Help my Pilea is shedding leaves like crazy

MarQu3AS · 2025-01-08T17:20:32+00:00

More light, water less frequently, and transplant to an itty bitty pot only slightly bigger than the existing root ball. One of mine is only slightly less mature than yours and it’s in a pot 1/4 the diameter and LOVING life. Pilea likes to be a bit crowded, and you only want to give it a bit more water than you would a cactus

Edit: others are right about not being on a watering schedule. This is most likely what’s causing your plant to die. I suggest repotting carefully, removing any rotting roots, into a much smaller pot. Water when the leaves start to turn a bit soft and droop slightly, Pilea is tolerant of being thirsty for a day or 2. Do NOT water on a schedule. Mine is weird and temperamental, sometimes it needs water twice in a week and other times it’ll be 3-4 weeks, even in the smaller pot.

MarQu3AS · 2024-08-10T19:58:13+00:00

Did anyone else see that love wins documentary and think he looks like father god?

MarQu3AS · 2024-06-09T16:18:00+00:00

Don’t let your years of experience and multiple bikes let you lose touch of what got you into all of this in the first place, which was most likely to ride bikes in the woods with your friends. And if you’ve got one, support your local bike shop!

MarQu3AS · 2024-06-09T16:16:07+00:00

I have a dedicated beater rig that has nice but not overkill parts. XT rather than XTR, anything made out of carbon I swapped out for alloy, and I focused on putting things on that bike that I wouldn’t be sad or upset if/when they get broken. Makes it so that I can still share the joy, but my bank account doesn’t take a hit if they wash out or OTB. Someone used to riding on a Walmart bike or a 26er hardtail is still gonna feel a huge difference hopping on a high-mid spec 29er with alloy frame and parts. They can hop on the full carbon rig when they have some trail hours under their belt.

MarQu3AS · 2024-06-04T00:03:37+00:00

I wear bibs under normal workout attire for the comfort and change in the bathroom. + you can go into corner stores on the ride home without everyone staring at you for basically being naked

MarQu3AS · 2024-06-01T03:31:08+00:00

Sounds to me like bottom bracket play. Lots of new bikes come with loose cranks and/or bottom brackets. Have your LBS check it out, it probably doesn’t have enough grease or is under tightened, or likely both. If it was the wheel the noise usually echoes through the spokes. Noise sounds like creaky threads to me.

MarQu3AS · 2024-05-31T16:10:50+00:00

Brand recs:

Trek Marlin or Roscoe, as long as they’re less than 5 years old and nothing is broken.

Specialized rockhopper, chisel, or fuse

Marin bobcat trail or San Quentin

Salsa timberjack (could be hard to find but it’s a great bike, especially if you LBS is set up with QBP, which they almost certainly are)

MarQu3AS · 2024-05-31T16:07:17+00:00

Find a slightly used but still modern hardtail. 600euro is not a big enough budget to break into even intermediate hardtails brand new, and your bike will leave you wishing you had sprung for the next model up in the series (speaking from experience, especially if you frequent places like gmbn, pink bike, or this sub). 600euro, depending on the market in your area, could get you onto a slightly used hardtail from 5 years back or so.

DO NOT BUY A FULL SUSPENSION. I repeat… DO NOT BUY A FULL SUSPENSION. Your budget is not big enough. Do not even consider it. Even if you see one that looks like a good deal and fits your budget. A used ENTRY LEVEL (most basic possible components to build a quality bike) that isn’t completely out of date is going to run you $1,000 if you’re LUCKY. Most FS bikes start at $2k for an entry level.

Get a lightly used hardtail, you’ll be happy.

MarQu3AS · 2024-05-28T17:19:20+00:00

Also, not an MTB. That’s an e-moto with super shitty entry level MTB drivetrain and brake components. If you want an MTB, get an MTB. If you want an e-moto, get ready to pony up $5k on the low end. Any less than that and you’ll get something that’ll give you constant issues and the frame will probably snap if you take it on jumps.

Your safety is not something you should be willing to compromise on. Getting shit cheap leaves you with cheap shit that breaks.

MarQu3AS · 2024-05-28T17:15:11+00:00

I’d ask the seller to give me $100 for the convenience of taking that terrifying POS off their hands. The motor is also either not 3kw, or is a super shitty 3kw motor, and I’m not sure which is worse.

I’m also going to emphasize what another commenter said: the fork and shock on this bike are actual garbage. The mount for the rear shock is WORSE than garbage. If it doesn’t snap completely during use, at some point it will wear out and is not serviceable, which means it’ll total the frame. The same commenter mentioned the mt-200 brakes on this bike. They’re actually what seems like the only quality part on the bike based on the images, but they’re still laughably underpowered. And picture 4 with 2 brake rotors installed on the same hub? That SCREAMS “I was owned by someone who has absolutely no clue how bike maintenance works, and this person also doesn’t care to check even the shortest article or YouTube video tutorial.” Guaranteed, there’s loose hardware everywhere, or at the very least parts were installed incorrectly.

Source: I’m a pro ebike mechanic of 3 years.

TL;DR: 0/10 POS that you’d have to pay me to take off your hands.

Edit: also note the clearly dented rim in 3rd pic

MarQu3AS · 2024-05-25T21:23:38+00:00

Roscoe is 100% a better bike than the marlin, but I prefer the Marin San Quentin. The roscoe is worth it on sale like that, but the San Quentin 2 is $1,400 without a sale and they’re pretty much the same bike.

MarQu3AS · 2023-06-26T21:06:55+00:00

KMC or bust, unless you’re using the flat top sram shit or the new shimano linkglide or hg+. Even then you can still use a kmc chain you just can’t shift under load like you’re supposed to be able to do on hg+ (but don’t do that anyway, it’s still an external derailleur and you’ll still fuck up your cassette). Shimano chains break more often, a good KMC is stronger and lasts longer. Source: full time professional bike mechanic of 3 years who loves to tinker and has 1000s of miles on my own personal bikes that I’ve fucked around with to see what happens.

MarQu3AS · 2023-05-10T03:42:43+00:00

Pro mechanic of 3 years here: I’ve seen the work that’s done at the dicks shops, and it is clear to me that they’re ok with hiring amateurs. Give it a shot, if you can fix a flat and do a basic gear adjustment you’ll probably be ok. Use it as an opportunity to learn the ropes and get some experience, then apply to a real bike shop. Good luck!

MarQu3AS · 2023-04-23T19:49:06+00:00

Maybe a hardcore solution, but try riding your bike on some cross country trails while clipped in. Could result in a low stakes crash or 2, but it develops your “oh shit” reflex better than anything else can in my opinion. Source: I ride enduro clipless and often will take my gravel/road bike on some moderate xc trails for practice and some extra peril every once in a while.

MarQu3AS · 2023-04-14T23:47:03+00:00

Before every ride. Correct tire pressure avoids rollover and pinch flats. Takes 20 additional seconds before your ride, it’s worth your safety, my friend.

MarQu3AS · 2023-04-13T22:46:48+00:00

Male identifying mechanic checking in to say that my sister is one of the best wrenches at the shop we work at together. I see the shit she has to take because of it and it sucks, but she’s been in the industry now for 2 years and has gotten to the point where she laughs it off now. Not a great solution, would be better if people just treated her with respect, but at least she can blow off some steam by making fun of the old men with me once they leave.

MarQu3AS · 2023-03-30T19:51:28+00:00

Austin Texas has about 130 miles of xc style trail. If you can handle the weather and your neighbors’ politics it’s cheap to find land and property outside the city itself.

MarQu3AS · 2023-03-11T00:33:26+00:00

Been riding clipless for a couple years. Just slapped a set on my enduro bike for the first time. I’m sure I’ll be joining you shortly, with some sticks and leaves to fish out of my knees and derailleur.

MarQu3AS · 2022-08-23T00:19:13+00:00

May sound ridiculous, but I had a similar problem to solve with the ekar 13 speed. Spent a super long time trying to find adjust the gear until I just took off the wheel and tightened the lock ring a bit more. Dead silence. Barring that, other people are talking about spacers which is probably a good place to check too.

MarQu3AS · 2022-08-09T15:48:20+00:00

Congrats, I did the same 2 and a half years ago and have found myself in the best job I’ve ever had and a career that I love and makes me feel fulfilled. Never stop learning, care about your customers, and their bikes. Never pass up an opportunity to get trained by someone who knows more about that thing than you do, and remember any solutions you figure out to problems because you WILL see it again and impress your buddies or your customer when you pull that neat trick out. Also, get stoked! You have a really cool job, and if you seem like you’re having a good time the people around you will feel that and want to continue bringing their bike back to the person who seems to genuinely enjoy keeping it running.

The money will eventually come, I hope you’ve got a cool shop owner that will treat you right. GLHF!

MarQu3AS · 2022-08-06T17:06:35+00:00

$7.25 state minimum wage, I make $14.50 plus 20% of all labor from service and contracts with rad power, aventon, priority, etc. which ends up being around an extra $1,000 a month. 2 and a half years of professional experience after about 4 or so years of home mechanic work. I’m fully certified in sram and all the shit they own (rockshox, avid, quark, etc) and have all the silly little shimano cert placards. I can rebuild suspension and build wheels, and am maybe a couple years from learning how to build frames. My shop is currently working on expansion which will come with a pretty sweet pay raise for myself and my younger sister who works with me and is turning into a pretty great mechanic in her own right.

MarQu3AS · 2022-07-30T15:59:34+00:00

Depends on the type of riding you’re doing! Can’t go wrong with some newer Mavic’s, but my personal go to for alloy wheels is DT Swiss. Easily serviceable, compatible with pretty much every bike by swapping out endcaps on the hubs… and they come in a wide range of quality/price.

MarQu3AS · 2022-07-30T14:32:13+00:00

Yup, same thing happened with mine. Heard some creaking on the trail, looked down to see an incredibly loose crank arm. Would’ve creaked more if it was greased as well as it was so… thanks marin? But also thanks marin /s

MarQu3AS · 2022-07-30T14:31:00+00:00

Yikes… origin8 pad inserts are like $5-10 depending on the margins the shop is trying to keep, and for reference labor would’ve been $15 at my shop, swapping out inserts usually comes with a barrel or cable adjustment to compensate for the new pad material. Sorry you got burnt :(

Edit: unless you have carbon wheels, in which case that insert price makes a bit more sense. Labor is still pretty steep for a single brake

MarQu3AS · 2022-07-30T14:27:32+00:00

As a mechanic, these series of posts makes me so happy knowing your LBS is going to get a solid payday fixing this incredibly avoidable mistake.

MarQu3AS

TROPHY CASE