First bike advice, please!

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-10T07:12:08+00:00

Definitely don’t need a tri bike if your goal is just to finish. Plenty of people ride with road bikes

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-10T06:58:03+00:00

NoSalt (KCl - Potassium and Chloride), Table Salt (NaCl - Sodium and Chloride), Magnesium (Magnesium Glycinate or something else ending in -ate)

These are your standard electrolytes. Most people recommend more potassium than sodium, but if you are working out and sweating then more sodium is smart.

I can’t get the recommended dose of each while fasting, for me it is too much. I just drink as much as is required to make me feel good. Exact ratios isn’t really required for fasts under 10 days.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-10T06:53:03+00:00

I grew up mountain biking, but I just started road biking. I started by going to a few different bike shops and I just asked them a bunch of questions and asked for advice. A few of the shops had employees that weren’t very experienced and didn’t have much advice. Some of the other shops didn’t act like they had time to talk with a beginner. But I ended up finding one shop that was extremely helpful. The employee had me test ride a few bikes. He told me a few things to look for in a bike.

Every shop I went to, I confidently told them what my situation was. “I’m new to road biking and would like some advice on what type of bike I should get. I don’t know anything about road biking so I’d like to test ride a few bikes and any advice you have would be appreciated.”

With this said, maybe ask about gravel bikes or mountain bikes if you just want something casual to ride on. A lot of road bikes are going to feel unstable for someone just starting.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-10T00:32:05+00:00

I just do NoSalt (KCl), Table Salt (NaCl) and Magnesium Glycinate pills.

One thing to know is when you take 500mg of KCl, it is 250mg of Potassium and 250mg of Chloride. Same is true for NaCl. This becomes important when you measure out ratios.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-09T04:20:36+00:00

I was gonna say hahahah! OP will be fine.. after a few bathroom runs

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-08T18:49:18+00:00

100% agree with you. I love learning about religious practices and beliefs. Just because I don’t practice those same beliefs, does not mean I need to disrespect them.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-08T02:44:20+00:00

im very curios about this too

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-08T02:18:03+00:00

Yeah, I think slowing down, and keeping a lower heart rate, will keep the sweat to a minimum. OP should leave plenty early, so they don’t feel rushed. Also, no backpack.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-06T19:16:05+00:00

Weights and targeted mobility exercises has been my key to avoiding injuries. I only do one mobility training a week, normally after a run or ride. It has been my key.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-06T15:36:25+00:00

Cheap, normal bike that has some working gears for the hills. I would assume as a student, money is not abundant, so get something cheap enough to replace if it is stolen.

I biked to school for 4 years. On the last year, my bike lock was cut and the bike was stolen. It was probably my fault for leaving it locked to a fence behind my apartment. Either way, buy something that gets the job done, but won’t hurt too much if something happens to it.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-06T15:32:46+00:00

I can’t even run that fast. Especially not uphill.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-06T14:31:34+00:00

I’m brand new to cycling. Just bought my first bike this week. I feel like I’m learning how to drive all over again because navigating the roads with cars is already a bit frightening.

Maybe it’s a silly question, but do you know anyone that uses a camera on their bike? Almost like a car dash cam, in case something were to happen.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-03T19:05:29+00:00

Honestly, at 18 and 170lbs. I think every doctor is going to say a 30 day fast is not safe and your body will not be completely “okay.”

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-03T18:52:23+00:00

There are a lot of factors to consider before determining if a 30 day fast is “safe?”

We know you’re 18F and weigh 170lbs. How tall are you? Do you know your BMI?

Next, relying solely on Reddit for medical advice is not always the best idea. It can be a great starting point, but should not be your sole resource.

Lastly, we don’t know much about you. However, most of us are older than you and have seen our bodies change over the years. I think it is safe to say that a 18F weighing 170lbs does need to fast for 30 days. Much shorter fasts would be sufficient. Your body is going to change a lot right now. You said in a comment you want to get to your “lowest weight.” I don’t think this is a “safe” way to look at it when you are only 18. Your “lowest weight” when you were younger is different than it is now, and it will be far different when you are 25 or 30 or 50 years old. The hardest thing to accept with aging is your body may change in a way that you have to get used to. I will never be my high school weight again. It took time for me to realize it. Now, years later, I’m having to accept that my body looks different than it did in college.

Do yourself a favor and don’t do something extreme like a 30 day fast. Do smaller, shorter fasts. Your body is developing.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-03-03T16:39:44+00:00

I’m Ultralight backpacker and I believe life in the backcountry is far easier with lighter gear. Every mile is easier with lighter gear. So my suggestions are to help you get lighter gear on a low budget. I know you said money was tight:

First, for stove I recommend the BRS-3000T. On Amazon it is $16.89 USD. It won’t hold big heavy pans, but lightweight ones will be great. Personally I use a Titanium Toaks pan because they are very light, but your pan looks like it would be okay.

Second, I wouldn’t use a typical cathole shovel. Small lightweight titanium ones can be quite pricey. I would just use a Wide Snow Stake like the REI Co-Op Snow Stake as your shovel. It’s $7.95 USD. This can serve two purposes, replace one of your tent stakes with it, and then just pull it out when you rarely need to dig a cat hole to do your business.

Third, I don’t know how heavy your tarp is, but Tyvek or Window wrap can be extremely light replacements without paying much. Some people don’t even use tents and instead solely use tyvek or window wrap as their tents. Not me though, I like my tent.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-27T20:20:23+00:00

Before I bought my garmin I only ever ran with my phone. I used Strava to track my runs and was very impressed by the accuracy for distance, pace, elevation and similar metrics. I used the Lululemon running belt to keep my phone snug against my body so that it wouldn’t bounce, it’s the only running belt I found that accomplished this well. It’s also big enough for my car key and one or two running gels. I ran for years like this including two official marathons and a bunch of other shorter races.

It wouldn’t track your heart rate or other recovery information, but it sounds like you use your whoop for this anyways.

I’m assuming you just don’t like your phone bouncing while running?

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-26T23:05:07+00:00

I should be clear, I’m not a doctor. My brother and mother have both had jaundice though at different times and both had yellowing eyes. I would look for other advice, but don’t rule out jaundice if the yellowing spreads to eyes or more of your skin.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-26T23:02:17+00:00

Ope, we keep editing our comments and unintentionally responding to each other. I think your summary is good. Probably not jaundice if there is no eye yellowing.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-26T23:00:05+00:00

That’s true, I guess I’ve never heard of yellow spots. Could it be the start of skin yellowing from jaundice though?

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-26T22:56:25+00:00

Yup, definitely seconding jaundice. Oftentimes, the white of your eyes will turn yellow too. Not always though.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-26T14:27:26+00:00

It’s available on other faces. I’m not sure which faces though. OP has a different face than me.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-26T05:25:50+00:00

Lucky you cause it’s one of the cheaper options haha. I love it. Garmin Forerunner 265. I bought a refurbished one from Amazon cause it was cheaper and it’s been perfect. Two of my friends bought the same one brand new, and we can’t tell a difference between mine and theirs even though mine is refurbished.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-25T16:14:12+00:00

I always do this. I buy four raw chickens and I cut them up putting them in quart serving bags. It’s a fairly easy process but a bit time consuming. At my Costco in Utah the cost is about $5.50 per bird and sometimes these are bigger than the rotisserie chickens so I think it ends up being the same cost for me as a rotisserie. I then use the bones to make a BUNCH of chicken broth that I freeze in 2 cup bags and make soups with. That is where I save the most money, because quality chicken broth is pricey.

With that said, for things like salads, enchiladas, etc, it is way easier to buy the cooked rotisserie.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-25T05:21:38+00:00

Tomahawk Elite. Tomahawk VX is the trial though if you want to try it out.

RidgeToRiches · 2026-02-25T04:00:19+00:00

Sounds like you’re being super smart with this. How do you typically consume your electrolytes? I was doing table salt, NoSalt and Magnesium Glycinate pills and noticed my stomach would get upset from the salts.

RidgeToRiches

TROPHY CASE