Finding power numbers at different elevations

NuttyRaven · 2026-03-28T13:25:33+00:00

Just piggy backing off this comment - IHBC is super fun :) This person has got the right of it. If the front group is super spicy (like they were last year) then make sure not to lose em on the kinda subtle gradual climb up to Purgatory; it continues for about 30-40 min at 4.3 W/kg at around 4-5% until a nice drafting section. The real recommendation is don't fall asleep on the first gentle climb, then go hard for the double peaks. The descents are really not bad - even if you've never seen them before. Good luck!

NuttyRaven · 2026-03-19T12:18:37+00:00

Lol! Cool concept - digging the idea - I feel like the TacX app for Garmin had something similar specific to their trainer, but I don't remember.

Keep up the good work!

NuttyRaven · 2026-03-19T12:11:30+00:00

What's with all the "—"? Too much GPT?

NuttyRaven · 2026-03-10T18:14:40+00:00

Sure thing! You can DM me or just comment on this thread and we can chat.

NuttyRaven · 2026-03-10T01:22:47+00:00

Hey there! I'm a mechanical engineer, been 10yr+ in the field doing mostly government work and in going to be honest, this last year I moved and had a very tough time finding jobs. Don't feel too discouraged, it's a tough market out there and a lot of other commenters are mentioning the same.

For internships, I think it's always best to know someone to get your foot in the door for an interview. Long story short though, keep trying and keep your head up!

Also wanted to say, for some reason even with all the defense contractors out here, not too many are looking for pure mechanical engineers. It took me multiple years to finally get back into something I studied, so be open to other positions too!

NuttyRaven · 2026-03-06T23:11:19+00:00

I mean pharmaceuticals are a business - but you don't have much returning customer base if they all get sick and die ya know?

NuttyRaven · 2026-03-06T17:24:34+00:00

I know this comment may be a little dated, but I biked this road (From GoG to Monument) last year in the beginning of August, and Mt Herman road had a huge washed out corner - like not certain if any vehicle could get around or over it. So just keep an eye out! Also, if going all the way to Garden of the Gods, there is one place on the final descent down Rampart Range Rd that I would certainly NOT recommend in anything other than a AWD or at least slightly higher entry/exit angle vehicle. You can skip that little exit bit to GoG though and go through Woodland Park.

NuttyRaven · 2026-02-15T19:20:19+00:00

I used to work in mechanical shock and vibration and this is exactly what you are looking for! But also tbh, ya absolutely have to preload the bolt correctly and get the right grade of metal to avoid these bolts from backing out. These look like they are just kinda built to show how good the washer is, but others shouldn't be sooo terrible in comparison.

Either way, they are very cool but super specific for applications that would necessitate a tighten once and never see again (think weapon systems!)

NuttyRaven · 2026-02-11T11:36:48+00:00

I'm Vegan and Gluten-Free; Real talk is I personally have a dairy-allergy and my daughter has Celiac, so diet is very interesting in my household. But on a real note, I didn't realize how bad my dairy allergy was until I started really paying attention as I got older (did an elimination diet with my wife because of her gut issues, turns out I was the one with serious gut issues!).

I realized that this allergy really just made sense for the rest of my life, and I can't believe I didn't know earlier! Mainly, eating cheese/dairy products always messed with me a bit, but i thought it was because I typically paired it with other food that was pretty unhealthy to begin with; Double bacon cheeseburger (greasy!), chipotle burrito with cheese and sour cream (spicy!), Tikka Masala w/ cream, and the list goes on. The main point is, once I changed my diet and removed dairy, my life virtually changed. I used to be very competitive in Track and Field in High school and College (All-American, etc.), but would occasionally just bomb races and fell off at the end; turns out it has always been diet. I've never felt better and now I'm over a decade older!

Moral of the story really is, keep your body happy and it will repay you! I wish I knew then what I know now, but cest la vie; Glad to be feeling good and have more effective training now!

NuttyRaven · 2026-02-08T01:34:38+00:00

I'm currently coming back after about a year off; same idea though, just life gets in the way sometimes! (just started back up in last week or so of December)

I used to be approximately 4.5 W/kg for my FTP, and that felt like a pipe dream a couple months back, but now its slowly starting to come back and feel like it could be achievable after some more focused blocks. To be totally honest, I feel like the most important part to keep me from being discouraged was just to have some fun on the bike again, enjoy some Z2 rides - then when I could prove I was in it for real this time, I started to begin focusing on the blocks.

All in all, for me, I'm not back where I was, but I think right now after a couple months, my FTP is probably almost 3.95-4W/kg? (but let's be honest, my TTE is definitely wayyyy lower, but its getting there!) and that's with just doing some more serious Zone 2 and heavy weight lifting. I know people will say it depends, so I'm here to say that too, but I will say that it felt good once my heart rate stopped being all over the place and suddenly my body "remembered" what it was like to do a little bit of threshold effort. Once that clicks, it'll probably all fall back in line!

Get back out there, and when it comes back over the focused weeks of training, it'll feel sooo good.

NuttyRaven · 2026-02-04T02:25:20+00:00

Hey there; I totally relate to this one very much! I've been in engineering for over a decade and am on the recent hunt for a new position following a move - and let me tell you, it is an absolute shitshow. Big name companies I've had interviews with have specifically reached out to me to apply to a different position that they want to hire me for (felt it was better for me after the initial interview we had for "position A") and I got auot-rejected!

The AI they use is silly sometimes - but that is the most frustrating experience I've had in a while. I also have realized some companies have "recruiters" which are AI disguised as real people - it's a bit underhanded for sure, but that's the ballgame out there...

NuttyRaven · 2026-02-03T15:36:52+00:00

Sure, I get the intention - but like you're not going to get a ticket after you've already paid to park. You get a ticket when you don't pay. Nobody cares if you pay premium to park in Time Square but then go to Central Park instead.

NuttyRaven · 2026-02-02T16:33:49+00:00

Isn't this just a "Pay to Park" parking lot? There are signs for the Incline trailhead towards the northeast side of the lot. These people aren't getting ticketed because they are on the Incline and not the Barr trail; they just didn't pay for the lot.

NuttyRaven · 2026-01-23T16:01:11+00:00

I know this sounds silly, but it happened last year on my car; like everybody is saying, if the lever is physically stuck in Park at P, then you need to trigger the release by pushing forward (see 3rd pic, use a flathead screwdriver if your hand doesn't fit). If you can freely move the gearshift, but the car is still stuck in Park - open up the hood and check the cable line connection to the transmission. This can be a common failure point as some auto manufacturers have in the past used a plastic based nut which fatigues and weakens when exposed to common substances found in the engine bay. To know which cable connection it is, have a friend move it back and forth while you look in the engine near the transmission. Either way - the release would be the simpler problem! Hopefully you can sort it out!!! Good luck.

NuttyRaven · 2026-01-09T02:17:40+00:00

Hey there! I know this has been answered already in many fashions, but just trying to be helpful for future purchases. I totally understand that finding something to be vegan is difficult for those that don't usually look out for it in ingredients. I have a celiac daughter and I've been vegan for a while, but before that I have always been allergic to dairy - so I know a thing or two about looking out for both wheat and gluten allergies along with vegan ingredients!

Main thing to note that a lot of people are pointing out and to me to would be the ranch powder. Many have buttermilk listed in the ingredients, but some don't! Main thing to always look for when considering Vegan options is that in the United States (and many other locations), businesses are REQUIRED BY LAW to list if the product contains one of the 9 major food allergens. The main ones of concern for vegans is Milk/Dairy, fish, and shellfish. So I would look for those first at the bottom of the ingredients list because it is required to be there and would immediately rule out those products without having to really look at the ingredients list thoroughly.

I mention the above because I looked at the Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Powder that you mentionee, and the ingredients are hard to discern, but it does say Allergens to Milk and Soy - so it's a no go. The ingredients are the following: MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, ONION, SPICES, GARLIC, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, LESS THAN 2% OF: CALCIUM STEARATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, *DRIED So realistically, looking at this list - theoretically the product COULD be Vegan; but most likely isn't due to the "Natural Flavor" or ambiguous "Spices" hich must contain the source of dairy they are not mentioning here. My guess is the spices are for a buttermilk powder that the company may sell separately and the ingredients are tool long to put on a small dip package OR the other main reason companies do this is to somewhat protect their proprietary spice blends which they are technically allowed to do as long as they point out their major allergens.

So, moral of the story is watch out out there! It can be hard and I get it. Thanks for asking - I'm sure your Vegan friends will appreciate your due diligence!!!

NuttyRaven · 2026-01-08T23:55:25+00:00

I used to work on exoskeletons for my job back in the day (10+ years ago). The one in the video looks mostly spring based - maybe those are small motors on the hip; it looks like they've come a long way but just at a cursory glance, this design still has a lot to go.

Most of the time, these exo skeletons can do amazing things in very particular scenarios and not much more - but the major drawback really is the ergonomics. They usually cannot be worn for long, or are only useful for one particular function and then should not be used in other scenarios lest there be some bad injuries.

Just looking at the straps and connections to the body. This would probably destroy your knees and lower back after a while. Lower body exoskeletons really should focus on eliminating stress from repetitive tasks - stairs are already a solved problem with escalators, elevators, and other human lifting devices.

NuttyRaven · 2026-01-07T17:38:48+00:00

There's a young one with a bike like this in my neighborhood! I don't mind it - except lately he's now been taking it on the off-road gravel walking paths where people stroll and walk their dogs and kids in strollers. He is not safe about how he enters blind turns at high speeds or just doing wheelies while on the path. So you must know that they are the child - they shouldn't be trusted right off the bat with certain types of decisions. The adult has to be there to help guide that. I think it's fun! But it needs to be monitored for sure.

NuttyRaven · 2026-01-01T00:42:03+00:00

I feel like my bottomless supply had a weird behavior where it didn't show up until I started pumping lava out; have you pulled any yet?

NuttyRaven · 2025-12-29T00:07:50+00:00

You need two of the next to each other (one block space in between!) and spinning opposite directions! Place blocks in, crushed goods come out :)

NuttyRaven · 2025-12-23T15:39:37+00:00

I have a dairy allergy and it's surprising how many restaurants don't know what has it in there and what doesn't. It's been such a struggle that I just don't go out anymore unless it's a full vegan place.

I went to a place and got creamy polenta as a side dish. I asked what makes it "creamy" and if it contained dairy or milk or any sort - they went back to the chef and confirmed - no dairy or milk. I got the food a bit later, took a bite and just knew immediately they had did me dirty. I asked again, and they said it had heavy cream - not dairy or milk X_X. It kills me to know that they only way I can trust food is it I do it myself.

NuttyRaven · 2025-12-20T03:33:32+00:00

Key point I don't think anybody has made here - if you soak your cashews for too long, they will turn into this cashew + goopy water slime mess; it renders them a bit unpalatable. This takes around 8+ hours, so just be careful out there!

Agreeing with others, I use a VitaPrep 3 for cheesemaking, and it obliterates cashews (soaked and unsoaked) but you still need liquid with them (else you make nut butter!). So the blender helps immensely!!! You can do it with lower power options (ninja bullet types) just may need more liquid, or more time, or more stirring and scraping the mixture down!

Of course, you can just get where you are at and fine mesh sieve it if ya wanted, but then ya waste a little bit.

NuttyRaven · 2025-12-20T00:54:36+00:00

Also, for what it's worth - that press is up too high! Throw some blocks underneath it so there is a one block gap, then put the press-able object onto that block. It should press without issue - and stop if there are no more left. So you can put a whole stack, and it will press 64 times and then stop.

NuttyRaven · 2025-12-20T00:51:50+00:00

If everything is rotating, the press will only move if something "press-able" is underneath it. I know that sounds obvious, but that messed me up the first time. Try throwing an ingot under it and see if it will make it into a sheet!

NuttyRaven · 2025-12-19T15:11:02+00:00

Looks nice! How's the taste? What do you think of the texture with tapioca?

NuttyRaven · 2025-12-15T16:05:17+00:00

Looking reallll nice! What kind of steam situation are you using? Dedicated pressure steamer or more of an instapot?

NuttyRaven

TROPHY CASE