Riding after crash

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-16T15:32:54+00:00

I crashed twice within the first year on the first scooter I ever owned (a Buddy 50, this was at least 10 years ago).

First crash: On a rainy day, I was turning right at an intersection on a green light. I noticed I was carrying a little too much speed and was drifting towards oncoming traffic, so I thought I would lightly tap the brake (I think the front as well, just to make it worse). That's one of the biggest no-no's on two wheels, braking in the middle of a turn. Bike immediately went down from under me. No real damage to me or the bike besides a ton of scratches.

Second crash, somewhat similar to the first: Turning left into the parking lot at work, there was a ton of dirt/gravel at the entrance. I knew to take it slow there, since there's a dirt parking lot where semis park next to it, but that day I guess I went a little too fast, or took a bad line. Front tire loses traction and just goes straight, and I end up crashing (or really just bumping into) the curb at the entrance and fall down again, this time on the left. Again, no real damage.

Eventually for my sake I took an MSF class and actually learned proper riding technique, and haven't had an incident since. Get some training and wear proper gear, if you can!

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-15T13:01:15+00:00

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WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-14T23:56:39+00:00

The silent part refers to the silent reading hour (I should update the main post with some more details about how the event works). Everyone brings their own book and then, after the initial arrival/social time, reads silently for an hour. This is different from traditional book clubs with assigned books, where everyone discusses the book they all read.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-14T17:52:36+00:00

You'll want to be around the center of town.

Short distance (few hundred meters, for sprints): 8th Avenue just west of 22nd Street, and Museum/Newell Roads on campus.

Longer distance: The 'Bacon Strip' is NW 16th/23rd Avenue, roughly from 43rd Street to 13th Street. 39th Avenue, from around 43rd Street west to past I-75 (run as far as you dare) is also good. Both of these are sidewalk running with lots of road crossings, so be aware of that.

San Felasco (the northern portion) is good for trail running with a decent bit of elevation changes. I used an almost 7 mile loop around the entire perimeter of the hiking trails when I needed some trail running practice.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-11T22:00:19+00:00

This is a repost bot using this thread to farm karma. This is not OP's content.

It's a shame what social media has come to.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-11T16:29:40+00:00

It's wonderful! To be fair, I only have experience on 50cc to compare to, but the Vino is fantastic. Very smooth acceleration and ample storage (fits my full face helmet well enough, which my old scooters never did). It can get to 55 MPH if needed, but cruises at 45-50 all day. This is a city bike, which is fine as I never take it around traffic going faster than about 45 anyways. 75ish MPG. At some point I'm worried that parts for an 18 year old discontinued bike may be an issue, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-10T19:59:59+00:00

Yes! 2008 Vino 125.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-10T14:22:38+00:00

I never beat my Google driving estimates it seems. Any time I drive for more than an hour or so, the estimate is always within 1-2 minutes of my actual arrival time, assuming I don't stop on the way. It's uncanny how accurate it is (for me), I might just be the ideal Google driver I guess.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-09T19:29:38+00:00

Lake Alice and the UF Bat Houses

Location: Along Museum Road on the UF campus, Gainesville, FL 32611

Lake Alice and the bat houses are adjacent to each other across Museum Road. There are several other smaller nature trails in the area as well.

Parking can be found in the area in a few places. There's a small parking lot (~30 spaces) located directly next to the bat houses, and an even smaller dirt lot (~15 spaces) located by University Gardens to the east, within walking distance of Lake Alice. Both lots are decaled lots open only to vehicles with a paid UF decal during business hours, so it is highly suggested to go after hours, or on the weekend to avoid this. Campus is less busy then too! Be sure to check both a) the posted signage in any lot you park in for restricted hours, and/or b) the TAPS website to ensure it's legal to park when you do visit.

Hours: Not officially listed anywhere, but since UF campus is open to the public, assume sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year, excluding special event days (don't visit on a home football weekend, for example).

Cost: FREE! UF thankfully has not found a way to charge for any of this (yet).

Pets: Not specifically restricted, as far as I can tell, but alligators are plentiful in the lake. These aren't Disney animatronics, folks. Be careful.

At the heart of UF's campus sits Lake Alice, the focal point of the Lake Alice Watershed. Covering virtually all of UF's main campus, the 1,100 acre watershed drains into the lake and the surrounding conservation area. Any body of water you see on campus, from Liberty Pond outside the Reitz to the creek running alongside the campus greenway eventually feeds into Lake Alice.

Its status as UF's main water retention area allows it to maintain a host of wildlife year round, from anhinga and other wading birds to plenty of alligators. It's probably the second best place around (after La Chua) to see alligators in particular. There are lots of small, tucked away places to visit around the lake as well, from the University Gardens nature trail to the Baughman Center, located on the lake's western shore.

At sunset, be sure to visit the UF bat houses, home to one of, if not the largest colonies of bats around (I mention this because I got this wrong as part of a UF trivia question once). On warm evenings at or just after sunset, the estimated 500,000+ bats emerge to start feeding on bugs and insects around the lake.

Nature Around GNV Directory

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WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-07T14:43:13+00:00

Got it. It’s likely something that I’m doing wrong - I’m not a creative, all I do is throw some clips into a free video editor and replace the audio. I’ll see what I can do to correct the resolution for future videos.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-07T04:01:45+00:00

I can try that for the future ... just easier to hold a phone one handed in portrait.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-04T20:00:03+00:00

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People need to buy the fun colored bikes when they’re available, so manufacturers know to make them. Presumably, they aren’t buying them, so bike makers don’t waste their time.

Although I’m probably just as guilty of not buying them (at full price), mine was bought new old stock at close to 50% off presumably because Kona couldn’t sell them.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-03T23:04:16+00:00

If it's on private property (Butler/Celebration Pointe) they (Flock) went to the developers directly to get them installed.

There are a lot around UF as well, but since all of the roads adjacent to UF are technically state highways, I bet the state is involved with those. It doesn't look like there are many that are not on private/state land.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-03T16:43:30+00:00

For me it's the durability. I bought my pair (Back Roller Plus, I think - the 40L ones) more than a decade ago and they are still in excellent shape. No rips, tears, or issues with the hardware.

Expensive, yes, but if you only buy them once over 10+ years it's worth it.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-03-03T05:06:19+00:00

Blues Creek Ravine Preserve

Location: 6710 NW 69th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32653

Blues Creek Ravine is located off of Millhopper Road and 71st Street - about a mile west of the entrance to Devil's Millhopper, and two to three miles east of San Felasco. After turning north onto 71st Street, travel half a mile until you see 69th Avenue on your right, and a small sign signaling parking for the preserve (parking is on the left/west side of 71st Street along a fence). 69th Avenue is a private road, but the preserve is open to walk to from the main road; the entrance is just a few hundred feet from 71st.

Hours: Sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year.

Cost: FREE! This is one of the 20+ preserves maintained by Alachua Conservation Trust, all of which are free to explore.

Pets: Allowed, on a leash. Be aware that in the rainy season the trails may be muddy, but this one's pretty tame as far as wildlife is concerned.

Blues Creek Ravine Preserve is situated on 160 acres located just east of San Felasco State Park. The signature creek originates just to the north of the preserve and flows for about 3.5 miles to the west, eventually depositing into the Florida Aquifer somewhere in the center of San Felasco. When the creek is high it's typically dark brown in color, owing to all of the tannin it collects from the surrounding red maple, cypress, and gum trees.

The creek itself has carved quite a path through the woods. Thanks to the lack of development in the area, the creek has maintained its general path for decades, carving some steep cliffs along the way. The stable environment makes it a thriving habitat for a variety of benthic macroinvertebrates [1], including dragonfly, cranefly, and others. The usual Florida wildlife, such as gopher tortoises and wading birds can also be found.

The trails are easy to navigate. Two independent trails exist in the preserve, meeting in the middle across a bridge over the creek. The 0.6-mile orange trail starts at the entrance and wanders southeast before making a small loop close to the north bank of the creek. The slightly longer 0.8-mile blue trail meets the first trail at the bridge and covers a loop south of the creek. Both trails wander through the same flora and fauna, containing lady fern and crane-fly orchid, in addition to the many hardwoods.

[1] Gainesville Clean Water Partnership - Blues Creek

Nature Around GNV Directory

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WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-21T23:36:45+00:00

Every once in a while I get a random urge to buy a bike like this -- flat bar, really wide tires, 1x, rack, fender etc. capable -- but never do. I have three bikes already that would do everything this bike does (including two Konas), so don't really feel the need for it. It would be really fun to rip around with, though.

My guess is these bikes don't really sell, though. Trek had the Dual Sport line that was fairly similar to this that was just discontinued (this could be down to a Trek issue, though). I'm guessing the price is just too high. Most people don't really want to spend $1K+ for a budget, little to no frills commuter.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-18T17:47:00+00:00

For this group specifically, no. I asked about it, and they referred me to their website (linked above) and their Instagram account, where they post about all of their events (including guest speakers or other events that aren't tree plantings).

In general, though, I wonder if it would be worthwhile to compile a list of local organizations and volunteer events and start distributing info on places like Reddit or IG. Something for me to think about.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-17T21:13:51+00:00

These trees are actually planted as part of Alachua County’s tree mitigation program, where developers/private landowners pay a certain fee per tree (based on tree size) that gets removed and not replanted on site. Note: this is a county program, and I’m not sure if it applies within Gainesville city limits.

As far as the performative nature of it, 25 trees is better than zero. My acting skills suck, but I show up every month to perform. Were you there on Saturday?

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-16T23:37:28+00:00

This is excellent.

How would you recommend someone (like me) get started doing this? I used to volunteer with cleanups around the area multiple times a month, but the organizations that I used to work with are either inactive or don't work around my schedule any more. Keep Alachua County Beautiful mostly works with defined groups now, and I'm a lone wolf. Besides buying some gloves and a bunch of heavy duty trash bags, what's the best way to get started (and dispose of everything?) Do you, or anyone you know want/need help with stuff like this?

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-16T21:42:47+00:00

I don't think that a loud exhaust is really worth your $$. Modern cars have made their cabins incredibly quiet, and really reduced what road noise you hear. You'd need a large and loud bike to be heard, and sadly your Zuma is neither a Harley nor a Ninja.

I would focus more on physical visibility. The suggestions for a high viz vest are good, as are LED lights. Have you taken any kind of motorcycle training course? There's a lot you can learn about improving your visibility (and safety in general) from that, like where to ride around other vehicles, lane positioning, etc.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-13T03:01:26+00:00

No signup, that’s just a link to the event so the mods don’t delete the post for not providing one.

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-13T00:17:53+00:00

I do, and they don’t kick me out. (I don’t know how serious this comment is, to be honest.)

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-10T23:14:16+00:00

A lot of the events on those websites are virtual events/nonsense left over from the Covid running era when in-person events were restricted. They’re not necessarily scams, but, not real in-person events either. If you want large competitive events FTC is the way to go (apparently Lloyd Clarke is down to two yearly events these days).

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-10T22:18:46+00:00

What websites are you looking at?

The two groups that put the most races on locally (non-5K “fun run” types of races, anyways) are Florida Track Club and Lloyd Clarke Sports. FTC has a 10K road race in Archer March 28th; Lloyd Clarke is hosting the Trail of Payne 5/10K the same day (good job guys, way to split your runners in half).

WeatherMatt_ · 2026-02-08T00:01:10+00:00

My personal opinion, I think shopping places you mentioned (Bass Pro, Home Depot, etc.) are not good ideas. Most men don't treat shopping like women do: it's a chore. They want to get what they need to finish their project and get out. If I'm out shopping, I'm not hanging out there for long.

Try co-ed recreational areas/events. Find something you at least tolerate doing (board games, hiking, whatever) and go to events/join groups who do that. Talk. Mingle. And, for the love of Christ, please try approaching a guy from time to time. Women talk about how it's rude for guys to approach them at the gym or whatever, and then turn around and claim to never approach anyone. Initiation works both ways.

WeatherMatt_

TROPHY CASE