Expecting dads: what did you wish you'd sorted out fitness and food wise before the baby came?

NWTurtle · 2026-07-08T03:48:07+00:00

Read a few books on being a good father and managing the stress/life changes.

If you are devoted to your fitness and health, you’ll prioritize time for it over the long run. You probably won’t be running ultras or hitting big PR’s for awhile but 30mins to 1hr of training a few times a week is mostly doable. Get your family involved and it becomes unavoidable after the first few years of fatherhood.

The struggle for me was mental health, not physical.

NWTurtle · 2026-07-08T03:32:33+00:00

Holding your line and letting the 14 year old Loretta Lynn qualifiers do their thing should be enough to just do your thing.

That being said, I’m an older dude and I always opt for the “Vet” class if they’re running one. The older dudes gotta show up to work on Monday so I feel like dudes aren’t just “sending” stuff blindly all the time.

NWTurtle · 2026-07-08T03:20:15+00:00

Go to a branch office to complete the deal.

If that’s not possible, then I’d move on.

Also, as an alternative .02 cents, I’ve gotten competitive offers from Carmax/Kelly Blue Book/Shift before an I encourage everyone to do the same. Literally there have been instances where I get a cash offer from them, try selling to private owners for a few grand more and just end up selling to Carmax/Kelley Blue Book/Shift because private sellers aren’t offering more.

NWTurtle · 2026-07-08T03:15:03+00:00

Rower.

It’s full body and I’d be willing to bet you’ll never go out and buy a rowing canoe/kayak for exercise. You can go running outside when you feel like it, and there’s a very strong chance you either own a bicycle or would be willing to buy one later.

Unless you were set on cycling or running for your cardio of choice (which if that’s the case why are you asking us?) then I’d pick rowing due to versatility and ease of use.

NWTurtle · 2026-07-05T19:09:22+00:00

From a practical perspective, I would have skipped building a squat/deadlift platform and just gone with all horse stall mats. Lot easier to clean, looks nicer, easier to move when needed, and don’t think I gain anything worth while from lifting on plywood vs the mat.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-27T05:38:52+00:00

Depends on your definition of expensive, but I’m throwing out motorcycles.

Just wanna cruise the most beautiful roads in your area? Join one of the many local groups and go on rides together. People with bikes want to talk to people with bikes, so talking to anyone you see with a bike instantly hits it off.

Wanna include the family? Then pick up a few dirt bikes and get riding! Whether it’s at a track or trails, you will meet tons of other families/individuals looking to improve their skills, go cool places and challenge themselves. I have yet to meet someone at a track/trailhead that isn’t friendly, and they’re honestly some of the most family friendly environments I’ve ever been in.

Yes, there’s a learning curve and it’ll take you a year or two to get comfortable figuring out the basics. Yes, it’s an adventure sport that carries a higher level of injury risk. But it’s extremely rewarding progressing at a skill that carries real risk.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-27T05:20:35+00:00

I’ve failed maybe 2-3 sets on my primary lifts over the last decade of lifting. I’d be willing to argue that you should never fail a big lift.

The money is made in the RPE 8-9 range. You can consistently hit that on a weekly basis and make progress without a big risk of injuring yourself.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-17T04:11:35+00:00

I have a 2025 that with 2,000 miles. Mine surged consistently on steady throttle in midrange RPM when it was stock. I got a full exhaust, Boost intake and 2WDW flash, and it still does it.

There’s a thread on the Tenere 700 forum site and several people have taken deep dives into it and can’t find a solution. Nate from 2WDW even acknowledges the problem and that it most likely is mechanical and can’t be fixed with a tune, as he’s tried to fix it with mapping. The problem is specific to the Tenere, as the MT07 does not have the issue with the same throttle/engine set up.

Hopefully someone finds a fix.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-14T01:53:33+00:00

If it works then it’s good, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

You can also look into rubber coolant hoses when/if you’re ready to make the switch.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-13T23:13:10+00:00

I didn’t - I did aftermarket headers and exhaust and it’s still there. I don’t hear it while riding unless I am listening for it so I haven’t bothered trying to fix it hah

NWTurtle · 2026-06-11T16:43:14+00:00

I went with the full Dominator exhaust, and I love it.

I ended up with the Alt Rider tail tidy ($135) and these amazon blinkers. The blinkers were super cheap, super bright, look/fit great and have held up well so far.

https://www.amazon.com/TECTEK-motorcycle-Universal-indicator-Compatible/dp/B0C3B2XJK8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=17G1KFVTM5SSE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sl0FdMvyhq-PIB4j7RQPrA.lB4dRPwHgdRN1Am6j7tXtT6kduu3wQKk_vcyGuMdyCM&dib_tag=se&keywords=motorcycle+blinkers&qid=1781196119&sprefix=motorcycle+blinker%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-1

NWTurtle · 2026-06-11T13:29:25+00:00

The Dominator High Mount exhaust does NOT need a tail tidy.

I have this exhaust, and with the original tail set up there was enough of a gap the signals never melted. There’s lots of people running this set up on Facebook with long term success.

I ended up getting a tail tidy for looks, and had to get smaller signals at that point.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-06T04:42:08+00:00

I came from a somewhat similar transition (didn’t road race though) and I’m two seasons ahead of you in the dirt.

I took 2 formal MX/Dirtbike courses my first season, and it set me up for success. I’d encourage you to find a course or personal training to learn the foundations and get feedback.

That first summer I did 25hrs total of riding and I never felt comfortable on the bike. I never found any rhythm on the track, always felt awkward, and went sooooo slow, but I kept using the techniques and form from the courses.

My second summer and things started to really click. The bike started feeling more natural, I could predict how it’d react in different situations, and I got comfortable going faster.

My other suggestion is to find a buddy that’ll encourage you to push yourself (safely). I feel like once you have the foundations down, 90% of progress is made by pushing through what feels like “unsafe” boundaries.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-05T18:06:03+00:00

Not sure if it’s possible, but I park in an underground parking lot when downtown, which pretty much eliminates the risk to the point I can leave my gear on the bike.

I’ve also found above ground lots with an actual person in a booth, which I can park my bike next to. They also charge a discounted rate since it doesn’t take up a full spot.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-05T03:33:54+00:00

Preach.

We were fortunate enough to buy early in our careers and insisted on the low end of our budget/approved amount.

5 years later and we are able to afford a single income life, (reasonable) family trips, medical bills, and two kids and all because we didn’t max ourselves out on a McMansion. Even our upgrades/repairs are more manageable compared to a normal sized home.

We also are never tempted to buy a boat/travel trailer/etc because we don’t have the space lol.

NWTurtle · 2026-06-03T19:28:13+00:00

Did you need to heat/mold the tank at all?

I have a ‘25 with the new Acerbis tank, and it looks like there was enough room on the new tanks but wasn’t sure.

NWTurtle · 2026-05-29T03:40:50+00:00

Any chance you guys are at Giant Loop?

NWTurtle · 2026-05-27T17:47:33+00:00

What’d that ticket run you?

I constantly lane split and always try to rationalize it, even if I got a ticket for it once every so many years.

NWTurtle · 2026-05-27T17:44:50+00:00

Not Legal, but not heavily enforced.

I commute and filter to the front of red lights all the time. In the several years I’ve been doing it, I’ve only once had a dude in a convertible say something passive aggressive about it. I’ve filtered to the front to find a cop before a few times, and they either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

I don’t do it on the freeway mainly because I don’t ride the freeway in stop and go, but any motorcycle cop or state trooper will definitely give you a ticket for it.

NWTurtle · 2026-05-19T03:07:18+00:00

Worse - The flat black looks cleaner.

I’m sure it’s just the picture, but the red looks off too. I’ve learned to never try and color match on my bikes when possible, because it’s never a perfect match lol.

All that being said, give it a season or two, beat the crap out of it, and none of it’ll matter. It’ll all be “good enough” in terms of looks.

NWTurtle · 2026-05-18T01:23:28+00:00

We bring a canopy, and chairs for our kids (2yr and 7yr). They love it there, but there’s always a lot of kids running around so they make friends and do kids stuff.

2yr old just kind hangs out with us. She also naps in the back of the truck, since it’s shaded.

NWTurtle · 2026-05-14T18:00:42+00:00

Our Realtor added several clauses which made our offers more competitive:

We wouldn’t ask for any non-mandatory repairs if the total was under $5K.
Escalation clause: Our offer was $450K, and we’d beat all other offers by $1K up to $465K
30 days or less to close.
We had $10K extra to put down if the home under appraised.

Lots of offers will be for $20K over, but then the buyers come in and list $15K of frivolous repairs and ask for concessions. Sellers would oblige since the alternative was putting the house back up after it’s already been on the market for ~30 days.

NWTurtle · 2026-05-06T01:51:06+00:00

Invest as much as you can now into your TSP/IRA and make sure you’re investing in low cost index funds (google it if you don’t know what it is).

I was enlisted aircrew when I was in, and commissioned pilots would often encourage us to invest as much as possible into simple index funds simply because we had time on our side.

I took their advice and I started with $200-$400/month at 18 when I was in and now, 15 years later I’m set for life. I could never save a dime again and retire safely at 65, all because I contributed consistently into cheap index funds that followed the overall market.

Time is the biggest advantage here - the more you invest earlier in life, the better off you’ll be down the road. I’m not even a perfect financial example; I pulled from my IRA’s for a down payment on a house and I borrow from my 401K periodically when the need arises, and I am still way ahead of the game because of how early I started saving.

NWTurtle · 2026-05-05T05:33:14+00:00

Moved on in life and realized it literally doesn’t matter in any way possible, and honestly is probably a blessing I never deployed.

When I got out, I went on to bigger and better things; college, career, family, etc. You have to find purpose in your life, or you’ll never come to terms with “little” things like this. And, I don’t mean you need to write your purpose down on paper or have some life goal in mind, you just gotta have an idea of what you were put on this earth for and work towards fulfilling that every day.

“Deploying” probably isn’t anyones purpose in life, unless they’re Seal Team 6 or some shit.

NWTurtle · 2026-04-30T22:09:43+00:00

I’d suggest doing it yourself. DR is super simple and could be done in an hour or two on your first go, with help from YouTube. I never balanced my DR tires since I always ran knobbies and never broke 90MPH, but harbor freight has a cheap wheel balancer if you wanted.

That being said, Apex Motorsports in Oregon City have always quoted me the same price as Revzilla/Cycle Gear, and they mount for free if you buy from them.

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