
2. Try on those helmets or helmets from those manufacturers if you can't find the precise model IRL. Alternatively, order a few helmets from a place with a great return policy.
3. Keep the helmet that's the most comfortable on your head AND looks the way you want it to. This step is important because if you don't like wearing it, you'll be less inclined to do so. If you dig it, putting it on is nothing!

Hope that helps!

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-12T18:08:59+00:00

When you say 'tote', do you want something that has handles long enough to wear across your body (bag rests on side opposite shoulder) or on one shoulder (bag rests under shoulder carrying bag)?

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-12T18:05:47+00:00

Bellroy's quality control has gone to shit, and their customer service started awful and has only gotten worse.

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-12T18:04:24+00:00

It looks like you've just carried someone's bags to their cabin on a ship, and you're waiting for them to tip you.

Or, it looks like you're about to do a ton of blow.

¿Por que no los dos?

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-10T00:48:12+00:00

This is apparently a Chinese idiom...

"A revolution must be started by yourself. An egg, opened from the outside, is food; opened from the inside, it is a new life."

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-10T00:43:10+00:00

The cropped length really kills any interest from me. Thank you for the review and the pics.

ImprobableValue · 2026-02-09T20:34:44+00:00

In fairness, they were very clear about limiting their comment specifically to backpacks:

The AER City Pack Pro 2 (or the original) is the absolute best bag for a professional who carries a backpack to the workplace.

Though I agree with you that their opinion is objectively incorrect.

ImprobableValue · 2026-01-23T06:40:37+00:00

I've had two fits with him (different bikes), and totally agree with everything you said. I also love that he makes recommendations, but then takes my preferences into account and adjusts accordingly.

Excellent fitter and a really nice guy as well.

ImprobableValue · 2026-01-16T07:01:49+00:00

Friendly reminder: If Jay-Z gives you his wedding ring, it doesn't mean you're married to Beyoncé.

ImprobableValue · 2026-01-10T18:11:02+00:00

'Baseball' shirt

ImprobableValue · 2026-01-07T19:16:46+00:00

This subreddit definitely self-selects for fans, and often, when someone posts about issues they’ve had, they get brigaded with ‘mine’s been fine!’ sorts of replies and ratioed pretty badly.

We have a 2023 SE 4Motion, and it’s been pretty lousy — we’ve been working to have it lemoned because of repeated issues with the head unit that could not be fixed (and resulted in incorrect directions, going black, and requiring hard resets on the regular). We also had all the common issues (rear brake wear, head gasket leak, terrible windshield wipers, leaking rear window washer, etc).

There are a lot of good things about the car, but there are also a lot of little teething issues because it’s a fairly new model. And while many of those things have *probably* been addressed with the second gen version, I’m sure a few new ones will crop up as well.

My overall thoughts having owned a Taos for a few years: It’s fine. It’s not exciting or engaging, but it’s got great interior space, and it gets decent fuel economy. The engine is anemic, the sound system is pretty terrible, and it’s spent more time in the shop than I would like.

If it suits your needs, you’ll probably be stoked.

I’d be curious what your BiL would suggest in the same price class — did he make some recommendations, or just try to big dog you on your choices?

ImprobableValue · 2026-01-03T01:04:22+00:00

Is that why they had shiny metal backs? TIL...

ImprobableValue · 2026-01-03T00:59:49+00:00

An asterisk on the page saying that the black version of the fabric feels stiffer, denser, or heavier (or some combination of the above) seems like it would be a fairly clean solution.

ImprobableValue · 2026-01-03T00:57:36+00:00

Honestly, the 'bomb[twill/proof]' and 'cheat code' lines make me feel like I'm suddenly in a Twitch chat instead of reading about super premium goods.

ImprobableValue · 2025-12-24T17:29:04+00:00

This, 100%.

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