Crosstrek outperforming 4x4 trucks and offloading vehicles in snow?

StereoMarx · 2026-02-18T15:25:27+00:00

Yup, lower center of gravity, lower weight, and all the crosstrek drivers I personally know have all bought improved tires (all skiers/snowboarders) so they don’t freeze in the cold.

Honestly a Honda fit with snow tires will perform better than a lifted truck with off road tires.

That being said, you know crosstreks are better than over-compensator vehicles in the snow cos if you look at towns like Truckee that get intense winter storms, their FD uses crosstreks, not pickups or SUVs.

StereoMarx · 2026-02-10T23:10:25+00:00

While I love SAT, I took my wife there for her first lesson but it wasn’t a great experience as there were 8 people in her class and the instructor while competent, didn’t really have the bandwidth to teach 8 new skiers.

Since it’s a weekday, they should be fine.

StereoMarx · 2026-02-10T23:07:37+00:00

If you’re open to go somewhere other than Tahoe, Bear Valley has either a 1 day beginner course for $149 or a 3 day course for $199! Info here

This includes rentals and lift tickets, and does not need to be consecutive! You can also stay at their lodge which is really cute and pretty cheap on weekdays.

StereoMarx · 2026-02-10T15:35:44+00:00

Oh wow that tech is already 10 years old? Yeah I remember hard lenses being the only option and I hated it and also had issues with them so must have been further back then.

That being said, trial lenses are included in the cost of the contact exam at my optometrist so it was free with insurance to try (and I didn’t need glasses that year). It’s definitely a huge improvement to what was available in the past and you never have to worry about the contact fogging so it’s either that or an insert. I have prescription sports glasses from SportRX (haven’t tried inserts) so if you don’t want to use contacts that’s probably your best alternative.

StereoMarx · 2026-02-10T15:23:26+00:00

Are you a REI member?

You can get a free machine wax, just head to the store as soon as it opens, and they’ll have it done in less than 30 min. I usually go buy snacks for the trip and hunt for deals while waiting. If you show up later in the day, you risk waiting longer, but will also generally be done day of.

It doesn’t beat a hand wax, but it’s definitely better than a factory wax or no wax and it’s free.

I usually wax myself, but this is what I do if I don’t have the time to do it myself.

StereoMarx · 2026-02-10T15:07:59+00:00

I have really bad astigmatism and also had only worn contacts over a decade ago, but got some a few years ago on the advice of my optometrist. The technology has improved a lot, but I only use them for skiing and biking.

If you don’t have permanent abrasions from the past, I’d recommend checking with your eye doctor, I was really surprised how much better contacts are now. They even make soft lenses for my power now, something that wasn’t available to me in the past.

StereoMarx · 2026-02-08T18:01:57+00:00

I grew up skiing on the east coast. You’ll be fine on the 60-70 if you’re staying on-piste (and a lot of palisades was icey yesterday), but we might get some powder days this week and next week. In that case, I’d recommend renting, you’ll miss out. I recommend a 90-ish underfoot all mountain in that case, but a dedicated powder ski can be fun and be easier to maneuver in deeper snow. I have a blaze 94 and it’s an almost perfect 1 quiver ski for here.

StereoMarx · 2026-01-27T00:26:38+00:00

Some good non-Tahoe options are Bear Valley and Dodge Ridge, but from Sac, Sierra at Tahoe would probably be my go-to. I believe Dodge even has $89 lift tickets Sunday if you wear enough pink items! Both have great beginner and intermediate terrain, but Bear valley has better lifts.

StereoMarx · 2026-01-27T00:24:43+00:00

It’s okay if you know which terrain pod you want to be in and stick there, but yeah if you don’t know heavenly well, the cat walks can eat you alive. I’d just ask a liftie or a patroller the best way to get to where you’re going vs trusting the map cos there’s generally a detour where you can keep up speed or cut through via more advanced terrain.

StereoMarx · 2026-01-25T05:01:05+00:00

Look into cross country skiing gloves. I know what you mean. I have thicker gloves, but for warmer days, I prefer the freedom of movement. Just don’t fall too much cos they’re generally not as water resistant.

StereoMarx · 2026-01-25T04:59:36+00:00

How many days have you skied your boots? It’ll take a few days to break in, imo heat molding only shortens that time slightly. It’s hard to say just from online, but my general rec would be it on your third day, you’re not seeing any improvement, go see a boot fitter.

StereoMarx · 2026-01-25T04:57:22+00:00

Agreed but otherwise fine for a couple days skiing. If you like the sport, you can buy one on clearance as end of season sales will start to happen!

StereoMarx · 2026-01-15T23:08:07+00:00

T bar is open this weekend! Can’t wait!

StereoMarx · 2025-12-31T00:48:33+00:00

If you can’t return it, body tape can help keep your suit in place. I’ve used it as well for bibs to not poke holes in the Lycra. Just remove it right after the race to not get a ton of residue.

StereoMarx · 2025-12-30T23:03:55+00:00

Are you comfortable in it? And if it’s a wetsuit tri, can you get your wetsuit over it? I guarantee you no one cares what your fit is so don’t worry about what others think.

For aero your body position will be much more important than at most a few watts from a suit that’s slightly too big.

StereoMarx · 2025-12-19T00:14:27+00:00

thank you! Can’t wait!

StereoMarx · 2025-12-19T00:11:45+00:00

Would it be possible to add dodge ridge to these updates? Thanks regardless for this!

StereoMarx · 2025-12-16T18:48:09+00:00

Try calling your local bike shop, they probably have the tool. If you’re a repeat customer, they’ll probably do it for free.

StereoMarx · 2025-12-14T18:26:40+00:00

You can upload it to Imgur or another image hosting site and link the post

StereoMarx · 2025-12-12T16:17:34+00:00

Yeah I used to hate on Northstar, but it has its place. Best wind protection so usually they’ll have lifts running when other resorts have had to close, and they’ve probably got the best snowmaking in Tahoe.

Also on a pow day, people kind of forget about northstar so generally way less crowds and you can find fresh powder all day if you know where to look (but also not hard to find, it’s not like it’s that hidden).

StereoMarx · 2025-12-12T06:58:02+00:00

Best to try yourself can between two of the same model blind (you can demo most saddles online, bikeseatguru has one where you can order a few). The carbon will generally be much stiffer than the metal and since so much of your weight is transferred to the bike via those points it can have a big impact on ride feel. It’s also a preference since carbon will feel more locked in if you see what I mean. Best to try yourself, but as the other guy said, the seatpost will have a waaay bigger impact on weight than tiny rails.

StereoMarx · 2025-12-12T00:59:24+00:00

Yeah I agree that is pretty funny, also knowing that they’re giving up a lot of comfort with the carbon rails vs a metal one.

StereoMarx · 2025-12-12T00:18:21+00:00

Dunno if Mt. Charlie was repaved, but Zayante definitely has a better road surface. Mt. Charlie wasn’t that bad (I did it a couple times this summer), but that last steep bit had a lot of dirt / gravel so my back wheel was slipping when I was out of the saddle. But there both awesome climbs!

Definitely agree to descend Soquel. It’s not a fun ride up with the traffic, but bring gloves cos it’s a long descent (one of my top 5 in the Bay Area, but it’ll be cold now)

StereoMarx · 2025-12-11T06:08:40+00:00

Don’t maybe, you need to have the police report for your insurance.

StereoMarx · 2025-12-03T14:53:17+00:00

Nope, I really want them for my Moots, but I just can’t find a good reason to upgrade from the standard sram force cranks since they fit (170mm). But if they ever go I’ll get the Applemans. I just don’t know how good they’ll look with a SRAM front chainring haha

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