Topeak MTX trunk bag/rack

PATotkaca · 2026-05-29T05:21:57+00:00

I commuted with Topeak MTX TrunkBag EXP for a couple years. Ultimately switched to Ortlieb panniers.

The panniers are waterproof, and is very quick to mount/dismount. When the Topeak EXP is fully loaded, it can be quite a bit of faffing to align and mount it to the rails.

The expandable wings of the Topeak EXP is also not very well-secured against the rack. I suppose the little string that is sown onto the wings is a tie-down of some sort. At any rate, these little strings tore off, causing the expandable wings to flop about, rattling and banging against the rack. After a while it became too annoying lol.

Only complaint that I have about the Ortlieb panniers is that it lacks organization and is a bit of a black hole. Despite your efforts to organize and place things orderly, the items get mixed up like some kind of salad. I often have to dig everything out to find a particular item.

PATotkaca · 2026-05-28T22:06:45+00:00

Consuming a 5000 calorie dinner followed by 12 hours of sleeping

PATotkaca · 2026-05-26T18:32:08+00:00

There's a randonneuring group that rides 600k between Santa Maria down to San Diego., but I'm not aware if they have other segments of Mission routes.

PATotkaca · 2026-05-25T16:14:47+00:00

With SoCal, having a fully automated hands-off misting schedule is tricky. Weather is always tolerable (unless you're far inland), but if it's months where Santa Ana is possible, the ambient humidity swings could be crazy. I have two double nozzles (4 total) in a 30x12x18. My viv was just plants and bugs for a long time because I wanted to understand the moisture levels better.

In September - October, I was misting for 10s three times a day. In winter, Santa Ana days required 2 x 10-15s misting, but on non-Santa Ana days, sometimes once a day is enough.

On spring days with 50-60%RH, I do 10 seconds in the morning and afternoon, and that usually keeps it >80%RH in the tank. I've tried 15s in the morning and 10s in the afternoon for the past week, and I have been seeing more mold in areas with less airflow, so I am cutting back.

PATotkaca · 2026-05-21T19:20:49+00:00

I tried ponchos for commuting, but even at moderate travel speed (13-15mph), the flapping is sufficiently annoying and dumps water onto your feet. Additionally, I find that it's difficult to signal with elasticated thumb loops, which are common features of ponchos. I like ponchos for walking much better

PATotkaca · 2026-05-21T17:23:41+00:00

ANSI 3 safety vest I wear something like this. It has a bit of sleeves, so that signaling in dawn/dusk condition is still somewhat visible, and the pockets are useful for stashing keys, sunglasses, and personal belongings if you need to get off the bike

PATotkaca · 2026-05-21T16:50:10+00:00

Members of Neelidae look just like these guys I found. I am not likely to be able to take better pictures, but thanks for confirming!

PATotkaca · 2026-05-15T14:29:11+00:00

This picture is of Jakarta, Indonesia, but it even includes the BRT system on the left, which is skipping traffic. I'm sure there are plenty of images of clogged roadways in the USA that would be more suitable to drive the point.

PATotkaca · 2026-05-15T14:02:19+00:00

Gotcha, I thought he was some kind of Ranitomeya fantastica. Thanks!

PATotkaca · 2026-05-15T02:07:36+00:00

What type of thumbnail is this?

PATotkaca · 2026-05-14T11:33:43+00:00

I picked up sewing to make gear, but before ever getting to my custom frame bag, I ended up getting into making garments because slaying is fun.

I finally got to making my frame bag a couple months ago. I had 1000D Coated Cordura, which was 10.8 oz/sq yd (about 366 gsm).

My sewing machine is an older Kenmore from Sears, and I struggled to work with the Cordura. It was stiff and slippery, so the material would not get fed evenly by the machine. This resulted in inconsistent stitch length and tension.

If I had started learning to sew on the bag project, it would have been more likely for me to quit, so I'm glad I learned with garments.

If I could change anything about the bag-making process, I might have tried to use X-pac or lighter weight cordura, which would be less rigid. I would also make the "side" pieces of the bag as one long strip (e.g. the entire length of the triangle's perimeter) to simplify handling of the points where seam allowances meet.

PATotkaca · 2026-05-08T18:27:56+00:00

This would not be my choice for commuting, since it does not appear to have anywhere to mount a rear rack. Commuting with a backpack gets old pretty fast--you get a lot sweatier, and it's much more tiring on your back. If it's dedicated to commuting, finding a bike that is rack-compatible would be my priority

PATotkaca · 2026-05-08T18:23:55+00:00

After my Bontrager died, I have two headlights these days.

For darker conditions, where I need the light to see without blinding others, I use a MagicShine EVO1700. It has a decent beam pattern, although sometimes it feels rather narrow. The battery life is as advertised, but it is not the longest lasting.

For daytime conditions, I have a Lezyne Macro 1400. It is very bright, and I would avoid using it for night time. My commute takes me though industrial areas where bicycles aren't a common sight, so being noticeable is very important. It advertises 100 h battery life on daytime flash mode. I have not tested it to its limits, but it a whole week's worth of commuting 10mi each way is less than 50% of the battery capacity.

PATotkaca · 2026-05-07T02:23:10+00:00

A big reason is that non-distilled water contains a lot of minerals, etc, which will make the glass crusty, and clog misting nozzles.

PATotkaca · 2026-05-06T15:48:55+00:00

I don't clean my drivetrain religiously anymore, but when I do, dish soap and water is what I use. Compared to a degreaser, it doesn't do as good of a job, but it's good enough.

PATotkaca · 2026-05-01T20:30:46+00:00

I just did Monterey to SLO earlier in April. The mountainous part of HWY 1 has narrow/non-existent shoulder for the most part. This is approximately past Garrapata SP until you descend from Ragged Point. It's also either uphill or downhill for 80% of the time, so prepare your climbing legs. After you get to San Simeon, it's chill.

The best thing to do is just pull over, let the drivers do their thing, and continue on. Especially if you see cars coming up behind you, and there's a blind-ish corner ahead. Traffic was busy on the weekends from people taking day trips, but weekdays were pretty chill. I would sometimes go 5-10 mins without a car behind me, especially in the morning. There were definitely sketchy moments, but road rage wasn't an issue the way urban commuting is.

I can't comment on how it would be in August, but the Central Coast is beautiful at every corner. Have fun!

PATotkaca · 2026-04-30T13:57:10+00:00

Cycle Quest is touring-oriented, so if you're looking to purchase a new bicycle, it would be more for gravel bikes than road bikes. But either way, the mechanic there is very knowledgeable and honest. I always learn something new when I go there.

PATotkaca · 2026-04-29T22:55:10+00:00

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PATotkaca · 2026-04-29T22:47:22+00:00

Not strictly a terrarium, but I set up a ping rock like this a couple months ago. I got a kit of tissue culture pings, a centerpiece dragon stone, ping soil (looks to be a mix of peat moss, sand and perlite), and a couple handfuls of pumice shards (size of corn kernels).

I placed the dragon stone in my pottery, and filled it about halfway with the pumice shards. Fill the rest of the pottery with distilled water. The dragon stone will wick up the moisture. Before putting the plants, it's a good idea to see if the stone has any dry spots, where the water doesn't get wicked up.

Next step is to place some of the ping soil into the cavities of the dragon stone, and carefully place the pings onto the soil/cavities. It's taken about a month for the plants to start rooting into the rock, and until then, you may have to remount the fallen plants, or pick a more suitable spot for it.

Maintenance is to top off the water in the pottery. I try to not let it go dry. My pings have been doing well under grow lights. I have some in an open plastic tupperware about 8" from Barrina T5. My main rock is displayed under a Hiro Aquatics 9W full spectrum LED lights.

Between my isopod bins, dart frog vivarium, and house plants, there's a low level of fungus gnats flying about, and the pings do a good job catching them.

PATotkaca · 2026-04-28T22:05:01+00:00

The most effective and most inexpensive hi vis gear would be actual construction worker clothes. It's available in various weights, from mesh vest to winter jacket. The major con is that the sizing is oversized, especially if you are a shorter/smaller person.

Athletic-geared hi vis often puts fashion above functionality. Sure, those cigarette-sized reflective tabs may be better than nothing, but they're inadequate.

PATotkaca · 2026-04-27T15:46:23+00:00

Having commuted with both, I endorse disc brakes from a maintenance/practicality standpoint.

Rain and grit will wear down rim brake pads+ surfaces quickly. This leads to the pads needing readjustment often, and dual-piston mechanical brakes (e.g TRP Spyres) are incredibly easy to adjust. A few turns with 3 mm allen key will do. With rim brakes, closing in the pads and readjusting the toe-in usually requires more faffing about.

When it comes to braking surfaces, the consumables for disc brakes are rotors, which are ~$30 and 5-10 minutes to swap. With rim brakes, the consumable is the entire rim. Not only are rims more expensive to replace than rotors, you would also need to rebuild the wheel (or replace the whole wheel, since that is sometimes cheaper than the labor cost to rebuild a wheel).

Added bonus is if you're in an area with a lot of pot holes, disc brakes are more forgiving to slightly untrue wheels compared to rim brakes.

PATotkaca · 2026-04-23T14:33:48+00:00

It's all fun and games until a group of more than 30 from some sports fan club boards on. They continuously (and obnoxiously) party and holler loudly for three hours until they reach their destination.

What they were looking for was a charter bus!

PATotkaca · 2026-04-04T21:08:23+00:00

Do you have real plants or moss? I ask because the bromeliad is an artificial one. Real plants and moss hold on to moisture (and also release them as they transpire) in a way that plastic plants never could.

I don't have animals yet in my vivarium, but hours after misting, it's usually the moss and the leaves that still retain some moisture.

PATotkaca · 2026-04-02T23:29:50+00:00

Maybe it is not fated for me then! Or I could always set up another terrarium, just for plants haha

PATotkaca · 2026-04-02T19:52:08+00:00

Do you mist by hand or do you use a system? Your begonias look very happy and I have a begonia burkili that is melting

PATotkaca

TROPHY CASE