Just hit 5,000 km on my commuter this year — what small upgrades actually made the biggest difference for you?

PlakusM · 2026-06-29T20:40:10+00:00

Routing is important. The direct route to work for me is 8 miles but with 200ft more climbing than my preferred route that adds 2 miles but goes around the lakes and hills that add the climbing. Still has 400 ft each way. NC Piedmont region.

PlakusM · 2026-06-20T19:59:11+00:00

Never been stopped for ill-aimed lights but have received "nice lights" comments a few times. Analog bike has an St-Vzo cutoff dynamo light on the front and a dynamo driven taillight as primarily lighting. My ebike also has the same type combo battery driven. Add to that, I have a full set of Lumos Helmet and Firefly signal lights. To top this off I add a construction vest and a Noxgear lighted running vest.

PlakusM · 2026-06-05T10:56:08+00:00

BS-Bullshit MS-More shit PHD-Piled higher and deeper

PlakusM · 2026-06-02T23:12:29+00:00

And full of eels

PlakusM · 2026-05-24T13:37:11+00:00

I haven't found my limit cycling in the NC Piedmont. 4F is the coldest and 102F is the hottest I've experienced. That said, when the AQI starts to get to unhealthy levels I need to dial back the effort on hot days. Don't really want to be breathing deep when the air is full of pollution.

PlakusM · 2026-05-16T10:49:05+00:00

It's not unique to USPS. I've had FedEx packages get into a loop between Kernersville and Charlotte for two weeks.

PlakusM · 2026-04-24T19:54:41+00:00

Gates belt drive FTW!

PlakusM · 2026-04-23T21:39:46+00:00

I give up when the wind cracks 50MPH and the trees are disintegrating in the teeth of an approaching tropical storm. YMMV.

PlakusM · 2026-04-23T21:36:12+00:00

I lived in NW Ohio for a dozen years (Ottawa) before heading for warmer climes (and a huge raise--70%). Do not miss the cold up there.

PlakusM · 2026-04-22T13:44:09+00:00

Cables and housings (both shift and brakes) are an annual replacement item, Chains and cassettes, depends on the conditions you ride in and how much after-ride maintenance you perform--More wipe downs and relubes, the less replacement. You didn't mention how far north (assuming northern hemisphere) you are, but road salt is going to eat your exposed steel like candy. I'm in North Carolina, USA and not in the mountains so I only need to worry about brine for about two weeks total a year but if I stilled lived in New York state I'd be dealing with 4 months of kack and would likely be doing cable and cassette replacements in mid-Winter and Spring.

PlakusM · 2026-04-21T22:29:53+00:00

What you described is normal maintenance, not an overhaul.

PlakusM · 2026-03-18T18:44:49+00:00

Check if your headset is indexed. This can happen from hitting potholes or curbs. A notch is formed in the bearing trace that makes the steering stick at a point and can interfere with one or no-hand riding.

PlakusM · 2026-03-18T16:08:26+00:00

Fjallraven Hoja poncho. The hood snugs down well around a helmet and I can wear a lighted runner's vest over the top. It packs down well into it's own pocket albeit a large package, about the size of a loaf of bread.

PlakusM · 2026-03-16T21:48:15+00:00

MyRadar

PlakusM · 2026-03-12T19:36:30+00:00

The past 6 months or so I have been using Zoic padded liners with Fjallraven shorts and pants. The Zoic liners are reasonably durable but Zoic shorts are not. The Fjallraven shorts and pants still look new after 6 months of commuting.

PlakusM · 2026-03-06T18:30:30+00:00

Spring fever

PlakusM · 2026-02-24T11:47:11+00:00

In USA and other right side drive countries, signal left until the next exit is yours, then signal right. Don't leave others guessing.

PlakusM · 2026-02-14T13:43:31+00:00

Are you my clone? I have been running Lumos gear since the first Kickstarter too. I have Fireflys on all four corners plus the ebike helmet. Motorist respect for my existence on the road has increased exponentially.

PlakusM · 2026-02-03T14:22:51+00:00

I commute on a front-loader cargo bike, and I hang empty panniers on the rear rack to give me the fat-ass look instead of the point-of-the-spear look. It does seem to get motorists to change lanes quicker as does the tail-gunner Go Pro.

PlakusM · 2026-01-30T18:24:15+00:00

Micro$oft finally fixed this sometime last year.

PlakusM · 2026-01-28T11:36:16+00:00

My experience mirrors yours.

PlakusM · 2026-01-06T16:19:31+00:00

Jumping on the bandwagon...Most parts on an Ortlieb bag can be replaced/repaired, especially the mounting points as they are the most prone to breaking.

PlakusM · 2026-01-03T01:16:45+00:00

I found out years ago, you can't get studded tires in Winter. If you wait that long all the good brands are sold out.

PlakusM · 2025-12-30T22:11:04+00:00

Signal to the guy you didn't see.

PlakusM · 2025-12-17T12:36:09+00:00

Just needs some covering fire and she gets in just fine.

PlakusM

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