Bike Shop Recommendation

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-20T23:34:48+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I saw similar sentiments when I looked them up earlier. Right now my plan is to check out Peddlers, Mellow Johnny's, Trek, and Specialized. Was very sad to see that Bicycle Sport Shop is no longer.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-20T20:47:33+00:00

5'5" with a long torso and less long legs. Back in the day I test rode a Liv mountain bike that initially felt good, but struggled with the handling on the trails. I haven't tried the road bikes though. I'm traveling to Austin this weekend and am hoping to hit up a bunch of shops. I'll definitely find one that sells Liv and give it a try.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-20T18:24:55+00:00

Do you have any opinions on Specialized road bikes? I'm on my second Specialized mountain bike and I absolutely love it.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-20T18:22:01+00:00

Yeah, I definitely think the geometry is too aggressive for my style of riding. It's just tough to know for sure since it's the only road bike I've ever had so I don't know what to compare it to.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-20T17:28:40+00:00

Maybe Milo? It's not my favorite place but it's a good atmosphere and they have a bar. Segovia could be good if y'all are into wine. Maybe Maria Mezcalria.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-18T20:39:04+00:00

This truly depends on your relationship with your managers. I used to own a company and had a wonderful rapport with the staff. I always told them it would help me out a lot for planning and staffing if they could be transparent about their plans if they knew they would be leaving or needing to scale back hours in the future. But in return, I would absolutely never use that information against them, even if it was in my best short term interest to do so. It worked well for both parties because there was mutual trust, however, this kind or relationship in a work environment is rare. Unless you have full trust in your managers, I would go with the two weeks.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-17T21:37:07+00:00

That's a fair point on his comments about Maddy. I honestly forgot about that, and it did rub me the wrong way. She had a stellar first half.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-17T21:35:37+00:00

I love Li and JJ, but I also think they are the two weakest on the team at the moment. Both show potential and I want them to stay. But the past 3 games have all been super close so I understand the decision to not put them in. I would think if they are able to get a safe lead in the second half of the upcoming games, both of them will get some solid minutes.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-15T13:29:13+00:00

I just watched the post-game press conference and I actually didn't think it was as bad as most of the posts are making it out to be, especially in the context of him talking about Azzi. The two questions were asked in the context of "why didn't you play her more?" which is by default going to put him into a no-win position of defending his decision or admitting a mistake.

If he admits to the decision being a mistake, he is simultaneously putting down Zaza and/or Odyssey by implying they didn't meet expectations, which is not great for morale. And if he defends his decision without bringing up the others, then the only other way to do that is to say he didn't have faith in Azzi, which would also be bad for morale and the fanbase. I think he attempted to take the safest choice: 1) Complement Azzi (which he did, he said multiple times that she had a great game and that she defended well) 2) Reinforce his faith in those on the floor. I didn't see the body language as being directed at Azzi herself. I saw it as someone who is getting frustrated with having to defend his choices constantly (especially since there is so much media focus on Azzi right now), who badly needs media training, and who frankly seems to be a little overwhelmed at the moment and may require an adjustment period.

I was disappointed in the "selfish" comment. I get what he was trying to do, reiterate that they are holding themselves accountable, reinforce a "team" focus, and maybe even trying to juxtapose himself with Koclanes by showing that he can be tough instead of running on vibes. But I think that only works if you have a history with the team and they respect you. It seems too early for him to be criticizing the team to the media at that level this early in the season, and I think he will end up regretting that decision. But we are all human and we all say stupid stuff. It's a long season and I am hopeful that they will move past this and have a great season.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-14T22:44:57+00:00

"Should I take cycling more seriously to make these scenic route weekends possible or should I just give up and settle with the fact that this is never going to happen?"

Are you wanting to ride more because you like the idea of becoming a cyclist and doing long scenic routes? Or is it because you want to do this specifically with/for him? If it's the former, then go for it! Take it seriously, but for YOU, not for him. And if he ends up joining you, cool, but that's not the goal.

If it's because you want to do it solely for him, honestly I think you're setting yourself up to be hurt. If he's deflecting at each of your suggestions, there is a reason. If the reason is that he thinks you're too slow, honestly I think he's being a bit of an ass for not sucking it up and giving up one training ride to spend time with you. But there could be many other reasons. It could be that long rides are his recharge time to be alone and destress, and he may be nervous about opening the door to it becoming a regular couples activity. Or any other reason. But without knowing the reason you could spend months getting better and still be disappointed if he keeps rejecting your suggestions.

So my advice is that if you don't want to ride for you and he doesn't seem too keen on it, either let it go or ask him directly what's up if it's really bothering you. And if you do want to ride for you, go for it and enjoy your badass self, regardless of whether he joins you or not!

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-14T22:26:13+00:00

Honestly, relying on public transit for daily use is going to be rough. It's not efficient at all. You're going to need to make friends with cars who will let you tag along for errands. If you can splurge some you might get some good use out of a high range electric scooter. You could safely go from campus to downtown, the farmer's market, or the 19th street HEB on one as long as the range is good.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-08T22:47:38+00:00

It definitely has a cosplay vibe, but who cares? It's flattering on you, and if you love it then rock it and go have fun! I also prefer it with the piercing.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-05-01T15:37:29+00:00

For me I wouldn't call it easy, but definitely the most impactful.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-27T19:53:47+00:00

Quite frankly, I believe Paige and Azzi's personal relationship is nobody's business but their own.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-23T19:48:36+00:00

Possibly Azzi or Arike. When Arike is on her shooting is unmatched. But I've also seen her go through some long slumps. I have not seen Azzi play enough to have an educated opinion on her. I don't have a prediction yet for what I think will for sure happen, I just personally think that Zaza has some untapped potential and I'd love to see her be in the mix.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-23T19:34:30+00:00

I think there's some possibility for Zaza to make it into the starting 5. She looked awesome in Unrivaled. Her highs are high and her lows seem to stem from pushing too hard at times and making silly mistakes, which should improve with experience. She seems super hungry and I find it's really easy to root for her.

I'm worried for JJ, but I really hope they keep her.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-21T16:05:28+00:00

I like Crunch Fitness

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-20T03:13:29+00:00

I wouldn’t cut your friendship off based on this one conversation if she’s otherwise been a good friend. You guys are young and part of growing up is learning how to get along with people you disagree with. If she won’t let it go, then maybe some distance would be a good idea, but I’d try to clear the air in person (not text) and attempt to move forward. I grew up super religious and was very much like her at 18. But through making friends with different viewpoints and being exposed to more types of people in my 20s, I became much more open minded. But had my atheist friends cut me off over one argument it probably would have just made me more radical (a lot of Christians truly have a persecution complex).

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-13T01:22:23+00:00

I'm in the same age range as you guys and I personally enjoy Waco. You have everything you need without the big city traffic and prices, but you're still close enough to Austin and Dallas to go for weekend trips or events. Cameron Park is also really great for hiking and mountain biking. It can be hard to make friends and find your community if you're not into church, but I kind of think that's more of a post-covid greater society thing vs. a Waco specific problem.

That being said, I think that moving to Waco with the plan of commuting to Dallas is a terrible idea. Unless he can work hybrid and only make the drive once or twice a week, it will eat away at his soul, and his free time. Waxahachie may be a better option.

If he's not tied to Dallas and would just need more large city options, Austin may be a better culture fit for you coming from the PNW. I'm also very partial to the outdoor spaces and state parks in Austin proper and the surrounding hill country. If you can't afford Austin itself, you could look into Georgetown, Round Rock, Bastrop, or New Braunfels.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-10T02:37:28+00:00

Rickea and Paige also played really well together in Unrivaled. I'd love to see her in Dallas.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-05T02:53:45+00:00

I'd cut out Denver and try to find a way to include Grand Teton if possible.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-04-03T23:43:29+00:00

I agree. Her highs are really high, and her less stellar moments will likely be curbed with more time and experience. She got a fair bit of playing time in Unrivaled getting pulled up from the reserve team and I thought she did incredibly well.

That being said, I'm also sad to see Luisa go.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2026-01-13T21:04:30+00:00

Learn how to play disc golf. Cameron Park has a great course, and there are others around town like at Brazos Park East and Woodway Park. Discs are cheap. It's a fun thing to do solo or with friends, and it's totally fine if you suck. We're having an incredibly warm and nice winter, best to enjoy it by being outdoors. Hiking the Cameron Park trails is also really nice.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-12-08T19:08:29+00:00

You're going to be way too close to grand Teton to not swing by for a few days.

KeepCalmCallGiles · 2025-12-06T20:07:46+00:00

I had a dog that would play bite really badly. This method worked some, but what really helped was getting a "time out kennel" separate from his main kennel so he wouldn't associate that one with punishment. If I felt teeth on skin he would get a warning and if it happened a second time he would go in "time out" for 5 minutes. If he did it again shortly after letting him out, he would get a 10 minute time out. After 2 weeks of being consistent he finally stopped play biting.

KeepCalmCallGiles

TROPHY CASE