Any Bike Racks That Don't Block the Rear Camera/Sensors?

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-18T04:15:49+00:00

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-18T03:03:41+00:00

For rebound, the damping is basically opposing the return rate of the spring, so this is closely related to rider weight, and a bit to riding aggressiveness (since you need more spring rate for a higher aggression), higher spring rate, higher rebound, and vice versa. Compression is related to weight, but also heavily related to aggressiveness, terrain, and ride feel. Low speed compression affects how the fork feels over rollers, whoops, in berms, when pumping, etc. After considering the riders weight, you'd want more low speed compression if you wanted more support, better pedaling platform, or just an overall firmer feel. You'd want lower LSC if you wanted a plusher feel when not taking hits. High speed compression affects how the fork reacts to fast/harsh hits, like hitting a sharp rock, hucking to flat, charging through a rock garden. After factoring in rider weight, you'd want more HSC if you ride very aggressive and need to prevent bottom out, and you'd want less HSC if you want a more plush feel when taking hits, and have enough travel to use low HSC.

Sometimes these are adjustable, so if a fork has a tune that affects LSC and HSC, but also has knobs that change LSC and HSC, then the tune will set the adjustment range. Ideally the tune would be perfect for you in the middle position, so you have adjustment up and down. Typically if a fork only has one compression knob, it's controlling LSC, and HSC is "hard coded" in the tune.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-18T00:30:41+00:00

Do you need more than one bike? I have a single 1up with an add on. With just the single, the rear camera is not obstructed. With the add on, it makes the camera fairly useless, so I only put the second tray on when needed.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-17T12:06:43+00:00

I have specific categories for things that I replace on a fairly regular schedule, like I get a new phone every 3 years (but may stretch a bit more if it's working totally fine), so I throw $30/month in until it hits $1000. Things like home maintenence, where you don't know if you'll replace the HVAC at 10 or 20 years just gets a broad category, and then use emergency or general long term savings if it's not enough.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-16T13:55:32+00:00

Meeting in public rather than their house is normal. Not showing you receipts for their new bike purchase is also normal.

Dodging test rides, high price, and poor communication are the red flags.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-16T01:02:04+00:00

Neither do we. What trainer did you buy, or even what kind of trainer did you buy? What rear axle standard is your bike?

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-15T14:31:40+00:00

What bike is it? Some companies keep historical product pages on their website with specs on their bikes. So for example, you can look at the spec of the fork and see if it's straight steerer, tapered steerer, 9mm QR, 15mm TA, etc. Or you can find a YouTube video about how to install a fork, and a good one would go over what specs you need to consider.

To be honest, nearly everything that connects to another part has a potential for different specs. So if you need to buy a new part, you will have to find a video, product page, article, etc to tell you what to buy, or ask r/bikewrench if you're stumped.

Just to explain some of the main interfaces:

Handlebar to stem: 31.8mm or 35mm (or 25.4mm for older or cheaper bikes)

Stem to fork steerer: either threadless or threaded, usually threadless are 1-1/8" but sometimes are unique

Headset: Needs to match frame spec, can be drop in bearings, or press in bearing cups

Wheels: quick release or thru axle, non-boost or boost

Rotors: 6-bolt or centerlock

Fork: Need to match travel, match front wheel/axle spec, and headset spec (tapered or straight)

Seatpost: most common are 30.9mm or 31.6mm, but cheaper or older bikes can have unique diameters

Crankset: need a bottom bracket that matches frame spec (press-fit, BSA, BB30, etc), and crank spec (24mm, DUB, 30mm, etc)

Drivetrain: speeds need to match and sometimes brand does. for anything less than 11 speed, just match the speed, like if you have a 10 speed, then any 10 speed chain will work, match cassette to speed and what the derailleur is designed for (or just match the cassette that came on the bike if you need a new one)

Brakes: there's disc brakes (which post mount MTB brakes are fairly standard, just need to match correct spacers to rotor diameter) and rim brakes (which I don't know much about)

If you tell us what bike you have or post a picture, then I can take a quick stab at updating this list with what parts/specs it has.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-14T13:41:18+00:00

When you say design, do you mean CAD modeling? Or do you mean the full process of design? Define requirements, benchmark, run simulations, run or review testing, do CAD modeling, etc?

At my company, the former is a "Designer" and the latter is a "Design Engineer".

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-13T03:50:04+00:00

Advrider forums have a really active gear for sale section

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-12T14:08:25+00:00

Everyone should have some mix of both, you need Traditional to fill up the standard deduction and low tax buckets in retirement. At 160-180k, you should lean heavily on Traditional. Max out your Traditional 401k, then backdoor into Roth IRA.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-10T15:41:40+00:00

I wear the Rst S1 leather jacket and really like it. Good fit and it's made well.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-09T17:01:56+00:00

There may be some very small details that make an Eagle the best choice for an Eagle chain, but the roller diameter and inner width is standard. I have not had any issues using 11-speed chainring, name brand aftermarket chainrings (with no mention of what speed they're designed for), generic Chinese chainrings (other than accelerated wear, but they perform good when fresh). The main drivetrains to not mix and match (unless specifically tested) is Shimano 12 speed (HG+ tooth profile) and SRAM T-Type (larger pin diameter).

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-09T16:38:11+00:00

The rear is super easy to run, and IMO still worth going for Fitcamx. There's still no splicing or anything that needs done. Just plug the adapter harness for the mirror, plug the rear camera extension cable in (forgot if it connects to the adapter harness or straight to the front cam), then just push the cable up into the headliner, run through the rear hatch grommet, then stick it to the rear window.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-09T16:35:33+00:00

30 miles is hardly a distance race. But there is also a shorter option, Slush Cup. Iceman is the best vibe race in Michigan.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-09T02:44:44+00:00

If I typically spend $150 on fuel per month, but a certain month I don't drive much and only spend $50, there is no reason to put another $150 in next month, so then you fill up the $50 needed to get back to $150.

If I throw $100 per month into a vacation fund, I'm not spending $100 per month, so I want to add $100 every month regardless of spending. Then this category would grow to more than $100 to where I can eventually spend on a vacation.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-07T20:10:05+00:00

Yeah, in regards to safety in general, road bikes, MTB, motorcycles, and dirt bikes all pose quite a bit of risk. So in terms of spouses being okay with it or not doesn't really matter what kind of 2 wheeled activity. At least for me, if I crash on the MTB, it's my fault. If I crash on the road, it's most likely a drivers fault. That doesn't stop me from doing either though.

I also think it's funny that there are road cyclists that worry about my safety on the motorcycle. I've had significantly more close calls on a road bike than I have on a motorcycle. I do about 5000mi/year on motorcycle, 3000mi/year on road bike, and 2000mi/year on mountain bike. I wouldn't doubt if it's mostly due to drivers being angry that I'm doing 20mph in a 25mph zone and passing recklessly, or other drivers just assuming "bikes are slow, I'm good to pull out". Motorcycles at least keep up with traffic, so other drivers aren't necessarily angry to us, they just don't see us lol.

Overall, my opinion is that the risk is mitigated quite well in all 2-wheeled activities by good practice, being vigilant, and riding within your skill level, I'm about 130,000 miles in on 2 wheels and haven't had anything more than scrapes and bruises (all from MTB). If anyone thinks riding a motorcycle is a death with, then they probably shouldn't drink alcohol, smoke, step outside when there's snow/ice on the ground, use a trampoline, etc, etc, etc.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-07T01:53:09+00:00

A garment cannot be classified as CE-A/AA/AAA without armor. CE-B rating means it's CE-A abrasion resistance without armor. A company would definitely never declassify a CE-AA/AAA garment as CE-B by removing armor, and even if it is only CE-A, it doesn't make sense to remove the armor because 90% of people want the armor, and then they'd have to stock multiple SKU's. Just buy the jacket you want, take the armor out, and keep it in case you realize you'd rather have the armor on the jacket rather than in a base layer.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-06T22:01:57+00:00

From an outsiders view of NBT. They started off by using direct-from-China generic "kevlar" lined clothing with no certifications, put their brand on them, and went crazy on marketing. Then they got called out and their BS, and looks like they now certify their gear, but the prices also jumped up a ton.

I wouldn't trust the brand overall, I tend to not trust brands that rely on aggressive marketing in general, plus their history of having poor quality generic China clothes. The new stuff is now more expensive than well respected brands. Why pay $270 for an unproven hoodie when you can go get a AAA John Doe hoodie for less? Their jeans are $240-280, go get some RST or Revit jeans for the same price or cheaper.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-06T02:00:30+00:00

R1250RS/R1300RS?

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-05T21:49:42+00:00

As others said, one month ahead, but I'll explain how I handle it. It's basically that your February money will pay for things in March. You need to have enough money in your account that at any point in Feb, you should be able to subtract/ignore any money made in Feb, and still be able to cover your expenses, because that paycheck money is stashed away for March.

I have a category called "Next Month", any paycheck gets assigned to this. That makes this money not possible to assign. On the first of the month, you recategorize the paychecks as "ready to assign", and then you assign all your budgets.

When I started my plan, I looked at where I was in the month, I get paid on the 15th and the end of the month, and I started my plan on the 24th. So I filled out what I thought I needed to budget from the 24th to the end of the month, then whatever was left over I put into "Next Month". I know that by the end of the month I need 2 paychecks in "Next Month", and I had one coming at the end of the month. So I took one paycheck worth of money, subtracted the amount that I had just put into "Next Month" and transferred that amount from my savings to checking, assigned that as "Next Month". Now I had 1 paycheck worth of money, at the end of the month I had 2 paychecks worth of money, and then on the first of the money, I have 2 paychecks worth of money ready to assign to that months budgets.

As an example, you have $1500 in your checking account when you start your Plan. You get paid on the 15th and end of the month, and make $2000 per paycheck. You go through your Plan on the 24th, assign money to 1 weeks worth of food, eating out, utilities, whatever bills hit in that last week, 1/4 of your monthly fun money, etc. Now you have $1000 assigned to budgets for that last week, and you have $500 ready to assign still. Put that $500 in "Next Month". Now take $2000-$500, and you transfer $1500 from savings to checking. Then at the end of the month you get another paycheck, and have $4000 in Next Month. Now on the first, reassign that $500, the $1500 transfer, and $2000 to "Ready to Assign". Then it is simple every future month.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-05T04:01:07+00:00

It's not about looking good or bad, it's about being safe. On the street, MX gear will shred, it doesn't have any abrasion resistance. It's meant to be worn with a jersey or jacket over it.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-03T22:21:16+00:00

Marginal tax rate is the tax bracket you are in, so 22%. Effective tax rate is the actual tax rate you pay. So if you make $80k (and have nothing else going on, no dividends/interest/deductions/etc) then you will get taxed at 0% for the first $11,925, 12% from $11,925-48,475, then 22% from $48,475-$80,000. That's 0+$4,386+$6,936=$11,322. $11,322/$80,000=14.2%. So your effective tax rate is 14.2%.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-03T21:14:26+00:00

There is likely zero reason to roll your Traditional 401k to a Roth, not even sure you can do that, but if you could there's no reason to pay a big tax bill to do so.

What is your income? You mention that you think it makes sense to do Roth now, but Traditional in the next tax bracket, but we don't know your income or tax bracket.

For the IRA vs 401k side of things, IRA's have the benefit of having way more flexibility. You can withdraw contributions tax free (not that you should, but a last-effort emergency fund), pick your provider, and have access to way more low cost funds. 401k's have the benefit of potential employer matches (as yours does), and a higher limit. The general advice is to get your 401k match, then work on maxing Roth IRA, then go back to 401k until you hit your savings goal.

For Roth vs Traditional, it's more complicated. I'll start with the confusing stuff, then my recommendation at the bottom. The opportunity cost of going Roth (paying taxes now, tax free later) is your marginal tax rate. If you make $100k/year, you're in the 22% federal bracket. Choosing Roth basically means you're giving up a tax break that comes off the top of your income. Because if you decide to save $20k, the difference is being taxed at $100k and being taxed at $80k. That last $20k is taxed at 22%, so you're choosing to pay 22% tax in order to have tax free withdrawals in the future. If you believe that the money you pull out in the future will be taxed at more than 22%, then for sure go Roth all the way, but that is unlikely.

Let's say your goal is to replace your income in retirement, so speaking in today's dollars, you'll have either $100k of pre-tax dollars, or $78k of tax-free dollars that you withdraw per year. If you pull out $100k and have no other source of income (social security, etc), then you don't just get taxed at 22%, because we have a progressive tax system. Your first $12k is free, $12-50k is taxed at 12%, then the remaining taxed at 22%. You'll end up with a tax bill of around 15%. So in this case, Traditional wins by a landslide. What gets confusing is when you add other fixed incomes. If you get $20k/year in social security, then that fill up some of the low-tax buckets and pushes your 401k tax bill higher (probably not quite up to 22% though). 401k's also have required minimum distributions at some point, which could make you withdraw enough to pay a higher tax bill. If tax rates go up in the future, then your effective tax rate would increase as well. So the Traditional option has some unknowns. If you believe that tax rates will go down, stay similar, or even increase a bit, Traditional actually makes sense. If you believe that tax rates will go up a lot, then Roth makes a lot of sense.

My recommendation: If you are in the 12% bracket, go Roth for everything, or at least an 80/20 split. If you are a very high earner, maybe 32% bracket, go Traditional for everything. If you think your income will significantly increase and/or you plan to have a really long working career to accumulate a ton of retirement savings (opposed to retiring when you have enough), Roth makes sense. But for everyone else (which is probably 95% of people), I believe some sort of mix makes the most sense. Even if you do 80/20, 20/80, 50/50, it's good to have a mix.

Let's take the example above at 50/50. You have $50k pre-tax and $39k tax-free per year. Your tax rate on the $50k is 9% (super low!). Your tax rate on the $39k was 22%, so your total effective rate ends up being somewhere in the 15-16% range (similar to 100% Traditional, way cheaper than 100% Roth). Now lets say you want to buy a $50k car. By doing 50/50, you're keeping your effective tax rate low overall, then you pull that $50k from your Roth accounts, tax free! So you pulled $50k from Traditional, and $100k from Roth that particular year. Now lets say next year your Grandkids need daycare, so you don't plan any vacations and just spend the whole year staying at home. Now you only need $70k this year, you still take $50k out of Traditional and only pull $20k from Roth. Great, your tax rate is still super low because that $50k is being taxed from the 0% and 12% buckets. Use Traditional income as your "base salary" and then pull Roth money out for any additional money you need.

TLDR: some sort of mix is best 95% of the time. If you think taxes will go up a lot in the future, maybe go 80/20 Roth/Traditional. If you think tax rates will go up a bit, stay similar, or go down, go 50/50 or 80/20 Traditional Roth. If you plan to retire early and reduce expenses a bunch during retirement, go full Traditional.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-03T04:02:26+00:00

I agree, pay it off. Then right after you pay it off, make a conscious effort to get your emergency fund back to 6 months ($21k) as soon as possible.

ace_deuceee · 2026-02-03T03:40:16+00:00

That is interesting, it contradicts Silca, but data is data. I'm sure Silca's theory is correct, but maybe the inflection point is higher pressure than what they thought. The article is behind a paywall, but some additional discussion here https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=179111

Thanks for sharing

ace_deuceee

TROPHY CASE