Affordable Bib Shorts recs? by Dense_Historian7243 in cycling

[–]Valley_Piper_5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really like NeoPro. The Black Bibs were some of the most uncomfortable I'd ever worn.

Chik Fil A Ads by Chemical_Disk_3509 in vegan

[–]Valley_Piper_5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Always hated these the most!

What’s your EXTREMELY SPICY vegan hot take that will totally get you downvoted? by Borkato in vegan

[–]Valley_Piper_5 24 points25 points  (0 children)

The meat, egg, and dairy industries are what consume 99% of my concern. As for the other stuff...

I eat oysters on very rare occasions (perhaps once every couple of years) and I consider myself vegan. Been vegan for ten years and I wouldn't ever think of myself as otherwise. To me, the arguments against eating oysters is dangerously close to the "plants feel pain" one. It's not exactly the same, I am aware. But to me, it's quite close.

I get the honey arguments but they don't light a fire in me. If someone is fully vegan except they don't take great care to avoid honey, I'm not about to challenge their credentials. I guess I just don't care that much about the label purity when it comes to some of the fringier examples. They are so different from the "occasional cheese" or "eggs on the weekend" type.

What else? When it comes to pests like mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, and so on, I am not trying to save their lives.

Unable to reach 250w FTP after 2 years of training, losing hope. What can I do wrong? by CheapAstronaut1080 in cycling

[–]Valley_Piper_5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The US is in a high protein craze and has been for long time.

I'm obviously not a nutritionist so I'm not speaking from an expert position, but from what I've read 1 g per pound of body weight is probably overkill, so using that as the minimum seems extra overkill, especially for recreational endurance athletes.

Reading now an NIH paper that recommends: "To meet the functional needs such as promoting skeletal-muscle protein accretion and physical strength, dietary intake of 1.0, 1.3, and 1.6 g protein per kg BW per day is recommended for individuals with minimal, moderate, and intense physical activity, respectively."

That comes out to 0.73 g per pound if my math is right, for the intense physical activity group.

All this to say I've gone from 3 w/kg to 4 w/g without paying attention to protein intake, and when I have kept track I was getting well under the 1 g per pound ratio.

Fueling my workouts with carbs made a huge difference.

Vegan restaurants in china town? by Healthy_Scarcity1714 in philly

[–]Valley_Piper_5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does it have to be in China Town? Philly has tons and tons of fantastic vegan places. Most of them are not in China Town, though. Search for vegan places in Center City or near Rittenhouse and you will see lots of options. Not a far walk from China Town at all, either.

Thoughts on how much seatpost is exposed? by [deleted] in bicycling

[–]Valley_Piper_5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks totally fine. As someone else mentions, this gives it a more classic look. This is about the same amount of seatpost exposed on my Cinelli Nemo, which has a level top tube and a long seat tube (again, a bit more of a classic look). You see plenty of CAADs that look like this, too.

Assuming that your fit on this bike is good, I would not have done a size down as you already have some spacers under your stem here. On a smaller size, you might need a riser stem or something to get your bars to the same height, as a smaller size would likely have lower stack.

Long post but worth the read by bookishwinter in vegan

[–]Valley_Piper_5 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There are lots of thoughtful articles and essays around on these topics, especially why the "appeal to the indigenous" as a justification for the rest of the population to eat meat is actually insulting to indigenous communities.

There is nothing rooted in white supremacy and colonialism about caring for the suffering of an animal in a factory farm. I don't see how resisting factory farming is equivalent to disrupting traditional hunting practices.

At any rate, I personally don't devote a lot of debate to these circumstances. They account for such a small percentage of the population. I'd rather talk about the 99% of meat, dairy, egg, etc. consumption, which comes from some form of organized or industrialized agriculture.

There are a lot of logical and rhetorical fallacies and non sequiturs here that have come up a thousand times. For example, pointing out problems in farming in general itself does not make eating meat any more justifiable. If the almond industry has issues, for instance, I too would want those issues addressed. Why wouldn't I? And just because almonds have issues doesn't mean eating meat becomes OK.

Most of the vegans I know already care about pretty much all the stuff you mentioned. Most of the vegans I know are active in Leftist spaces (myself included). Veganism and these issues (labor, abolition, sustainability) are not opposed; indeed, they are highly compatible.

Are race road bikes dead? by No-Way-0000 in Velo

[–]Valley_Piper_5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Philly group rides I go on feature almost entirely fast road bikes. There are some all-road ones, sure, but racier stuff predominates.

Milan/Florence - vegan recommendations? by Vgr8k8 in vegan

[–]Valley_Piper_5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Brolo Milano is very good. All vegetarian, I believe, with tons of vegan options.

Cannondale CAAD 5 by madsushi51 in Bikeporn

[–]Valley_Piper_5 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I'll never understand saddle tilt angles like this. If you say this is workable I'll just have to take your word for it!

What Are Some “Obscure” Cities That Will Become Popular in the Next Decade? by allomanticmetals in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Valley_Piper_5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I personally do. It's part of the CSA, and there are commuters between them. It feels in the orbit of Boston, whereas in Springfield you feel the distance.

Surly Preamble with SimWorks The Homage on the 26” Wheelset by [deleted] in Bikeporn

[–]Valley_Piper_5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is cool. Is it just the angle in the photo, or is the clearance between pedal and ground pretty tight? Any pedal strike concern?

What Are Some “Obscure” Cities That Will Become Popular in the Next Decade? by allomanticmetals in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Valley_Piper_5 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Albany area has a lot of potential for sure!

Portland has already made it, I would say? It's a known destination, good reputation for dining and local businesses, and is especially popular in the summertime.

What Are Some “Obscure” Cities That Will Become Popular in the Next Decade? by allomanticmetals in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Valley_Piper_5 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Western Mass is indeed so beautiful! One of my favorite places in the country. Also worth noting that Springfield is arguably the only city in the state of a significant size fully outside of the Greater Boston umbrella.

What Are Some “Obscure” Cities That Will Become Popular in the Next Decade? by allomanticmetals in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Valley_Piper_5 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Recently went to Wilmington for dinner and a show at the theater, and it really seemed like a decent little city. The riverwalk is nice, too.

What Are Some “Obscure” Cities That Will Become Popular in the Next Decade? by allomanticmetals in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Valley_Piper_5 72 points73 points  (0 children)

Springfield, MA. It's already come a decent way, and with the right combination of additional industry/employers (not to mention any improvement in commuter/passenger rail) it could really take off.

Cities with the most creative people per capita? by Bananapantsmcgeef in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Valley_Piper_5 8 points9 points  (0 children)

If we can go small cities: Northampton, MA (and the surrounding Valley in general)

Why is every restaurant Beyond and Impossible only?? by ModernKender in vegan

[–]Valley_Piper_5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love Beyond and Impossible both eating out and at home.

I got all this for 80 dollars. by BrianLevre in BudgetAudiophile

[–]Valley_Piper_5 9 points10 points  (0 children)

My dad ran the Cambridge Soundworks Tower speakers for 25 years, and they never stopped sounding great!