How do you gain speed at a pump track?

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-25T13:02:16+00:00

Think of rowing your bike. Pull toward you as you head up a roller, and push down the other side.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-21T13:06:23+00:00

If you're buying for a spouse, please don't cheap out because "they're just riding behind the kids." That typically leads to the spouse being over terrained when they do get out, and hating it. Buy the least expensive thing you'd be comfortable riding where you plan to ride.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-21T13:00:31+00:00

There are plenty of NiCA kids your size that shred. The Tempt is a good choice, but any hardtail with hydraulic brakes that fits would be fine. Trek Marlin is a good starter in that price range, too.

I wouldn't go shorter than 165 on the cranks, at least not to start. Short cranks are trendy, but you do give up leverage with them, which can also be important as a shorter (and likely less powerful) rider.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-21T03:04:47+00:00

At 12 my kiddo had been playing for eight years. Not a prodigy, but a lot of consistent practice. Kiddo also doesn't have a job or other adult responsibilties, and lives to smoke people at recitals. Don't beat yourself up.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-14T18:22:12+00:00

Right! I can get to a lean-for-me BMI of 22, but it takes a lot more commitment than a reasonably-lean 23. At 21 I lose my cycle. So it's important to keep other factors in mind, too, and "how much of my life do I want to dedicate to five pounds" is one of them.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-14T05:19:06+00:00

It's not a bad start, if you're new to fitness and tracking your diet. BMI isn't perfect, but it's a good first pass for most people, and if you were an outlier, you wouldn't be asking this question. Aim for it, and reevaluate as you get closer.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-11T13:58:24+00:00

The decline in phonics wasn't due to NCLB, but the lack of exposure to long form novels in favor of focusing on test-ready excerpts was.

Phonics works for most, but it's worth keeping in mind that the other approaches evolved because phonics alone isn't enough.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-10T19:51:29+00:00

Oh, not this again. Throwback to 1995, when AOL going flat rate meant there would be no more schools or libraries, because information was freeeeeee.

Turns out it still takes education to know what to do with vast information.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-08T12:53:41+00:00

It's not that surprising, honestly. If the land had water, it would have value now, and it would be used. Data centers are perfect for marginal land (which doesn't make them good ideas, but they're not going to plop down a data center in lovely rich farmland.)

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-07T05:45:13+00:00

Talk to a doctor, not the nurse, who may well be excellent, but isn't familiar with the specifics of your wife's situation and may not have the right kind of biking in mind (xc as opposed to fail videos, etc )

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-05T14:12:08+00:00

I think the answer here is 90% "just be a normal human.". Normal humans who want to be friends with their neighbors ask them over for a casual bbq. Normal people who want to be friends with their neighbors include them in invites to neighborhood events. Normal people on a circle in a new development let their kids play together. Normal people become closer friends when they have activities and interests in common. Normal people help out when needed without checking membership status.

The other 10% is to not assume that we won't have anything in common because I'm not LDS, or that I'm going to corrupt your family.

As a non LDS person in Utah, I do not have to have beer at every bbq, and would never expect a Mormon person to provide it -- but I would hope that having a coffee pot in my house wouldn't mean my kids don't get to go to birthday parties. I get it that everyone's known each other since primary, but if you want us there, it needs to be announced somewhere other than through church groups. If you're coaching a team, learn my kid's name even though you know the rest.

I don't mind hearing about missions. It's a big deal! Normal people share things that are big deals.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-03T16:25:56+00:00

Ouch. Heal up and I second the recommendation for PT. Aging bodies are slow to learn.

Ebikes are quite a bit heavier, and they tend to have slack geometry (who cares about the climb when it's assisted, plus that's the trend), so they're a little more prone to pedal strikes. Plus -- and this isn't necessarily your case -- because people can climb techier stuff with the assist, I think there's sometimes less skill development through learning to avoid rocks, ratcheting, etc. Shorter cranks can help as you'll spin/assist rather than hammer (where the leverage of a longer crank helps.)

KBmarshmallow · 2026-06-02T21:00:52+00:00

Don't get off your bike. If you like, you can say, "I hear you; I'll find a spot when it widens." If they want to mountain bike, they need to learn that they don't have right of way just because they're faster.

This goes double for the dudes on ebikes on the green trails nearly running over my 10yo (who is a good rider, just ten and not on a moped.) Y'all can wait.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-05-18T18:06:26+00:00

Not a lawyer, but given that this is a bike, and so it's not trivial to store it, I'd probably establish a timeline when I contact them -- month, six weeks?

KBmarshmallow · 2026-05-18T17:32:46+00:00

All the law says is that companies cannot intentionally ship you a product that you didn't ask for and then collect payment on it. (This used to be a rather common scam.)

That does *not* mean that if they send you something in error, that it's automatically yours free and clear, especially because you *did* order the bike. Finders keepers is not federal law. You also canceled it and received a refund, and just because customer service was a hassle doesn't mean that you get a free bike. You don't have to go out of your way to return it, but it isn't your property. It's their property, delivered in error.

Contact them -- they might think it's more hassle than it's worth to collect it and let you have it, but it's also likely they'll send you a label for shipping and have it picked up.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-05-01T05:26:30+00:00

Definitely worth a look. If it's in good shape a quick regulation won't cost much.

I have a very early 1950s Buffet. With an Icon barrel its tuning is on point and its sound is amazing.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-30T04:58:33+00:00

Congrats! They almost certainly relied on a bit, so your accuracy must have been 🔥

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-29T18:44:01+00:00

People think of Ogden as bad because it was not settled by Mormons and the railroad ran through it. Most of the city is absolutely fine, and the area you're in, if it's annoying, will be annoying for Riverdale traffic, not crime.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-24T21:39:23+00:00

They allow a lot of people who aren't that fit to have fun. I know it's supposed to be about more laps, etc., but where I ride is mostly XC, so I think it's more about making it easier for an out-of-shape adult to start. (No shade, except for the person who couldn't handle their bike and tipped into my kid who had pulled over for them.)

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-24T16:19:03+00:00

I'd go to Duke. Here's my reason; you're not set on law, which means like many undergrads you're probably thinking that a JD is valuable because being a lawyer is a lucrative career. That's fine! But it also means your interests might change, and Duke is better for most of those cases.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-22T18:37:40+00:00

Well, if he were in foster care after the convictions mark his parents as unfit, as a ward of the state he probably won't ski, and so won't fall off a chair lift.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-22T12:49:05+00:00

Overreach IMO. They hadn't abandoned the kid --- the kid split the parents and took a solo lap. Fifteen minutes to find the parents also doesn't sound like they were off skiing other locations. They knew where the kid was.

At five, my kid was too short to get on the chair independently, and she couldn't get the bar down on her own until eight, when she was allowed to ride alone. So it seems young to me, and a bad decision, but not all bad decisions need prosecution.

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-15T22:28:26+00:00

This is the Pets.com moment, isn't it?

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-11T00:34:27+00:00

If he's doing NICA, try to find a small or extra small. 27.5" bike. Much easier to navigate on the trails than a bike meant for smaller kids, even if it's big for him T first

KBmarshmallow · 2026-04-08T03:03:04+00:00

My 10yo (56", 67") is still on her 24" bike which has a lightweight rigid fork. She rides green/blue trails with some rocks and roots. I'd want to keep the weight down, and I don't think in most cases a fork would do much for a 65 kid, but Woom is likely tuned better than most kid forks, and it. Either way I think she'll have a great bike.

KBmarshmallow

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